“Executive retires to Napa Valley to make wine” is a headline that could be written here about 365 days a year. “Home boy retires to Napa Valley and doesn’t make wine” — now that’s another story.

That’s just what Bill Keever planned, but his intentions went awry.

A 1963 Napa High graduate, Keever and his wife Olga moved back to the valley in 1999 after 38 years in the telecommunications industry. He’d spent the last segment as the chief executive officer of wireless provider Vodafone Asia commuting from Yountville until he retired in 2003. Olga also worked in the business, retiring a bit earlier in 1998.

Their plan was to grow grapes. Along the way, however, the Keevers were bitten by the wine bug. Now they and their son Jason not only own a new winery, but they really make the wine, from pruning vines to pumping over the cap — albeit with the help of respected consulting winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek.

The Keevers spent 10 years in Europe with telephone companies before they moved back to California and bought a dilapidated horse farm on 21 acres in the hills just south of the Veterans Home of California.

They replaced the old home, tore down horse barns and corrals, and planted five acres of grapevines on the hilly property. Because previous owners had carved flat spots out of the hillsides for corrals and an arena long before erosion plans were required, the Keevers were able to plant there without restriction. In reshaping the hills, however, the bulldozers had cut down to rocky soil. A vineyard manager suggested that the couple were engaging in hydroponics farming — rocks, water and roots but no soil.

For the rest of the property, they had to submit erosion control plans and were only allowed to plant another three and one-half acres when they had wanted to plant seven. Today, vineyard manager Jim Barbour manages the five acres of four clones of cabernet sauvignon and two different rootstocks chosen for the block where it is growing.

The Keevers also have a third of an acre of cabernet franc, which they will graft to sauvignon blanc to have a white wine for sale at the winery and for winery dinners.

The vineyard blocks lie all over the property. They start about 300 feet above the valley floor,  some flat, some as steep as allowed. A wildlife corridor separates the older blocks planted in from the newer blocks. It allows deer to move from a neighboring farm to the south across the property to a large stand of oak trees at the north end.

The Keevers, who have an estate home above the winery, enjoy the company of a lot of wildlife. Some visitors aren’t welcome, notably wild turkeys and small birds that force them to protect part of their vineyards with nets.

At first, the Keevers were satisfied with developing their vineyards. Bill Keever said, “We hadn’t intended to make wine. We wanted to sell grapes to pay for some of our expenses.”

But when the first grapes were ripening, Barbour suggested the couple make their own wine. Keever recalled, “He said, ‘Knowing your personalities, I don’t think you’ll be happy unless you see your name on that label.’”

So they tried it. The first year, the crop was only nine-tenths of a ton, but now they’re making 230 cases of 100 percent estate cabernet sauvignon.

Of course, many growers have a little wine made somewhere, as the Keevers did at Piña Vineyards before they built their own winery, but they also made the big step to constructing their own building and caves. “Many people say building a brick and mortar winery won’t pencil out economically for a small winery,” Keever said, “but there are advantages of having the control over everything.”

His son Jason worked at another winery for a couple of years before joining his parents full time. Jason now works full-time as cellarmaster.

Keever said he and Jason do every punchdown and addition to the wine, although he acknowledged that he especially likes to drive the forklift.

With the help of winemaker Masyczek, they commissioned a small but efficient gravity-flow winery designed for small lots of high quality wine including vats small enough to move with the forklift. Two large sorting tables ensure than only good grapes make it into the fermentation.

The winery was completed in June 2006 in time for last year’s harvest. The Keevers also built a modest cave used for storing their wine, and some Masyczek makes for herself.

The Keevers’ daughter Ashley, also helps out one day a week. The whole family — and friends — help with harvest, though they also hire a crew.

Olga Keever takes care of visitors, which are by appointment only. The winery has stunning vistas over the valley and sometimes, she said, she has to wait in the tasting room while they just stare at the views.

The Keevers are almost out of their 2004 cabernet sauvignon, which retails for $68. They also made a little sauvignon blanc and rosé from grapes they bought, and you can buy those at the winery, too.

Info, www.keevervineyards.com or 944-0910.