Known By Name

When Gustav and Naoko Dalla Valle planted a 20-acre hillside vineyard in Oakville on Napa Valley’s eastern slope in 1987, there was one parcel that stood out for its red, iron-rich, rocky, clay soil. That very same year, their daughter was born. Both the vineyard block and the baby were given the name Maya. In 1988, they bottled their first vintage blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc from that one block on their 20- acre property. That wine is also called Maya.

“As soon as I could read, I remember seeing all the boxes of wine with my name on them and saying to my parents, ‘These are all my wines. You can’t sell them. They’re mine,’” says Maya Dalla Valle. “And they were like, ‘Let’s be clear about one thing: We named this wine after you because we love you very much, but this is not your wine,’” laughs Maya.

Today, her connection to the wine goes far beyond the name on case boxes or labels. Since 2021, Maya is also the winemaker of Dalla Valle’s Maya. She’s a member of a small group of winemakers, mostly women, around the world who are now making or running the...