Bighorn Cellars

William Hill—better known around Napa Valley as just plain “Bill”—is a winemaking pioneer. “Wine Spectator” magazine recognized Bill as one of the 50 most influential wine industry players in the world. This distinguished group was described as “wine producers who innovated, perfected, promoted and led the international campaign for higher quality wine.”

Bill is also the founder and co-owner of Bighorn Cellars. He started the winery to combine his passions of developing ultra premium vineyard sites and handcrafting limited quantities of exceptional wines. Bighorn Cellars makes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Napa Valley, Chardonnay from Carneros, and Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast and Willamette Valley, Oregon. This multi-regional approach is only possible because of Bill’s rare talent and experience.

Bill grew up in a farming town in Oklahoma and developed a taste for California wines while earning his MBA at Stanford the late 1960s. He fueled his growing passion for fine wine and viticulture with frequent visits to Napa and Sonoma Valleys. During a grand tour of Europe, Bill was inspired by the philosophy, style and subtleties of French and German wines. He was particularly impressed by the European focus on terroir as the most important component of a wine’s character.

True to his farming roots, Bill began a life-long career of acquiring and developing exceptional vineyard sites in 1972. His timing was perfect.

Napa was then well on it’s way to becoming a center for fine wine in California, but few were looking to the hillsides to plant vines. Bill Hill was among the first to recognize the potential of these sites and became a specialist in hillside planting. Many of Bill’s vineyards were later purchased by some of the world’s top producers including the Hess Collection, Piero Antinori of Italy, and Diamond Mountain Ranch.

Bill’s passion for viticulture eventually led him to found the William Hill Winery in 1978, and it quickly became known for its world-class wines. The 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon was named one of the world’s top 15 wines by “Wine Spectator”. Bill sold his namesake winery in 1992 and pursued winemaking ventures in California, Oregon and Chile before opening Bighorn Cellars in 1994.

Bighorn Cellars dedicates itself to making exceptional limited production wines from “Grand Cru” vineyards in California and Oregon. These high-quality vineyards include Sugarloaf Mountain, Coombsville, Napa Valley, Camelback Vineyard in Carneros, and Amity Hills vineyard in Willamette Valley, Oregon.