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PlumpJack Winery, nestled in Oakville, California, is a boutique winery that specializes in crafting premium Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Notably, PlumpJack earned distinction as the first winery in Napa Valley to embrace screwcaps as the closure for their fine wines. This choice in packaging is just one facet of the winery, which operates under the umbrella of the PlumpJack Group.

The PlumpJack Group, established in 1992 by Gavin Newsom—an entrepreneur from San Francisco who would later become the Governor of California—and Gordon Getty, a notable San Francisco composer and philanthropist, commenced its journey with the opening of PlumpJack Wines in the vibrant Fillmore neighborhood of San Francisco. Over the ensuing five years, their enterprise burgeoned to encompass a wine store, a boutique hotel, and three restaurants.

In 1997, the PlumpJack Group made a significant move by acquiring a historic 53-acre vineyard in Napa Valley on Oakville Cross Road, giving rise to the creation of PlumpJack Winery. This winery, under the stewardship of General Manager John Conover, took a bold step within the Napa Valley wine community. At the Napa Valley Wine Auction, Conover declared that half of PlumpJack's 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon—amounting to 150 cases—would be released with a Stelvin screwcap, setting it apart from traditional cork closures. Priced at $135 per bottle, this decision raised eyebrows within the industry, but it marked a pioneering initiative.

As part of PlumpJack's commitment to the screwcap closure, bottles from each vintage since 1997 have been subjected to analysis by researchers in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California at Davis. This ongoing program reflects PlumpJack's dedication to quality and innovation in the world of winemaking.