The Dickson Family

Wine on the Napa River is hosted by Napa Valley Paddle, owned by the Dickson Family with more than 40 years of winemaking history in the Napa Valley.

It all started in 1971 when Sandee & Dave Dickson, a San Diego State surfing champion, traded in his surfboard for a wine press and moved to Napa Valley. He partnered with Rex Geitner, a respected Napa vineyard manager to establish a "garagiste" winery, and within five years the duo was crafting award-winning wines thanks to Sandee’s vineyard relations. Dave eventually named the winery after his two sons, Andrew (Drew) and Lane, and in 2002, his son developed Andrew Lane Winery into a fully licensed, commercial winery and held tastings at their family’s winery-cottage, located at the base of Howell Mountain. 

Dave, who passed away in 2011, endowed his love of the outdoors and winemaking to his son Drew, an avid paddler and fly fisherman who graduated from Chico State and UC Davis Wine Executive Program. He combined his passions with his father's legacy and quickly began winning awards and features in Food & Wine Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Gourmet Magazine and a long running by-the-glass placement at the Beverly Hills Hotel during the release of the movie, Sideways. In 2012, Drew began celebrating his fathers legacy on the Napa River by hosting paddle board tours for wine club members, riding the tide through downtown Napa into the Oak Knoll AVA, finishing with a Beaujolais & Oyster BBQ on the river bank.

Wine on the Napa River is Drew's latest offering to create a space for locals and active travelers to experience Napa Valley not only as a wine destination, but to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. 

In 2020, the devastating Glass Fire destroyed the family home, and Andrew Lane Winery along with it. In response, Drew purchased a Los Carneros Napa River cottage in 2021. The cottage doubles as a private launch pad for paddlers, as well as a micro-winery to continue producing Andrew Lane's signature boutique wines and tastings by appointment. The river cottage will be available for private groups and small, executive retreats.

Our Whale Boat

Wine on the Napa River's meticulously handcrafted wooden boat harkens back to a time when the San Francisco Bay was a bustling hub of whaling activity. In the 1800s prior to the 1849 Gold Rush, the Bay was a well-known way station for whalers, and the sturdy wooden whale boats were a popular tool for not only the whaling trade, but for trapping and exploration as well. 

The boats enter into Napa Valley history as the earliest non-Native settlers of the area, including George C. Yount for whom the Napa Valley town of Yountville is named, used the boats to navigate from Yerba Buena Island in the Bay to the northernmost launching pad of Benicia for further travel to inland destinations. They would captain the boats via river from Benicia to places like Sacramento and Napa by riding the tidal flows. 

Our whale boat was hand built right here in Napa Valley, and represents more than 2,000 hours of woodworking.

Napa River Cottage

This is where your paddling adventure begins! Wine on the Napa River's private launching pad is a charming cottage on the serene waters of the Napa River estuary. The cottage doubles as the Andrew Lane micro-winery. The river cottage will eventually host small, private group events.

Our Winemaker

Andrew (Drew) Dickson is a second-generation winemaker at Andrew Lane Winery, who carries the traditions and signature style of winemaking established by his father, Dave Dickson. Best known for making the award-winning Napa Gamay Beaujolais and Cabernet Sauvignon which drew accolades from Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine and more, Drew continues to make world-class wines at the new Andrew Lane Winery in Napa including his signature Beaujolais-style wines, Old Italian-American field blends and Bordeaux-style Cabernets from the cooler climate regions of Napa & Sonoma Counties. He sources grapes from long-time friends who are growers in Napa Valley: Rutherford, St. Helena, Carneros, Kenwood and Howell Mountain. The grapes are all family farmed and hand-picked in multiple passes whenever possible to achieve variation in acid and greater flavor range.

Drew is native to the Napa Valley region and has spent over a decade making wines following his graduation from UC Davis where he earned Certification from the Wine Executive Program. An avid paddler and fly fisherman, he developed Napa Valley Paddle in tandem with his winemaking career.