There’s nothing accidental about making exceptional wine. It requires the knowledge to pair the right terroir and grape varieties, the good fortune to have ideal weather, and the patience to nurture the vines lovingly as they coalesce into something greater than the sum of their parts.
It was a similar process that created the fruitful bond between part-time Naples resident Sam Simon, who owns Simon Family Estate in Napa Valley alongside his wife, Nada, and Maayan Koschitzky, a highly respected winemaker who crafts the estate’s much-lauded wines.
Simon Family Estate produces about 1,500 cases a year of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Sauvignon Blanc and rosé.
Theirs may seem an unlikely pairing: Simon whose family arrived in the United States penniless from Iraq in 1973, and Koschitzky, an Israeli who spent more than four years on active duty in the Israeli army and remains in the reserves.
Although differences are obvious, Simon and Koschitzky see what they have in common: their modest upbringings, immigrant backgrounds, parents who taught them to work hard, their enormous zeal to make great wine, and their mutual belief that wine brings people together.
Their relationship, like the wine they produce, has developed and matured over time.
Nurturing Friendship
As Koschitzky tells it, the men met in 2017 through a mutual friend who invited the winemaker and his wife to dinner with unnamed hosts, who also requested that Koschitzky bring “wine that inspires you.”
“That’s interesting,” Koschitzky recalls thinking. “Not knowing who it was, my wife said no. But I was curious.”
On the designated evening, he arrived at the opulent Meadowood Napa Valley resort and was escorted to a villa, where he met Sam and Nada Simon. “We tasted wines together, talked about life, about our stories,” Koschitzky says. “We had an amazing time. Then, Sam said he really wanted to meet my wife.”
Two weeks later, the Simons extended another dinner invitation. This time Koschitzky and his wife accepted, and a deep friendship began to take root. Over the next two years, the families spent much time together, talking about wine in general and enjoying one another’s company. “Sam is larger than life,” Koschitzky says. “He’s the warmest person, so open, so generous. They love their success but don’t forget they came from nothing. They love sharing.”
Sam feels much the same. “When you meet a good winemaker, it’s an easy, quick match,” he says. “We have great DNA together. He’s like a brother to me.”
Even now, as the business thrives and both are involved in multiple other projects requiring their attention, they make it a point to spend time together with their families. “If we spend four days together, we have four dinners together,” Koschitzky says. “We have dinner with the kids as well. Life is short.”
While tasting wine together gives them pleasure, they also share a desire to spread that joy more broadly. “I love sharing wine with people,” Koschitzky says. “It’s bringing people together and making people happy.”
The Simons came to the wine business the way so many do: Sam became enamored with wines after colleagues introduced him to a Cabernet Sauvignon that mesmerized him. That began the couple’s travel to celebrated wine locations—including Napa Valley, France, Argentina—where they sampled more wines and learned more about the grapes and the industry.
While attending the Naples Winter Wine Festival in 2001, one thing led to another, and Sam found himself a part of The Napa Valley Reserve, a private club whose members share a passion for fine wine in Napa Valley.
Over time, he learned of Koschitzky, who had worked at renowned Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle Vineyards and with highly regarded winemaker Philippe Melka.
Koschitzky earned a degree in mechanical engineering and came from a farming family. “The family ran from the Holocaust to Israel,” he says. “They were proud of the Jewish country and worked the land. That’s how we were raised.”
He wanted to do something that involved the land but didn’t want to go into conventional farming. He devoted himself to viticulture (the study of growing grapes) rather than oenology (the study of making wine); however, he gravitated to the winemaking side. “I’ve found what I love,” he says. “Every time I start a new project, it gets me excited.”
After getting to know one another for a couple of years, Sam told Koschitzky he would like to build a wine brand with the winemaker’s help. They released their first wine in 2019 and have been slowly and strategically adding to their line each year.
Special Handling
The company produces wine using grapes grown in “pedigreed vineyards with history and heritage, although all are not well-known,” according to the winery’s website. Most are family-owned and are older, established vines. They source their grapes from vineyards Koschitzky hand selects from throughout the Napa Valley, and they use French oak barrels for aging.
Sam says they craft wines that “last longer so people can drink them now but can also drink them for 10 or 15 years. They’re not as heavy or fruity, but they’re not too oaky, either.”
The theme of family resonates throughout the language and operation of Simon Family Estate, starting, of course, with the name. Then there are two (of a total of four) Simon Cabernets paired together called Double Blessings, individually known as Peter and Michael.
After difficulties conceiving, the Simons had twins Peter and Michael, after whom the wines are named. Each wine reflects that son’s personality. Michael is more tannic and structured while Peter has a sweeter tannin structure and undertones of Christmas spices.
The rosé, named Tigress, came about when Nada requested something lighter that she could drink on its own. Koschitzky says he is focused on further developing the Simon family brand.
“How can we build a brand that the whole family can connect to?” he asks. “When they are older and have their own families, this will be something that will bring them together.”
On the War
It’s been 50 years since 9-year-old Sam Simon left Iraq with his family and little else. Over the years, most of their relatives came, too. Nada left Iraq as an orphan at 13, settling in Michigan with an uncle. The couple have lived in the United States longer than anywhere else and consider it home.
Nonetheless, watching the war raging in the Middle East now “is hard to see,” Simon says. “Human beings are human beings, no matter their religion. It’s especially hard to see the kids, the families displaced.”
Sam and Nada Simon live in Naples from November until May. They also have a home in Michigan. Sam is involved in the myriad business ventures of Simon Group Holdings, including Atlas Oil Co., which he founded at age 19 and grew from a single truck, and Simon Sports, a firm he and son Peter started that invests in sports teams, tech, and media.
They are conscious of the good fortune they have had.
“When you are blessed, you need to bless other people—children, veterans,” Nada says. “I have always felt that as immigrants we are blessed to be in this country. We respect the brave men and women who protect us every day.”
Sam says, “We came from a country with so many problems. We remember where we came from. When we give back, it brings us joy.”
“Wine is sharing,” he adds. “Good wine helps people to come together. Love goes a long way. Love your neighbor. Share some wine.” «
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