
One Shot at Legacy: The Resilient Rise of Maya Dalla Valle
From The Zonda Wine Podcast by Zonda Wine Services
February 23, 2026 · 51 min · Season 2 · Episode 3
About this episode
Maya Dalla Valle discusses her family's winery legacy, personal challenges, and the impact of the 2020 vintage.
"You'll have to drag my dead body out of here." That's Maya Dalla Valle's mentality when asked if her family's critically-acclaimed winery will still be here in 40 years. Dalla Valle Vineyards is recognized as one of Napa Valley’s top family-run estates, founded in 1986 by Naoko and her late husband Gustav Dalla Valle along the eastern hillsides of Oakville. Today, Naoko and her daughter, Maya, work together to continue the family legacy by producing sought-after Cabernet blends that are revered among industry pros and collectors alike. This episode is a deep dive into Maya's life, where she opens up about the loss of her father at age eight, gaining experience from the world's icon estates, and how the 2020 vintage tested her limits to the max.
People in this episode
Guest: Maya Dalla Valle
Topics covered
- winery
- family legacy
- Napa Valley
- Cabernet blends
- personal story
Keywords
- Dalla Valle Vineyards
- Naoko Dalla Valle
- Gustav Dalla Valle
- wine industry
- Oakville
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Cabernet blends
Places: Napa Valley’s, Oakville
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