In early 1983, Napa Valley had just been established as the first California member of the  American Viticulture Association (AVA). On Howell Mountain, some of the highest quality grape growers gathered to create their own appellation to differentiate themselves from other vineyards in Napa Valley and the rest of California. Mike Beatty and four other neighboring grape growers (Randy Dunn – Dunn Vineyards, Bob Brakesman – Summit Lake, Bill Smith - La Jota, and Bob Lamborn – Lamborn Family Vineyards) gathered one evening around Mike’s kitchen table. As they laid out the topographical map, the corners held down by wines the vintners brought from their vineyards, they saw that at 1400 feet in elevation their vineyards seemed to rise literally and figuratively above the other growers in the area. Soon paperwork was filed with the viticultural association, and late in 1983, Howell Mountain as an appellation was born.