Bob & Joni Williamson
Just how did a custom homebuilder who never had a glass of wine until he was 25 years old, become the owner of a 10 acre vineyard and small winery in the heart of Napa Valley?
Born in Ohio where his family had been farmers, Bob moved to California at the age of five. He grew up on the San Francisco Peninsula and spent 16 years in the aeronautics industry with United Air Lines. For the next 20 years Bob turned to designing and building custom homes. Meanwhile he always felt an affinity to his farming heritage and along the way discovered his love for wonderful wines.
As Bob recalls, “I’m not sure exactly how or when it happened… whether it could be defined by a precise moment in time, or whether it was a gradual revelation - but it happened. My wife Joni and I fell in love with the beauty of the Napa Valley, the warmth of the people, the lifestyle and the unforgettable experiences at small family wineries we sought out. We were hooked.”
From a second home in Napa Valley … to a 16 acre vineyard … taking classes in viticulture … to purchasing a winery and turning it into a multi-winery facility dubbed by Wine Spectator as “a hidden gem in the Napa Valley”, Bob and Joni’s love of wine seems to have driven them to their destiny.
Today, Bob concentrates his efforts on his Ideology Estate. His second vintage received 95 points and was rewarded #57 in Wine Enthusiasts Top 100 Wines of the World. Joining forces with their 100-point winemaker, Gustavo Gonzalez, the Williamsons move forward with excitement and anticipation of what is to come.
The limited production, primarily single-vineyard wines reflect Bob’s ideology: The world’s most spectacular wines are an expression of the land in which they grow. Now that the Ideology Vineyard has proven it can produce award winning wine, he moves forward on the design of a new winery – one specifically designed for Ideology Cellars – to house and showcase his vineyard and highly sought-after boutique wines.
“I am proud to have made the transition from custom homebuilder to Napa Valley vintner. Creating world-class wines and living in Napa Valley is my dream come true.”