Remembering ‘giant of a friend,’ Michael Anthony Chelini

By The Chelini Family

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — Michael Anthony Chelini, age 75, passed away on Oct. 31, 2023, at his home in the Napa Valley. He is survived by his wife Kathleen Ann (Ragghianti), the love of his life and the much-beloved members of La Famiglia Chelini to include his daughters, Misha (Scott Harvey) and Missy Gott, and his son Rico (Lindsey) as well as seven grandchildren: Olivia and Sofia Gott; Miles, Oliver, and Frances Harvey; and Mikey and Joey Chelini, as well as his adoring sister Kit Chelini of Sonoma.

Mike Chelini — Submitted Photo

Mike was born in Sonoma in 1948 to June and Emil Chelini. He spent his first two decades in Sonoma, meeting his wife Kathy at Sonoma Valley High School when she was just 14. They married four years later in Virginia City, Nevada. The couple moved to the Napa Valley in 1970, where Mike took a job as assistant winemaker at Sterling Vineyards. In 1972 they took up residence at Stony Hill Vineyard, where they raised their family.

Mike first served as vineyard manager, then winemaker at Stony Hill, building a 45-year reputation for long-lived wines that uniquely represented the geography of the property’s vineyards on Spring Mountain. He and Kathy were widely respected pioneers of the Napa Valley wine resurgence and a seat at their table was always a coveted place to be.

After Stony Hill was sold in 2019, Mike and Kathy purchased a property on Ink Grade Road in beautiful Pope Valley. Mike set out to further inspire a new generation of winemakers with a mentorship position at Trinchero Family Estates. The Protégé wines, made in partnership with Matt Torres, are a tribute to his lifelong skills. A self-taught but remarkable chef, Mike had a wide-ranging repertoire of specialties, from homemade pasta to prime rib tacos to numerous God-fearing salsas made from his garden-grown chili peppers. He was a fearless cook, never afraid to tackle a complicated recipe or an unfamiliar ingredient. He loved cruising through the outdoors in a long series of farm vehicles, often with a Budweiser in hand. Humble, polite, a true Italian gentleman, Mike was a giant of a friend to people throughout the valley and beyond. He will be greatly missed.

Submitted Photo

Mike’s life will be celebrated at 1 p.m. on Nov. 25 at his dear friend’s Madrona Ranch at the end of Madrona Avenue in St. Helena.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Mike Chelini Wine Growing Scholarship (P.O. Box 528, Saint Helena, CA 94574) created by his family for aspiring winemakers and grape growers attending St. Helena High School.

Please enjoy Mike’s pesto recipe.

Arrivederci!