Entreprenuer Leslie Rudd, Kansas Liqour wholesaler, owner of the Dean & Deluca gourmet food markets, Oakville Grocery, St. Helena's PRESS restaurant, and Distillery 209, also owns two wineries, Edge Hill Estate and Rudd Winery. In 1996 Rudd purchased the 55 acre Oakville estate (he has added territory in Mt. Veeder since) and, in 2000, the estate bottled its first red vintage. Since 2007 Rudd's head winemaker has been Sonoma native Patrick Sullivan, a verteran of Peter Micahel, Hobbs, and Lewis Cellars. Along with the famed vineyard manager David Abreu and consultant Brad Grimes (Abreu's own winemaker), Sullivan has overseen the production of classic Oakville wines that combine intense dark fruit flavors; mineral, cedar, tobacco and licorice notes; and firm acid/tannin spine. These restrained wines, which resemble ripe Bordeaux from the Médoc, have the depth and balance to reward aging. The bottlings include Oakville Estate Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Susan’s Blanc, Mt. Veeder Sauvignon Blanc, Bacigalupi Chardonnay.