Established in 1847, and well before there was a Napa Valley wine industry, Stone Hill grew to be the second-largest winery in the United States! Stone Hill wines were world-renowned, winning gold medals in eight worlds fairs, including Vienna in 1873 and Philadelphia in 1876. By the 1870s, the winery was shipping 1,250,000 gallons of wine per year.

Along with their young children, the Helds began the long process of restoring the historic buildings, cellars, and an industry that had fallen into disrepair. Jim and Bettys primary task: producing and marketing the finest wines that can be made and putting Hermann back on the map as a world-class wine-producing area gained them repeated recognition throughout the past 50 years.