Rudd Estate is a 46-acre estate in Oakville, Napa Valley. It was the Girard Winery until 1996, when Leslie Rudd, a liquor distributor from Wichita, Kansas, bought the property in order to produce his own premium wines. Leslie Rudd also is chairman of the board of Dean & DeLuca, the upscale gourmet grocery founded in New York City. He bought Dean & DeLuca a few years ago and also is an investor in several national restaurant chains. Reviewers have awarded Rudd’s wines with high praise and high scores, and Robert M. Parker Jr. notes that Rudd “produces an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon…” as well as other wines, including Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.