Arcudi wines are made by Tony Arcudi. An Italian-American from Boston who worked in computer-related fields – including aboard U.S. Navy submarines – Arcudi’s interest in food and cooking led to part-time cooking jobs in high school, and later to an interest in wine. After his service in the U.S. Navy he tried making wine in his basement, but eventually moved to California to study winemaking at U.C. Davis. He worked in the Rhone Valley before returning to Napa and working as assistant winemaker at Nickel & Nickel. But Arcudi wanted to make his own wine, and his debut release was a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Black Sears Vineyard on Howell Mountain. The wine is generally available only through a mailing list. Vinous rated the 2012 Arcudi at 93-95 pts and called it “a superb first effort from Tony Arcudi.”