Grevillea robusta

Grevillea robusta, commonly known as the southern silky oak or silky oak, or Australian silver oak, is the largest species in the genus Grevillea of the family Proteaceae. It is not closely related to the true oaks, Quercus. It is a native of eastern coastal Australia, in riverine, subtropical and dry rainforest environments receiving more than 1,000 mm per year of average rainfall.

Description

It is a fast-growing evergreen tree, between 18–35 m (59–115 ft) tall, with dark green delicately dented bipinnatifid leaves reminiscent of a fern frond. It is the largest plant in the Grevillea genus, reaching trunk diameters in excess of 1 m (3 ft). The leaves are generally 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long with greyish white or rusty undersides.

Its flowers are golden-orange bottlebrush-like blooms, between 8–15 cm (3–6 in) long, in the spring, on a 2–3 cm long stem and are used for honey production. Like others of its genus, the flowers have no petals, instead they have a long calyx that splits into 4 lobes. The seeds mature in late winter to early spring, fruiting on dark brown leathery dehiscent follicles, about 2 cm long, with one or two flat, winged seeds.

Silver Oak

Silver Oak Cellars

Silver Oak Cellars is a family-owned, California winery dedicated to producing only Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak was established in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer. It is currently operated by Ray's sons David Duncan, who serves as the President and CEO, and his brother, Tim Duncan, who serves as Executive Vice President. Silver Oak has two wineries; one in Oakville in the Napa Valley and one in Geyserville in the Alexander Valley. The Duncan Family also established Twomey Cellars in 1999, named after Ray Duncan’s mother, where they produce Pinot noir, Merlot and Sauvignon blanc. Twomey has wineries in Calistoga and Healdsburg.

In 2007, the ColoradoBiz cited Silver Oak as one of a dozen California wineries which "have reached cult status" for its Cabernet Sauvignon production and occupies an "important niche in California's wine industry."

History

Silver Oak was the vision of Justin Meyer. Entrepreneur and oil tycoon, Ray Duncan had purchased Franciscan Vineyards and approached Justin Meyer, whom he’d met through mutual friends, and asked him to plant and manage his vineyards and winery. Then working at Christian Brothers, Justin agreed, and started Silver Oak on the side. Ray invested in Meyer and Silver Oak was established in 1972. Named after its location between Oakville and the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, Justin and Ray’s vision for Silver Oak was to devote all their resources to producing a single wine and Justin's favorite focus - Cabernet Sauvignon. Justin's vision was to perfect and make a wine that was 100% Cabernet, no blending.