Virage is a Napa Valley label founded by Emily Richer, who spent thirteen years working in the valley — first as a cook, then as assistant to wine educator and author Karen MacNeil, then as a consultant to wineries including Quintessa, Rudd, and Langtry Estate — before launching the brand with a focused mission of producing Right Bank-style Bordeaux blends from the cooler northeast Carneros hillsides of Napa. The name is a French word meaning "a turn in the road," reflecting both the Right Bank blending philosophy and the location of the label's early vineyards above the turn onto Highway 29. Grapes are grown on northeast Carneros hillsides in a marine-influenced climate, with wines produced at a shared facility and sold primarily direct to consumers.