Ray Duncan
| Ray Duncan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Raymond Twomey Duncan October 23, 1930 South Bend, Indiana |
| Died | October 9, 2015 (aged 84) Denver, Colorado |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur Vintner |
Raymond Twomey "Ray" Duncan (October 23, 1930 – October 9, 2015) was an American entrepreneur and vintner. Originally involved in oil entrepreneurship in Colorado and founder of Duncan Oil, he was the founder along with Justin Meyer of Silver Oak Cellars in 1972, a successful winery based in the Napa Valley and Alexander Valley. Today his sons David Duncan and Tim Duncan run Silver Oak Cellars, as well as Twomey Cellars. Duncan established the Durango Mountain "Purgatory" Ski Resort in 1965 and was chairman of the board for the ski industry organization Colorado Ski Country USA. He was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2006.
Raymond T. Duncan was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce in 2012.
Duncan was born in Indiana in 1930. He attended the University of Notre Dame, graduating in 1952.
In 1958, Duncan moved to Durango, Colorado to aid his father in exploring oil and gas reserves. He formed Duncan Oil Inc., which moved its headquarters to Denver in 1968. In 1965, Duncan established the Durango Mountain "Purgatory" Ski Resort and was involved in the ski industry organization Colorado Ski Country USA, later becoming chairman of the board. As a result, he was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2006.
In the 1970s, Duncan began to buy land in both the Napa and Alexander Valleys with the goal of planting vineyards and growing and selling grapes; he had no original intentions of entering the winery business. Duncan approached Justin Meyer, whom he’d met through mutual friends, and asked him to plant and manage his vineyards. Meyer agreed to manage his vineyards, but he also wanted to create a winery. Duncan agreed and Silver Oak was established in 1972. Named after its location between Oakville and the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley, Duncan and Meyer’s vision for Silver Oak was to devote all their resources to producing a single wine – Cabernet Sauvignon. Silver Oak remains true to that vision today.
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