Chris Zazo grew up on an 85-acre peat farm in Akron, Ohio, spent years in roofing and storm restoration, and became a Napa Valley winery founder because friends told him he couldn't. His love of food and wine deepened through visits to Napa, and he started blending his own wines as client gifts for his businesses. When people laughed at the idea of him starting a winery, he went ahead and did it anyway.

The first vintage was 2012 — a Cabernet Sauvignon called Impact, the name a nod to his roofing days. Hailstone's name and brand identity came directly from that past: a stylized hailstone shattering glass appears on every pewter-toned label, and the wine names — Impact, Restoration, 32 Degrees, Weather Dancer — all reference the forces of nature that shape every growing season. Today Chris and his wife Jessica run the brand together, producing about 1,000 cases a year and pouring at the historic Vintner's Collective in downtown Napa.

Hailstone doesn't own land or purchase fruit by the ton. Instead, Chris and winemaker Chad Alexander lease select rows within premier Napa Valley vineyards — Mt. Veeder, Oakville, Calistoga, Coombsville, and Yountville — returning year after year to the sites that consistently deliver exceptional fruit. This model gives them meticulous block-level control without the overhead of estate ownership.

Chad Alexander, who joined in 2016, is a former winemaker at Robert Craig Winery and Hess Collection Estates. His reputation is for making wines that perform well above their price point. All production is handled at the Ballentine Vineyards custom crush facility, keeping batches small and hands-on.

Chris Zazo is founder and proprietor — a serial entrepreneur who built and sold businesses in landscaping, roofing, and solar before turning full-time to wine. Jessica Zazo serves as operations director, managing the wine clubs and day-to-day business alongside Chris. Winemaker Chad Alexander brings deep Napa Valley experience and a track record of critical recognition across the portfolio. The team also supports a number of charitable causes, including Hailstone Hounds, focused on rescuing older dogs.