The hand-laid stone, the integrated terrace, the landscaping that ties the building to its hillside. Antica Napa Valley is one of the projects we are most proud to have been a part of.
Founder, Wendell Nordby worked with Glenn Salva to complete the Atlas Peak Production Facility in 1994. Current CEO Craig Nordby picked up with Glenn again, this time under new ownership, to build the tasting room almost 30 years later, completing in 2022.
This is what it means to be iconic builders of wine country.
Location: Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club
Date: 8/11/2025
The Nordby Golf Invitational was created 35 years ago by Nordby Construction and its affiliated companies. Over the years, it has grown into a most anticipated and beloved annual day of golfing and fundraising for the Salvation Army. In the past 3 decades The Nordby Golf Invitational has raised over $1.5 million for the Salvation Army in Santa Rosa. Click the links below for different ways to support those in community that need it most, and we look forward to seeing you in August!
A new standard for boutique luxury is emerging in Napa Valley with The Elene, an extraordinary retreat concept by Mosaic Hotel Collection, known for its distinctive, inspired local experiences. Nordby Construction is honored to lead the endeavor of bringing this remarkable vision to life with uncompromising craftsmanship and detail.
Situated on 3.5 acres within the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, this 50-room resort, including four expansive suites. The resort layout seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces to embrace the region’s natural beauty, balancing contemporary elegance with relaxed charm. Guests will enjoy a fine-dining restaurant, an all-day café, a heated pool, and a cycling program with a bike barn.
From the start, The Elene was conceived as a bespoke retreat, reflecting the sophistication of Napa’s wine country while integrating advanced sustainability practices. With this in mind, the project required a construction partner well-versed in complex hospitality builds in the region — one capable of balancing aesthetics, function, and environmental responsibility.
Enter Nordby Construction, with over 40 years of experience shaping Napa’s architectural landscape. Known for our precision in winery, estate, and hospitality projects, we bring a deep understanding of both the structural and experiential demands of high-end hospitality. Our previous work, including acclaimed vineyard estates and high-profile resort renovations, made our team a natural fit for The Elene’s ambitious vision.
Yet, building The Elene is more than crafting a beautiful destination; it’s about engineering seamless experiences. The site itself presents unique challenges, requiring careful planning to integrate the resort’s structures into the rolling landscape. Our team has orchestrated a construction process that ensures minimal disruption to the surrounding environment, employing techniques such as:
- Precision Grading & Site Integration: Adapting the built environment to Napa’s natural topography while preserving mature trees and optimizing vineyard views.
- Sustainability at the Core: Implementing water recycling systems, solar energy solutions, and locally sourced materials to reduce the resort’s environmental footprint.
- Luxury Finishes with Sustainability in Mind: Balancing high-end materials with the demands of a hospitality environment, ensuring timeless quality without sacrificing resilience.
The architectural design, led by Signum Architecture, offers a sense of flow where indoor and outdoor spaces dissolve into one another through strategic placement of glass, stone, and wood. Meanwhile, interior specialists Parts and Labor Design are crafting a guest experience that reflects modern luxury with natural textures and warm, inviting tones. Nordby’s role is to translate these conceptual details into reality, ensuring that every finish, fixture, and structural element aligns with the project’s uncompromising vision.
With every phase of construction, The Elene is taking shape as a hallmark of refined hospitality in Napa Valley, setting new standards for boutique retreats. While guests will ultimately experience an effortless sense of luxury, our team is working to ensure that every detail also stands the test of time.
When it opens its doors in 2026, The Elene won’t just be a desirable, new destination. It will gracefully represent the vision, craftsmanship, innovation, and deep regional expertise that went into bringing it to life.
Photo Credit: Render courtesy The Elene
Nordby Wine Caves recently partnered with Njirich & Sons, Inc., to rehabilitate Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) Tunnels 3 and 4, located northeast of Oakdale, California. OID has delivered irrigation water to 55,000 acres of farmland in the Central Valley for more than a century.
Constructed in the early 1900s, Tunnels 3 and 4 needed significant repairs to restore stability and improve water flow efficiency. Collectively spanning about 2,250 feet, the 8-to-20-foot tunnels were originally built without lining or ground support, leaving them vulnerable to erosion and structural degradation. Erosion had caused stress fractures, ground instability, and flattened tunnel crowns. To address its aged infrastructure, OID developed a Water Resources Plan (WRP) to modernize and rebuild its system to meet the needs of its changing customer base.
Nordby Wine Caves widened and reshaped the tunnels to an arch shape to improve stability of the tunnel ground and increase flow rate capacity. We incorporated shotcrete tunnel lining and cast-in-place concrete inverts to further prevent erosion and improve stability and water flow capacity.
Another key project component involved reinforcing the portal cutslopes, the sloped surfaces leading into the tunnels. Left unprotected, they were prone to erosion from water runoff which poses long-term structural risks. Our team lined and stabilized the cutslopes for additional support to withstand the area’s fluctuating water levels.
Despite a tight four-month construction window limited to the off-season for irrigation, Nordby Wine Caves executed and completed the tunnel update with precision. The construction process included close collaboration with project partners to ensure that the new design would not only restore tunnel integrity but also increase flow efficiency, safeguarding the region’s water distribution system for years to come.
“Cuvaison’s light-filled tasting room is an antidote to the dark, cellar-like atmosphere found at many wineries,” notes Tina Caputo in her recent article in the Press Democrat, "A Couple of Tech Guys Opened Napa’s Cuvaison 55 Years Ago. It Keeps Getting Better."
Congratulations to Cuvaison on this well-deserved recognition! For more details on this project and how our construction team helps wineries create unforgettable spaces, explore our work at Nordby Construction.
https://www.gasarchitects.com/cuvaison
While we now think of Sonoma County as wine country, hops initially put the region on the map. This iconic fieldstone structure now known as Landmark Vineyard’s Hop Kiln Estate was built by Italian stonemasons in 1905 and was originally used for drying and baling hops for the booming beer industry. It is said to be the most significant surviving example of a stone hop kiln in the North Coast region. Restoring the Hop Kiln Estate was a meticulous endeavor aimed at protecting the historic integrity of the landmark structure while making it safe and accessible for visitors.
We were honored to sponsor and participate in the 17th annual Harvest STOMP held at the breathtaking Viña Esperanza estate in Calistoga on August 24th. $3M was raised to support Napa Valley’s grape growers and farmworkers. Together, we’re protecting Napa Valley agriculture and empowering the next generation of farmworkers and vineyard leaders.
Don't miss the 34th Annual Nordby Golf Invitational on August 12, 2024! Enjoy a day of fun, philanthropy, golf, and fantastic prizes including the chance to win a GMC truck for a hole-in-one. This cherished tradition has raised over $1.5 million over the past three decades. This year, we're aiming to surpass $2 million! All proceeds benefit The Salvation Army to support shelter, food, and youth programs in Santa Rosa.
Restoring Hop Kiln Vineyard is a meticulous endeavor aimed at preserving the historic integrity of this California Historical Landmark while making it fully accessible.
Located in the picturesque Russian River Valley, the iconic fieldstone structure was built by Italian stonemasons in 1905 and originally used for drying and baling hops for the booming beer industry of the early 20th century. Since 1960, the estate has served as a winery and is celebrated as one of the top ten tasting rooms in Sonoma County.
To ensure this historic gem remains accessible to all visitors, improvements have been made to the deck, main entrance, bathroom amenities, and navigation across the grounds. The restoration project also emphasizes the use of historically accurate materials, including refurbishment of the original conveyor belt machinery, though no longer functionally operational.
As Nordby Construction finalizes the project, Hop Kiln Vineyard stands as a symbol of preservation done right. The careful restoration is a culmination of excellence in craftsmanship, honoring the rich history of the estate, and modern accessibility coming together in perfect harmony. Completion is slated for June 12, 2024.
