Carl Kheir Doumani, who passed away at 92, was a significant figure in California's wine country, known for his contributions to the Napa Valley wine industry. He arrived in the late 1960s, founded three wineries, and was part of noteworthy legal battles in the area, including the Apostrophe War. Doumani led a vibrant life and developed a successful career after remarkable beginnings in Los Angeles. His later years were marred by signs of dementia, reflecting the aging of his longtime friends in the industry, as shared by fellow winemaker Stu Smith.
Doumani was born in Los Angeles to Lebanese parents and raised in the Mid-Wilshire neighborhood, according to his daughter, Kayne. She says that her father's uncle homesteaded property in Palm Springs, and as a youth Doumani was hired to build "dingbats," rapid-construction apartment dwellings that soon filled with California newcomers.
He began attending college at UCLA, but early in his studies was offered the chance to purchase a bar and restaurant in Westwood Village called Dudes - despite being a few years shy of legal age. So began a lifetime of development, property management and entrepreneurship.
Doumani moved to the Napa Valley in the late 1960s, founded three wineries, sold two of them, and lived the life of a bon vivant and raconteur that amounts to a fading breed in the Valley.
He pulled together investors and struck a deal, but in his later years Doumani showed signs of dementia, a reminder that all of them were getting old.
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