Edward Lewis’s roots began in Napa Valley in 1913 when his grandfather, Martin Garzoli, migrated from Italy. Martin hailed from the 5 Roads region of Italy, where he started working in vineyards and wineries at the age of 15. He spent his early days at Christian Brothers and also worked in farming, tending to Sonoma hay fields on a horse-drawn cutter.
Winemaker/Owner- Edward Snider
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Fast forward 70 years, and his grandson Edward embarked on a wine project, acquiring a ranch in Foss Valley atop Soda Canyon and planting approximately 9 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Stags Ridge soon became renowned as one of the top vineyards in Atlas Peak Ava. Edward initially collaborated with Dave Phinney in winemaking from the inaugural release in 2002 until 2009. In 2010, Edward assumed control of the wine program, overseeing vineyard picks and blending.
The subsequent decade witnessed a meteoric rise, with Edward crafting highly acclaimed wines, garnering ratings in the neighborhood of 96, 97, 99, 98, and culminating in perfection in 2013, receiving a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker himself, marking it as the best vintage ever.
Edward then enlisted Kirk Venge as a consultant in winemaking, particularly focusing on Chardonnay, Pinot, Syrah, and Zinfandel. Notably, Edward exclusively produced wines for himself, without any consultation for other brands or labels. In 2006, he was approached by professional golfer Ted Mandes, who sought his winemaking expertise for the Palm Beach Wine Auction, a charity-based event, where Edward served from 2006 to 2018, raising millions for the Kravitz Center.
In 2018, Edward’s path intersected with Don Dady, forging a friendship that led to Don becoming the owner of Beau Vigne and Stags Ridge following the 2017 fire and Edward’s divorce. Subsequently, Edward sold Beau Vigne to Don, and the winery, now known as Seven Apart, stands today.
Edward considers Don an exceptional individual with a visionary outlook. In 2018, Edward initiated another project, Edward Lewis Cellars, focusing on its debut releases: Pretty Woman, Rize, and ELC Napa Valley Cabernet. Don persuaded Edward to stay on as Chief of Winemaking, prompting Edward’s transition to work with Don on designing and consulting for the new winery on Silverado Trail, with a primary focus on wine and the brand’s transition from Beau Vigne to Seven Apart.
In 2018, Edward purchased a 7-acre ranch on Howell Mountain, where he planted vines, naming the vineyard Campo Cardano Estates. He crafted a wine named Blackfruit, which received acclaim, ranking #4 in the Top 100 wines of Napa Valley in its first release in 2018. The subsequent vintage in 2019 saw Cardano Estates landing two wines in Jeb Dunnuck’s Top 100.
The 2020 fire and the 2021 frost and snow events resulted in limited releases. Edward remarks that writing a biography is more challenging than making a 100-point wine. Looking ahead, there’s buzz in the wine world that Cardano 2022 may showcase Edward’s best work since the 2015 vintage, proving his mettle in navigating tough vintages, a testament to his problem-solving prowess.
Managing Partner & President - Cody Snider
Cody is a former collegiate baseball player with a degree in Business Administration from California State Chico. Cody grew up in St. Helena, where his passion for wine flourished over the years. Fast forward to today Cody is the Managing Partner and President of Cardano Estates and looks forward to building upon his family’s legacy dating back over 100 years in Napa Valley. Alongside his father Ed Snider, he looks forward to crafting the highest quality Cabernets as well as continuing the tradition of farming excellence at Campo Vineyards upon Howell Mountain.
Assistant Winemaker - Nicholas Snider
Born and raised in Napa, Nicholas Snider is a 3rd generation Napa Valley winemaker. His father started his first successful wine label, Beau Vigne, in 1999 when Nick was only 9 years old. Growing up while his father was immersed in the wine industry, Nick knew from a young age that he wanted to make a mark of his own in Napa Valley.
When Nick completed college, he began to work in a custom crush winery in Napa. Nick worked alongside and learned from some of the best Vintners the valley has to offer. They were able to introduce him to a variety of different styles of winemaking and vineyard management. Nick intends to use his 8 years of experience and knowledge gained, to work alongside his father, and together they can continue the family legacy of creating historic wines.
Vineyard Manager - Juan Fuentes
Born in Pueblo Mexico and immigrated to Napa California in 1978 Juan Fuentes has been working in the vineyards for over 40 years. Coming from Mexico with very little education and no money through Juan’s hard work in the vineyards he was able to put 3 sons through college. His youngest son graduated from Fresno State college with a degree in viniculture and now works alongside him.
Juan has a very close relationship with Ed snider and has been farming for him for the last 15 years at some of the best vineyards in the valley. Specializing in mountain grown cabernet grapes, Juan is able to navigate through the rocky soil and rugged terrain to obtain small more concentrated flavors from the grapes.
