Darioush Khaledi has long been a fan of Bordeaux wines, traveling to the French wine region, collecting bottles, and even scouting property there to open a winery. But his plans shifted after he and his wife, Shahpar, made the trip from Southern California to Napa Valley in 1988 for their wedding anniversary. Khaledi unexpectedly discovered a world-class wine region much closer to home, realizing that Napa wines could compete with the best in the world.
“When we started tasting in Napa, I was surprised to see the quality of the wine being made and the beauty and openness of the people in the tasting rooms,” he tells Penta. “Why did we travel that far to Bordeaux when Napa is so close to home?”
Iranian-born Khaledi, 77, developed a love of wine at a younger age than most people in the industry. As a youngster in Persia, he was exposed to Shiraz, the eponymous grape of the city where he grew up. “There was no age limit for consumption in Iran before the revolution,” Khaledi explains. “It started from my childhood when my father made wine in Shiraz for a hobby and [for our] family.”
Khaledi, once a civil engineer and owner of a construction firm in Iran, left pre-revolution with his wife and their two young children, settling near family in Los Angeles. The entrepreneur opened a grocery store with his brother-in-law, expanding to 41 locations, and becoming the largest family-owned grocery chain in Southern California. But his passion for wine persisted.
Ten years after that first visit to California wine country, Khaledi unearthed an estate on Napa’s scenic Silverado Trail, reviving a property that had been abandoned for 38 years.
“I wanted it to be original. The columns you see on top of the winery are a smaller replica of Persepolis,” he says of the hospitality center that took six years to complete. “I replanted and rebuilt the winery you see now.”
Since the early days, Khaledi has focused on elevating the winery experience, merging exceptional wines with stellar hospitality. His 120 acres of estate vineyards span several appellations, producing Bordeaux and Rhône-style wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viognier, and Shiraz (Syrah), his favorite variety and the wine he tasted as a child. Darius II—a blend of the finest barrels and the winery’s crown jewel—is bottled in partnership with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. The institution has collaborated with the winery since 1999, revealing a unique label each year that depicts an ancient tradition in Persian art.
This year, Darioush is celebrating 25 years in Napa Valley. Penta recently caught up with Khaledi by phone to chat about his business philosophy, the bottles he collects for his cellar, and more.
PENTA: What does the word “luxury” in wine mean to you?
Darioush Khaledi: First, it starts with the vineyard. If you have good grapes, you have good wine or luxury, high-quality wine. Second, it’s how you manage the vineyard. We use the most expensive barrels to age our wines for 18 to 22 months after the first fermentation. We have five people in our concierge service––that’s part of the experience. People come to Napa not just to taste wine but to experience the atmosphere of the property.
How has Persian culture shaped Darioush and your business philosophy?
Persians are famous for their hospitality. When I was a child, we had people in our home, and I never knew who they were. I remember one hotel, and it was mostly empty because people would knock on any [homeowner’s] door, and they would be welcome to stay there. In Farsi, “taarof” translates to the art of politeness, a means of making people feel at home. This is exactly the philosophy we apply throughout our guests’ experience at the winery.
When I was in the grocery business, we had 2,500 employees; 50% had more than 30 years of experience and stayed with us. I recruit and retain people. How beautiful it is to develop people––they can feel like they own what they’re doing. That’s my philosophy of entrepreneurship.
You’re quite the collector. Can you tell us about your wine cellar?
Most of my collection is from the late 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, almost all red. The two icons of the world of Cabernets are Bordeaux and Napa. I have 8,000 bottles: 6,000 are from Bordeaux, and 2,000 are from Napa. When I open a 30-year-old Napa wine and a 30-year-old Bordeaux, they taste very much the same. Lately, I’ve started collecting Burgundy and some Italian wines from Bolgheri in Tuscany.
If you’re not drinking Darioush wine, what’s in your glass?
From Bordeaux, Domaine Chevalier, from my friend Olivier Bernard. From Italy, a Super Tuscan or Bolgheri from Piero Antinori. From Napa, my mentor and the finest winemaker in Napa, Bob Mondavi. These three people have been a significant influence on me. They are my role models.
With 25 years under your belt, what does the future hold for Darioush?
As we look back at the last 25 years, we are proud to honor and celebrate our team. My daughter [Sally Khaledi] now works with Darioush and will be the owner after me and run the winery. The plan is to buy more quality vineyards. Good wine is made in good vineyards.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
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