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Winemaker
Thane Kutson
Thane Knutson was born and raised in Oklahoma. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in International Business, and along the way he discovered his love of fermentation after making a batch of wine in his dorm room closet. The science and art of fermentation captivated Thane so much so, that he picked up a job at the local winery in Slaughterville, Oklahoma.
Deciding to dive into the wine world further, he made the move to the West Coast and worked his first harvest in 2006 at Cakebread Cellars followed by two years honing his skills at the Hess Collection Winery. Thane joined Raymond Vineyards in 2009, in the same year that Jean-Charles Boisset purchased the winery, where he is involved in all aspects of wine production under Director of Winemaking Stephanie Putnam and Consulting Winemaker Philippe Melka.
Winemaking
The First
Napa Valley was the first American Viticultural Area to be recognized in California in 1981. It is 30 miles long and only a few miles wide and makes up only 4% of the state’s wine production.
Enjoying a Mediterranean climate mixed with diverse microclimates and soils, it is no wonder that Napa Valley is known as one of the world’s more renowned wine-growing regions.
Harvested from premium vineyards across Napa Valley, grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted to ensure only the highest quality of fruit goes into barrel. The red wines go through extended maceration, which provides a textured mid-palate and long finish before aging in a combination of new and once-used French oak barrels that impart structure, balance and finesse.
Care is taken at every step of the way to ensure that we continue to honor the original founders of Napa Valley.
Commitment
Organic and Biodynamic Practices
Our role as viticulturists and winemakers is to steward the land… the carefully observe, listen, and embrace the rhythms of nature in order for our actions and ourselves to vibrate with their purpose. We take to heart the Native American proverb that “we do not inherit this land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
With this in mind, we focus on sustainable, organic, and Biodynamic farming practices. Founder’s Ranch is in the transition to become fully organic and Biodynamic, and we encourage all of our growers to follow sustainable practices.
Our logo represents this belief with the following symbols:
The Sun: Representing the Solar Calendar, measuring the time between vernal equinoxes.
The Moon: Representing the Lunar Calendar, measuring the time between each new moon.
The Horns: Biodynamic soil is prepared by immersing cow manure into a cow horn and burying in nutrient-rich soil to bring the vitality back to the earth.
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The Grape Leaf: Depicting that of a Cabernet Sauvignon leaf, the varietal that Napa Valley is most known for.