Third Leaf Partners, a San Francisco investment firm, quietly stepped in as the new owner of the Cain Vineyards & Winery brand and remaining inventory in December, effectively rescuing one of Spring Mountain's most distinctive names after wildfire wiped out its production buildings. The deal covers the Cain label and all wine already in bottle, but not the storied mountain estate itself, which sits more than 2,000 feet above the Napa Valley on the Napa-Sonoma county line. Longtime winemaker Chris Howell will stay in charge and keep making Cain wines under the new ownership.
Deal details and what was sold
Third Leaf's purchase includes the Cain label, existing inventory and distribution rights, but the company did not disclose the sale price and did not acquire the Spring Mountain estate. That historic, roughly 500-acre property on the ridge is being sold separately to another buyer, even as Third Leaf works to lock in grape supply agreements from the same site. These details were reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Cain's style and the winemaker
Cain is best known for Cain Five, a mountain-grown blend of all five principal Bordeaux grapes that critics often describe as leaning Old World: earthy, herbal and built for aging rather than flashy fruit bombs. Howell, who has led Cain for more than three decades, prefers earlier picking dates, native-yeast fermentations and a restrained approach in the cellar that lets the site speak more than the winemaking muscle. Those practices and Cain's history are detailed in a profile by Wine Industry Advisor.
Glass Fire and the long recovery
The 2020 Glass Fire destroyed Cain's winery, tasting room and several outbuildings, forcing the owners to evacuate and leaving much of the property unusable. The blaze swept across parts of Napa and Sonoma counties and triggered widespread emergency response and evacuations at the time. Contemporary reporting on the Glass Fire's impact is archived in regional coverage from outlets such as ABC7.
Third Leaf's Napa playbook and what's next
In recent years, Third Leaf has been quietly piecing together a portfolio of wine businesses, including WineBid in 2017, the flash retailer Last Bottle in 2021 and the acquisitions of Conn Creek and Cornerstone in 2024. The Cain deal slots neatly into that strategy. According to the firm, it is close to finalizing a long-term arrangement to keep buying grapes from the Cain site even as the estate itself changes hands. Howell told reporters that about two-thirds of the vineyard has already been replanted, with a goal of full restoration by 2030. Those reporting details are from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Where to taste Cain now
With the Spring Mountain facilities still out of commission, Cain and Third Leaf's other Napa labels are currently being poured at a downtown Yountville tasting collective called the Yount Room. The space lists Cain among its featured producers and offers appointments, tasting flights and bottle sales. Visitors and collectors looking for current releases or club options can find details on the tasting setup and purchases on the website for The Yount Room.
