Lingua Franca

The name Lingua Franca (Latin for "common language") reflects the project's core idea: to bring together people from different backgrounds through conversation and the enjoyment of wine. The estate's history began in 2012, when master sommelier Larry Stone purchased the 61‑hectare Janzen Farm site in the Eola‑Amity Hills. Stone, who was 60 at the time, sold his wine collection, which he had been building for 40 years, to invest all the proceeds in buying the land. He likened this opportunity to the chance to buy the best Napa vineyards in 1890. Initially, the plan was simply to sell the grapes. However, legendary Burgundian winemaker Dominique Lafon took notice of the site's exceptional potential. Together with Lafon and San Francisco attorney David Honig, Stone founded Lingua Franca in 2015. They brought on young winemaker Thomas Savre, who had honed his craft in Burgundy. In 2022, the estate was acquired by Constellation Brands. The entire winemaking team remained in place: Thomas Savre continues to lead production, Dominique Lafon continues as a consultant, and Larry Stone stayed on as brand ambassador. Since then, production has grown from 12,000 cases and continues to scale.