After a lifetime built on speed, Mario Andretti has built a winery in the Napa Valley that stands in sharp contrast to his career as one of the world's most famous and successful race car drivers. It echoes more the tempo at which vines mature, rather than the velocity of a Formula One car. And tempo is a good word for a man who knows the words to an untold number of Italian arias by heart, one of the many facets to this winery owner's character.

Borrowing from the architecture of Northern Italy, the house and winery, like his love for opera, are a salute to his heritage. Andretti moved to the United States when he was 15, and his love and then his passion for wine developed over the years. "I don't know exactly how or when I became so involved with wine," he said during a recent visit. "It just happened over time. It's such a part of good food, of a good life, that it was natural that I became more interested in all parts of the process."

Today the winery produces eight varietals under the Andretti label, 19,000 cases in all. A talented Napa native, Bob Pepi, is the winemaker.
"Being a part of the Napa Valley and the winemaking that goes on here is a great honor for me," Andretti said, standing on the terrace behind the private wing of the sprawling property. "The quality of the wines made here is just outstanding.

Now a distinctive figure on the landscape of Napa wineries, the Andretti property was not always such a presence. To say that it underwent a miraculous transformation would be in every sense of the word an understatement. It was, in his words, a property that in 1996 was in need of molto lavoro - much work. Once a nondescript ranch house in rural Napa County, it is now a prosperous 53 acre enclave that includes a tasting room, winemaking facility, temperature and humidity controlled buildings where wine barrels are stored, a courtyard with fountain, an open kitchen with a dining room where dinners for up to 80 can be held, and a pair of guest suites.

Despite the awards and honors (Driver of the Year in three different decades, Driver of the Century, winner of everything from the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500 to the Formula One World Championship and three time winner of Sebring), Mario Andretti's winery is remarkably free of the sports memorabilia that a less secure celebrity might have on display. Instead, the attention to design takes precedent. The faux finishes on the walls were carefully chosen. What appear to be smoke smudges from wall sconces and streaks of centuries-old rust were actually painted on to achieve the desired effect. Tiles and other architectural fixtures were researched and executed.

"My only regret is that I don't get to spend more time here," Andretti, who visits the Valley four or five times a year, laments. "It is such a beautiful spot, but right now, with a new winery, a big part of what I do is travel to promote the wines, and I have quite a few other commitments.

"But I hope to spend more and more time in the Napa Valley, to get even more involved," he said, smiling, looking out over the rows of vines. "I always wanted a winery like the ones in Italy where my family is from . . . I think we've done a pretty good job of creating that here in California."

The tasting room at Andretti Winery is open daily from 10AM-4:30PM. It is located at 4162 Big Ranch Road just north of the Napa city limits. For more information call (707) 261-1717.