'Friendships discovered in wine': How 3 friends from Akron started a winery in Napa Valley

I got a call several months ago from Napa Valley winemaker Drew Neiman. Neiman, a Firestone High School graduate, wanted to pass along a tip about three guys from Akron that were making wine in the Valley.

On a recent trip to wine county, I spotted a bottle of their wine for sale at one of the bougie shops in St. Helena. I knew then that they weren’t just a few ordinary guys from Akron.

At one time, Tony Granata of Copley was working at Ticknors Clothiers in Fairlawn. During his 16 years there, he became good friends with regular customers Leary Cox of Akron and Ed Kuchar of Bath. Their love of good food and wine is what brought them, and their wives, together over the years.

Attending a few dinners hosted by winemaker Gerhard Reisacher, who makes Delectus wines, is what transformed their lives from Akron-area businessmen to Napa Valleyentrepreneurs. 

“We would hang out with Gerhard and became friends,” Granata said during a recent interview at Lanning’s Restaurant. "We would see him when we were out in Napa."

One fall day, Granata’s phone rang, and Reisacher was on the other end of the line. He said, as Granata tells it: "I have more grapes than I am going to process. Have you guys thought about starting your own winery? I can be your winemaker and show you the ropes.”

"Gerhard made the barriers of entry so low that it was tough to say no," Kuchar said.

The three already had a love for Reisacher's style of winemaking, so that made the decision much easier.

“When I received that phone call, I wasn’t looking for the opportunity to create a winery and do this,” said Granata as he poured a glass of their 2020 Avidity Chardonnay. "I heard so many stories about people passing on opportunities that they didn’t expect, then kicking themselves the rest of their lives for it. I didn’t want for it to be that story."

Three weeks and a few discussions later, a winery with no name was born.

The start of Implicit Cellars

"Our wives are also proprietors of the winery,” Cox said. "They don’t get involved as much with the day-to-day operations, but they were very active, especially in the beginning when we were choosing a name and the label.”

The group chose the name Implicit Cellars after narrowing down a list of 250 names.

“With the word 'implicit,' we wanted to be simple and classic,” Cox said.

Friendship and good cabernet are the key ingredients for the wines of Implicit Cellars. The Latin phrase "Amicitia Inventus Est In Vinum," which translates to "friendships discovered in wine," is on the back of every bottle. The regal-looking labels are printed on cotton Bianco, a 100% natural cotton paper.

The small boutique project, under the direction of Reisacher, produced 112 cases of cabernet in 2017, their first year.

"The story of our progression has been filled with unexpected challenges and speed bumps," Granata said.

Reisacher retired for health reasons after the first vintage. His successor, Mike Hirby, left after making the 2018 and 2019 vintages, as he wanted to concentrate on growing his own brand.

Smoke-tainted grapes from the Glass Fire, a wildfire that tore through Napa, prevented them from making a red wine in 2020. The only wine they made that year was the Avidity Chardonnay.

The Kirk Venge touch

With Hirby gone and the fire cleared, the group was forced to search a third time for a new winemaker. That’s when they contacted Kirk Venge, who makes several high-end wines at the same production facility in St. Helena.

"Kirk is arguably Napa Valley royalty,” Granata said as he poured me a sample of the not-yet-released 2021 Innuendo cabernet. "Kirk has more connections and respect than anyone in Napa Valley,” he continued as he offered a few nibbles of a pork belly appetizer to pair with their luscious $85 wine.

According to Forbes, Venge is a third-generation Napa winemaker with two of his own brands and is a "winemaking consultant to some of the most exciting wines being made in California."

I took note from Granata’s earlier wisdom about not passing on opportunities and allowed him to pour me a taste of Implicit Cellars’ other two 2021 cabernets, Acuity and Privity, which were also just bottled this past June. The Innuendo won’t be available for purchase until the spring of 2024, and the Acuity and Privity will be released in the fall of the same year.

It was a rare privilege to taste these spectacular wines with Cox and Granata. With Venge at the helm, it's evident that Implicit Cellars wines are quickly approaching Cult(Wine) status without the outrageous price tag.

The crescendo of the evening was sipping on a glass of the $195 Privity cabernet.

“This is the wine we make for ourselves,” Granata said as he passed around slices of bone-in ribeye. It was an unforgettable pairing that should not be passed up, should the opportunity present itself.

Sipping on these wines may have you scurrying for a dictionary to decipher the meaning of their names. While you're at it, grab a thesaurus, as you will need a few more adjectives to describe their vast deliciousness.

Where to get Implicit Cellars wines in Akron

Implicit Cellars is definitely not a retail wine brand, as their wines are mainly available through online purchase from their website or by visiting them at their custom crush facility in St. Helena. Dining patrons in Akron can find their Privity cabernet on the wine list at Lanning’s, Diamond Grille and Ken Stewart’s Lodge.

Lanning’s offers the 2020 Avidity Chardonnay for $28 glass. The wine's rich creaminess makes it the perfect companion to have with an order of their jumbo lump crab cocktail.

Visit Implicit Cellars in St. Helena, California

If you are heading to the Napa Valley and would like to book a private cave tasting with Implicit Cellars at their production facility in St. Helena, please contact the proprietors at info@implicitcellars.com or at 707-979-2341. Lunch and dinner wine pairings are also available by appointment at three different Napa Valley restaurants: Bistro Don Giovanni, The Charter Oak and Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch.

Reach Phil Masturzo at philyourglass@gmail.com and follow him on Instagram @pmasturzo_philyourglass

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Implicit Cellars in Napa Valley was started by 3 friends from Akron