The Farella family has sold their 60-acre Coombsville estate to Realm Cellars.
The undisclosed July 17 sale resolves long-standing generational transition challenges for the Napa Valley winery, and includes both a winery and 60 acres of land (with a potential for 26 to be planted).
Tom Farella will maintain ownership of the family wine label, leasing the estate's winery from Realm and purchasing select grapes from the vineyard.
Tom's father Frank Farella purchased the Coombsville site in 1977 and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, despite pushback from local vintners including Robert Mondavi, who doubted the cool climate could ripen the variety.
His gamble paid off: Coombsville grapes became highly sought-after for balancing warmer up-valley wines, with early Farella harvests going into prestigious bottlings like Mondavi Reserve and Opus One.
Frank’s son, Tom, took over the family label after its 1991 debut. The vineyard’s success put Coombsville on the map, leading Tom to author the petition that earned the region official AVA status in 2011.
When Frank passed away in early 2025, the estate fell into a bit of limbo. Tom wanted to continue, while his siblings didn’t.
Now 66, Tom will continue to operate the Farella brand through a lease arrangement with Realm, with his brand producing about 1,000 cases annually of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
Kanpai!
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
