From Manteca to the whole world: 100 years of Indelicato heritage
The story of Delicato Family Wines begins in 1924 in Manteca, a small town in California's central San Joaquin Valley. Gaspare Indelicato, an immigrant from Sicily, had reached America via Ellis Island and planted his first vineyard there – on 68 acres with an old hayloft as a cellar, with Carignane, Mission and Zinfandel vines. The landscape reminded him of his home, where his family had been growing wine for generations. With his three sons, he built a winery from it that grew over decades without ever changing owners. Today, Gaspare's grandsons Chris Indelicato as CEO and Jay Indelicato as COO lead the company, while the fourth generation is already growing into the business. What began in 1924 as a family dream is today one of the largest family-owned wineries in the United States.
Vineyards and company history
Delicato Family Wines manages around 4,000 acres of vineyards in several central locations in California: including the San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey County, one of the largest contiguous single vineyards in the world by area, the Clay Station Vineyard in the sunny hills of Lodi, and the Black Stallion Estate Winery in Napa Valley on the famous Silverado Trail. This geographical breadth allows for the production of very different grape varieties and styles with genuine origin precision.
Founder Gaspare was already having glass bottles sterilized and refilled in the 1930s – the original winery in Manteca is now a certified organic processing facility.
From barrel-aged Zinfandel to Napa Cabernet: a range with breadth and depth
Delicato's portfolio spans a wide arc: the 1924 line – named after the founding year – relies on unusual aging methods such as bourbon or whiskey barrel aging for Cabernet Sauvignon and Old Vine Zinfandel, which gives these wines an additional layer of roasted and vanilla aromas. The Black Stallion Estate Winery in Napa Valley represents the upscale side of the portfolio: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from one of the most renowned wine regions in the world, aged with the standards of a classic Napa estate. Delicato's wines are distributed in over 60 markets on five continents – which explains the stylistic range: from accessible, fruit-driven everyday wines to structured reserve wines with aging potential.
