Delia Viader

Delia Viader was born in Argentina and came to the U.S. as a
student. She holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the Sorbonne
University in Paris, France. She pursued advanced business
degrees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the
University of California, Berkeley in the U.S.


Delia’s father helped her financially for the initial seven-year
investment in her winery. As she fell in love with California
when she was a student at Berkeley and was attracted to the wine
industry.


After founding VIADER in 1986, Delia studied Enology and
Viticulture at the University of California, Davis to learn the
practical theory behind making fine wine Her first vintage was
1989, when she produced 1,200 cases of wine. Today, Delia has a
production total of 7,500 cases under the Viader labels.


Delia found that she was decidedly more attracted to Old World
wines. She was particularly impressed by the wines of Chateau
Cheval Blanc in St. Emilion, from which she based the idea for
her first blend, the 1989 VIADER comprising 40 percent Cabernet
Franc and 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, a combination that is
now her signature wine.


Always “daring to be different,” Delia decided to bring the
Bordeaux style of winemaking and vineyard cultivation to the
California hillside by planting the vines in rows going up and
down the mountain, following the path of the afternoon sun down
the steep slopes of Howell Mountain. At the time, she met strong
opposition and criticism for planting her vines in this way,
simply because it had never been done before. However, soon after
successfully releasing her first vintage, it was clear that her
efforts to develop the vineyard were worthwhile. With optimal sun
exposure, and unique soil that allows for natural drainage, the
vines struggle to survive in the rocky terroir and produce fruit
of exceptional quality.


In 2002, her son Alan came on board, first to manage the
vineyards and later to be the Director of Operations, joining
Delia on the winemaking and production team. Her daughter Janet
is Director of Marketing and Sales. Delia’s family (she has four
children) and fascination with fine wines have been her primary
motivations for starting her beautiful winery overlooking the
Napa Valley.