SAN FRANCISCO - Legendary Northern California vintner John Shafer, who was part of a generation that helped elevate sleepy Napa Valley into the international wine powerhouse it is today, has died. Shafer Vineyards announced Monday that its founder died Saturday in Napa. But he saw promise in the soil, and in 1978 he produced the first Shafer Vineyards wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon. “He would say, ‘The best thing I did was improve people’s lives here.’ He was really proud of that,” said son Doug Shafer, who is president of Shafer Vineyards. “We’re bourbon and beer.” Shafer is survived by daughter Libby Shafer of St. Helena, and sons Doug Shafer of St. Helena and Brad Shafer of San Francisco.

Source: thestar March 05, 2019 00:11 UTC