Gaja’s wines are among Italy’s most distinctive, and as a businessman and winemaker, patriarch Angelo Gaja has always been visionary. Inspired by French wines, Gaja in the 1970s advocated for better quality Italian wines, leading with his own.

Founder Randy Dunn worked for years at Caymus and purchased a vineyard on Howell Mountain in 1978. He and his wife make Cabs, which are some of the most consistent and well-made in Napa Valley.

Australia’s most renowned wine comes from Penfolds. The estate began when a doctor found wine to be a boon for his patients. Penfolds continues to break the mold, producing extraordinary wines.