Since 1988, founder and owner James Hall has guided Patz & Hall, instilling it with his own boldness, imagination and trademark perfectionism. Combining a belief in great viticulture, traditional winemaking practices, and the judicious use of innovative techniques, James has earned a reputation for crafting dramatic benchmark Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that balance vibrant power with vineyard-inspired depth and sophistication.
The son of an English professor, James developed an early appreciation for fine wine during travels with his family to Europe in the 1960s. While studying liberal arts at U.C. Santa Cruz, James met Anne Moses, and together the two began exploring their shared interest in wine. Though not part of his curriculum, James started studying winemaking textbooks in his spare time. Inspired, he transferred to the U.C. Davis, to study viticulture and enology. Eager to experience hands-on winemaking, James took his first winery job at Felton-Empire in 1981, where he was able to learn from renowned winemakers Leo McCloskey and Patrick Mahaney.
While working as assistant winemaker at Napa Valley’s Flora Springs Winery and Vineyards, James struck up a close friendship with sales manager Donald Patz, and the two soon discovered that they shared a similar philosophical approach to wine and winemaking. In 1988, while working as the winemaker and estate manager for Honig Winery, James teamed up with Donald and Heather Patz, and Anne Moses to produce Patz & Hall’s inaugural Napa Valley Chardonnay.
Over the course of three decades as Patz & Hall’s winemaker, James built lasting relationships with such renowned growers as Larry Hyde, Charlie and Bud Chenoweth, Gary Pisoni and Lee Martinelli to create an acclaimed portfolio of single-vineyard wines. In 2024 he moved to cement Patz & Hall’s legacy of crafting sought-after, thrilling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir by repurchasing the winery from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates following eight years as part of its corporate portfolio. Today he continues to help guide Patz & Hall’s winemaking and operations.