Rachel and William Casey
Dr. William J. Casey, a Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine graduate, came to San Francisco to
complete his training and establish a private practice.
In 1975
he opened a new winery in St. Helena, which he named
St. Clement in homage to his ancestors
who arrived in the new world on two ships, the Ark and
the Dove, in 1634. On the first land they touched they
gave thanks to St. Clement, the patron saint of mariners.
This island, at the mouth of the Potomac River, later
came to
be known as St. Clement’s Island.
After twelve
years of operating both the winery and his private practice
in San Francisco, Dr. Casey sold St. Clement and built
a Provençal-style home on Spring Mountain, overlooking
the Napa Valley. Here he planted many of his beloved poplars
and a grove of Tuscan “Lucca” olive trees.
His wife Rachel, who has a horticultural background and
is a master gardener, oversees the day-to-day operations
of the olive grove and the estate gardens.
