First Generation

Long before Napa Valley made its mark on the world wine stage, Libero Pocai purchased 60 acres of Napa Valley land from Rebecca Steele Way for $10.00 in gold coins. Today, this property is known as Pocai Vineyard in Calistoga. Libero and Maria raised their two boys, Frank and Henry, on the estate and made their dream of having a vineyard, growing grapes, and making wine a reality. Together with Frank and Henry, they worked sunrise to sunset with horses to plant 55 acres of vineyard with Zinfandel, the prominent variety at the time. 

In 1912, the Pocai family applied for the 115th winery bond in Napa Valley and named their winery L. Pocai & Sons. The winery and vineyard were the family’s livelihood. They raised grapes and delivered them to the train station in a horse-drawn wagon. The wines they made were aged in oak and redwood barrels. Charles Krug in St Helena also purchased wine from their winery. At its peak, L. Pocai & Sons produced 50,000 gallons of wine.