Vision
Accendo (Latin, verb): to illuminate, to inspire, to arouse
Accendo Cellars is: the Araujo Family’s wine brand, made by two generations working together with their longstanding team to honor the winemaking and family heritage of Napa Valley.
TO ILLUMINATE: Shine a light on what’s behind the bottle – great vineyards, enlightened and sustainable farming, artisanal winemaking and the art of the blend. Wines that build on what came before, generation to generation.
TO INSPIRE: Produce and promote classically styled wines that express their terroir with balance, purity and nobility; revisit the iconic Napa Valley Cabernets of the 1950s – 1970s, sourced from multiple vineyards and showing perfectly 50 – 70 years later. Great wines don’t answer all the questions at the first sip. Great wines inspire a dialog about what makes them great
TO AROUSE: Continue the conversation about what makes a great wine great, a conversation that burns on, generation after generation; participate in the passion of our efforts to produce singular wines and sustain our industry, our environment and our community.
Accendo sustains shared appreciation for the great wines and all those who make and drink them with us in Napa Valley and beyond.
Jaime Araujo 
Greg Araujo 
Our Wines
The Art of the Blend
The diversity and intricacy of Napa Valley continues to amaze us, as does the unparalleled quality of its wines. Accendo Cellars aims to capture that diversity, that intriguing, layered complexity that represents this valley and its terroirs at their very finest.
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“The blend at Accendo Cellars is the most crucial part of the entire project. We’re blending more than just our wines—we are blending two generations, two winemakers, and different family grape growers throughout Napa Valley.”
Visit
Taste with us
We make our wines at Wheeler Farms Winery, a state-of-the-art winemaking facility at the historic Wheeler Farms property located in St. Helena, in the heart of Napa Valley.
We welcome guests by appointment to experience a private tasting of Accendo Cellars wines in this beautiful setting.
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In the News
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2017 & 2018 Napa In Depth
“Bart and Daphne Araujo's Accendo wines keep getting better. The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc is the finest vintage of that wine yet. In Cabernet land, the Araujos continue to refine their approach to the sites they work with. Their 2017 Cabernet is fabulous; the 2016 is just as terrific as it was last year, and the 2018 (which I tasted from separate components) is looking like it, too, will be stellar.”
2019 Winemaker of the Year: Françoise Peschon
“This harmonious wine, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Musque and Semillon, strikes a delicious balance, expressing aromas of lemon curd, ginger and jasmine. Its lifted acidity cuts through a round, mellow mouthfeel, finishing with the sensation of bitter almond skin.”
Collectible California
“The 2016 soars with savory flavors and wonderful minerality. A relatively high percentage of Cabernet Franc for this estate gives the wine exquisite baritone richness. Already it’s a wine of finesse, without a shred of heaviness.”