Ron and Diane Miller purchased the land with existing vineyards in the mid-1970s. The winery takes its name, "Silverado," from the historic vineyard which surrounds it. The vineyard borrowed its name from the abandoned mining town at the top of the Napa Valley. Here, over a century ago Robert Louis Stevenson stayed and wrote, “The beginning of vine planting is like the beginning of mining for precious metals: the winegrower also ‘prospects’.”[1]
Although the Millers' original intention was to only grow grapes, they began construction of their own winery on the property in 1981.[2] Architect Dick Keith designed the old California mission style structure, which is often mistaken for an actual restoration.[citation needed]