In 2008, the Scotto Family began preparing for the production of a collection of world class wines from Napa Valley dedicated to and named for their long time friend, trusted advisor and iconic California wine industry personality John McClelland. The fruit would be sourced from select Napa Valley vineyards by Winery Director and Winemaker Paul Scotto and vinified with Winemaker Mark Smith at the Scotto family's newly acquired Steele Canyon Winery in the Valley's eastern hills.

In 2014 the J. McClelland Cellars team was enhanced with the addition of Mitch Cosentino, the renowned and frequently awarded winemaker who brought many years of Napa Valley knowledge, experience and vineyard contacts to the project. Since the first release in 2015, JMC wines have garnered more than three dozen prestigious awards and 90+ point scores from highly respected critics as well as national and international wine competitions. Click here to view a complete list.

John McClelland's relationship with the Scottos began in the early 2000s during a meeting with the family to resolve some wine business issues and led to a lasting friendship between John and the entire family. John had a deep knowledge of the industry and a well connected sphere of distribution throughout the U.S. At the same time, 5th generation vintner Anthony III (affectionately known as A3) decided to return to the family’s winemaking tradition and began developing a network of distributors and brokers for their wine portfolio. A personal meeting with John and A3 followed that was the beginning of a strong joint collaboration.

John's contribution and working relationship with A3 evolved into a tightly knit bond with the Scotto family and their wine related interests. John became involved with blending decisions and all brand related issues. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of this friendship, the family wanted to honor John for his six decades of service to the industry and his tremendous impact on the Scotto family of wines.

The purchase of Steele Canyon Winery in 2012 provided the platform for the creation of J. McClelland Cellars and the Scotto commitment to produce only the finest from Napa Valley, resulting in our award winning JMC wines. We now invite you enjoy the wines inspired by John McClelland and hand-crafted by Paul Scotto and Mitch Cosentino.