“I love wine! I love hospitality!”

So says Kathryn Hall in her melodious voice, joyful in the same way that gorgeous aromatics burst from a glass of her world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Hall, who owns a home on Maui, is vintner and proprietor of four wine properties and brands in California. These include HALL St. Helena and HALL Rutherford, both located in Napa Valley, which are dedicated to producing artisan expressions of Cabernet, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc; WALT Wines, which focuses on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; and BACA, which concentrates on expressions of Zinfandel.

Put simply: She is one of the leading lights in the wine industry.

Wine was always part of Hall’s life. Her father was a grape grower, and wine was served at every special occasion she can remember: baptisms, birthdays, graduations and every holiday celebration. When she was a child, her dad would add some wine to her water and a touch of sugar. For her, wine is associated with happiness.

And Hall has had much to celebrate in her life. Outside of the wine industry, she has enjoyed a successful career as an attorney, co-founded one of nation’s most successful food banks, sat on the National Advisory Council for Violence Against Women, served as the U.S. Ambassador to Austria and penned a New York Times best-selling book. The common thread? She has never taken a back seat, never rested on her laurels.

“There is no substitute for hard work,” says Hall. “You have to be out there.” Accordingly, she now spends four months of the year on the road. During these stretches, she promotes her wines and meets personally with shop owners, restauranteurs and hoteliers. Hall believes that the wine business is still based on relationships. And hospitality is a cornerstone of that business, even at her own wineries.

“The wine has to be good, but that’s not enough,” she says. “The place, and the people they’re with when they are drinking the wine, are just as important.”

That’s why, unlike some wineries, Hall’s brands focus on the total experience, not only the flavor of their products. And she knows about products. She makes 23 Cabernets, 14 Pinot Noirs, seven Zins, three Chardonnay and two each Sauvignon Blanc and Roses. With almost 50 wines of her own, she still tastes everything out there. (Hall has a definite love for Champagne, as well as a penchant for white Burgundy).

Staying apprised helps her keep an eye on industry trends, where direct- to-consumer business is increasingly important. She says the relationship between the winery and its customers needs to be cherished and nourished. Social media has changed the way wine is advertised, upping the appetite for authenticity. And as the industry has globalized, there’s more competition. Hall makes no bones about her approach to the business end: “The [brands] that succeed will be most efficient.”

But when asked what she’d like to see change about the wine industry, Hall doesn’t mention the sales trends, the business challenges or the even the ethical treatment of animals at vineyards, a subject about which she is famously passionate. No, for Hall, the change she’d most like to see is getting more women involved. Two of her head winemakers are female; according to Hall, winemaking is just “better by committee.”

“Having more palates and interpretations is important,” she says. “It is so much an art. And it is a play back and forth which creates more creativity and more fun.”

So Hall gives the following advice to any young woman: “Pick a path and follow it. Know that this path isn’t a path you have to stay on forever. Be prepared to pivot and adjust at any time, maybe many times. Find what you love to do as you go through failure and success. You will find confidence by making mistakes and moving forward. Pick the best path right now and be prepared to change.”

No doubt, many young women (and men) see Hall as in inspiration. Not only for her winery endeavors, but her entire body of work, spanning across so many areas, as well as her sincerity and worldliness. So where does Kathryn Hall find inspiration?

“I love the people I work with,” she says. “The greatest inspiration comes from [them]. Their creativity and dedication fire me up!”

TASTING NOTES: HALL WINES
2018 HALL Knights Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County
Gorgeous fruit, bordering on tropical with waves of passionfruit, Meyer lemons and poached pears. Lifted vanilla notes and spices support a round texture that finishes on a very satisfying note of lemon pastry.

2016 HALL Jack’s Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Intense and opulent. The nose is explosive with notes of both black and blue fruit essences, licorice, hints of violets and sweet woods. Full throttle and robust it packs the mouth full of black currant, brambleberry and acai. I love the texture here as it is thick but maintains grace with a lengthy and complex aftertaste.

2016 HALL Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
This wine has another level of energy like an extra gear in a Porsche GT3RS. Swelling with perfectly ripe fruit, the nose has layers of complexity: blueberry, licorice, vanilla, cocoa nibs, mocha, currants and even a hint of stone and mineral.

It stains the palate with these flavors adding espresso and graphite to the mix. The tannin is rich and refined. This will no doubt age gracefully for a decade or longer, but can you really keep your hands off it that long? A reference standard example of the best of Napa Valley.

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