SignoSeis Vineyards was founded by 2007 by six Charleston based businessmen: Tony Bakker, Gary Thornhill, Tim Smith, Anthony McAlister, Kevin Riker and managing partner, Nigel Cooper. The name 'SignoSeis' means literally 'Sign of Six' in Spanish. Nigel Cooper discovered The Vines of Mendoza, a private vineyard estate company in 2006 while he was on a family vacation, in South America. He purchased
10 acres of land and planted Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah vines. The Angel Oak is their brand name based upon the 1000 year old live oak tree that stands outside of Charleston, SC on John's Island. The Angel Oak wines are sold and distributed primarily to the group's restaurants namely McCrady's, Husk and Husk Nashville, but also to several other retail and fine dining restaurants in the local community.
