Shafer’s story begins in the 1880s when Napa Valley pioneers, Jacob Ohl and C.H. Linderman, planted the very first vines. During Prohibition, Italian immigrant Batista Scansi replanted vines and sold the grapes to local winemakers. In 1972, John and Bett Shafer purchased the property and planted Cabernet Sauvignon a few years later. The first Cabernet was released in 1978 and was auctioned off in the first Napa Valley wine auction. In 2004, Shafer became the first winery in Napa Valley and Sonoma to produce 100% of its own electricity needs thanks to the solar panels it had installed. Robert Parker named the estate one of the best in the world in 2003. Shafer’s wines, such as TD-9, One Point Five, and the Hillside Select branded wine, can be found in collectors’ cellars and are also on wine lists in the most luxurious hotels and restaurants around the world.