Wines

Massican Winery

Dan Petroski
California

Featured:
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at the Congress Has Heart Reception & Collectors Dinner
Thursday, May 9, 2024 at the Winemaker Dinner Series
Friday, May 10, 2024 at the Trade Tasting

Massican, founded in 2009, is a Napa Valley winery inspired by the wines of North East Italy. Working with old vines (Tocai planted in 1946) and rare varieties (the likes of Ribolla Gialla), the winery is committed to making versatile white wines meant for the table. The style of wine emphasizes the aromas and textures of these unique varieties alongside more familiar varieties, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  The goal is always to respect the variety, the vineyard and vintage variation capturing the subtleties of the fruit and floral notes while maintaining a refreshing acidity.

Dan Petroski was born in Brooklyn, NY, and has the swagger and the accent to prove it. After attending Columbia University where he played football, Petroski went to work for TIME magazine. While there, he earned his MBA from. When the Wall Street Journal tried to poach him, Dan took a moment to reflect. He jettisoned to Sicily for a year, where he interned at Valle dell’Acate. While Petroski’s intention was to return to New York to sell wine, a harvest invitation in 2006 brought him to California. After harvest, Petroski was hired as Larkmead’s cellarmaster, ultimately claiming the winemaker title in 2012. Petroski spent nearly 15 years at Larkmead, but during that period he launched a white wine only brand called Massican, an ode to the Mediterranean and Petroski’s time spent living in Italy. Petroski's approach and ability to craft wines as diverse as Cabernet Sauvignon and Tocai Friulano earned him the recognition as San Francisco Chronicle’s Winemaker of the Year in 2017 and Food & Wine magazine’s Drinks Innovator of the Year in 2022. In 2023, E. & J. Gallo purchased Massican. Growing and developing Massican to become California’s greatest white wine brand is Petroski’s primary focus now.