CEOs turned vintners

St. Helena, Calif.

Owner
When Ovid Software founder Mark Nelson established his similarly named winery in 2000, he relied on two classic business tactics to build buzz for the first vintage: investing a big chunk of money ($22 million) and assembling an A-list team. Nelson, who sold the original Ovid in 1998 for $200 million, now runs a private equity fund called Mithras Capital.

Recent hit
Ovid Napa Valley's inaugural vintage, a 2005 cabernet blend ($175) slated for an October release, is already a hit: The winery has sold out the 400 cases it produced (even the mailing list is full).

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