Dominic Chappellet
Owner, Board Member, Technical Services
 As the youngest son of Donn and Molly Chappellet, Dominic was born a year after the founding of Chappellet Vineyard & Winery. With Pritchard Hill as his playground, Dominic grew up exploring the land, looking for snakes and lizards, and helping out in the winery and vineyards. He also tasted wine at the family dinner table and pitched in during crush—experiences that enabled him to develop a keen palate and a strong understanding of the family business.
In the years after high school, Dominic settled in Sacramento, where he helped to open a successful restaurant named Eat Your Vegetables with a handful of partners. While still in his twenties, Dominic moved to Big Sur where he worked for Blaze Engineering developing homesites and building roads. Applying many of the skills he had learned as a young man on Pritchard Hill, Dominic built his own small house in Big Sur. During this period, he met and married his wife, Sara. After the birth of their first child, Dominic found himself wanting to return with his new family to the Napa Valley.
Since moving back to Pritchard Hill, Dominic has earned degrees in both Television Studio Engineering and Digital Design Graphic Technology. He has also made himself an important part of the Chappellet team, helping to manage technical support and services at the winery. His range of expertise also encompasses video production, and he has created Web site content for Chappellet, including video vignettes and slide shows. His most recent creative addition was the installation of a webcam at the winery, allowing visitors to our website to observe our daily activities. Dominic also oversees the winery’s photo archive, which includes more than 100,000 images and spans 40 years. He In addition, Dominic is involved in general property management, contributing in a range of areas, from property maintenance and beautification to the modernization of Pritchard Hill’s water system.
Dominic is also an active member of the Chappellet board, working with his parents, aunt and siblings to make key decisions affecting the winery. “I have always been in love with this property,” says Dominic, “and proud of what my family has created. As a son, a brother and a father, I am committed to the idea of keeping Chappellet in the family for generations to come.” Dominic lives in a house on the Chappellet property with his family. He still enjoys looking for snakes and lizards, though now he does so with his daughter, Reese, and his son, Diesel.
For more information on Dominic's company, Digital Razor Productions, visit www.digirazor.com.
|
|
