After selling a single case of wine in 1981 for $24,000, Mondavi and Rothschild designed a label and established an official name for the premium brand. Wanting a name easily recognized in both English and French, they chose Opus One. The Latin word “opus” refers to the first masterwork of a composer, and this name seemed fitting for their masterpiece.

The first vintage was released to the public in 1984, establishing Opus One as America’s ultra-premium wine brand. A few years later, Opus One’s 1985 vintage was exported and became the first ultra-premium California wine to be sold in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland. Today, the international demand continues.

Opus One is now partly owned by Constellation Brands, Inc. but operates independently in three key areas: vineyard management, domestic and international sales, and administration. The leadership team charged with maintaining the integrity of the Opus brand includes respected winemaker Michael Silacci and Eastern Division Services Manager France Posener.

Michael Silacci started with Opus as the director of viticulture (the science, production and study of grapes) and enology (the study of wines) in March 2001 and moved on to become winemaker in January of 2004, overseeing all aspects of vineyard management and winemaking. Michael’s expertise ensures that Opus One maintains a connection between viticulture and winemaking.

Eastern Division Services Manager France Posener has 20 years of experience in the wine industry. France regularly speaks at venues on the East Coast as a wine educator on the history and distinctiveness of Opus One.