Twenty-five hundred feet above the floor of the Napa Valley, sits Lampyridae Vineyards, the highest elevation vineyard in Napa County.  Farming has been a lifelong dream of John and Ashley Derr.  This dream has come to fruition with the development of this unique and beautiful piece of land.

In 1996, the Derrs purchased and developed the property that sits just below the peak of Mt. Veeder into 11 Acres of vineyards.  High above the fog layer, the
cooler days and warmer nights yield ideal ripening conditions for premium wine  grapes.  This rugged piece of land at the end of a dirt road, proved to be the
starting ground for some of the most intensely flavored Cabernet, Syrah and Zinfandel that Napa has to offer.  The wines produced from these ancient
volcanic soils are profound and deeply expressive.  

John has a long history in Farming.  He began working  in vineyards at the age of fifteen and, for the past twenty years, has been both a crop consultant for
Crop Care Associates and a viticulturist for Pina Vineyard Management.  In 2012,  John established his own Farming and Consulting company, but still continues as the viticulturist for Pina Vineyard Management.  Ashley began her farming career as a UC Entomology researcher.  She worked as an assistant to the Napa Valley Farm Advisor and also for the Napa Valley farming company, Walsh Vineyards  Management. 

Lampyridae Vineyards has been growing wine grapes since 1998.  The vineyards, which are meticulously managed by our foreman Edgar Yancor, are composed of 11 planted acres - 8 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 acres of Syrah and 1 acre of zinfandel.  Our clients include Beringer Vineyards, Fontanella Winery, Schulz
Cellars and Kind Cellars.    December 2011 marked the first release of the Lampyridae Vineyards Communication Block Red Wine.  We are excited to present
both a Cabernet and a blend in the Fall of 2012.