Either having a cardiology practice in Houston or running a vineyard two time zones away sounds like more than enough work for one person. But Houston cardiologist Madaiah Revana (photo below) has a thriving medical practice here as well as not one, not two but three vineyards in California, Oregon and Argentina.

His original vineyard slightly north of St. Helena, Revana Family Vineyards, is just nine acres, but the very first vintage produced was a great success. The timing could not have been better. It was 2001, a very good year for grapes in Napa, and Revana’s Cabernet Sauvignon earned a 91-point score from Wine Spectator. The 2007 vintage did even better, landing the number four spot on Wine Spectator’s 100 Top Wines list for 2010.

In 2007, Revana acquired a 56-acre vineyard in Oregon – more than six times the size of the original – and established Alexana Winery there. The majority of the harvest there is Pinot Noir, but some Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay is bottled as well. The vineyard proved another golden investment for Revana. The 2010 Alexana Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Revana Vineyard placed number 17 in the 2013 Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list.

The following year, Revana added Corazon Del Sol to his portfolio. It is the source of Malbec and Grenache from grapes grown on 17 acres in the Uco Valley of Argentina (photo below).

The production at each location is fairly small, and, as a result, the wine is often sold directly to restaurants. However, Revana says that Spec’s and Houston Wine Merchant both carry some on a limited basis. Also, wine lovers can ask to be placed on the allocation list via the website for each of his three wineries.

We recently caught up with the busy doctor after working hours to ask him some nosy questions about how he got in the wine business and whether drinking wine is actually healthful.

How did you, a cardiologist by trade, get into the wine business?  

It was my passion for wine. I’ve been collecting wines since the early 1990s. I was in Tuscany in 1996. I absolutely enjoyed looking at the vineyard and the beauty of it. I thought maybe I should have a vineyard. I thought about buying property but decided to wait for various reasons, mostly due to the distance.

I visited Napa Valley in 1997. I made a trip while I was at a medical conference and found this property in St. Helena. Nobody had planted it before.

Then, I found Jim Barbour, one of the foremost viticulturists. He introduced me to Heidi [Peterson] Barret, one of the foremost winemakers in Napa Valley. That’s how I got started.

When someone tries your wine for the very first time, what do you like to hear?

“This is one of the very best wines I have ever had.” We hear that all the time. It really makes me happy. I’m really fortunate to have the right properties – in Napa, Oregon and Argentina – and the right winemakers.

If someone wants to try your wine, which ones should he or she be looking for?

The 2013 [Cabernet Sauvignon] from Napa Valley is again considered one of the best vintages. It scored 94 points from Wine Spectator. In Oregon, the current vintage is 2014. That’s the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

You’re a cardiologist, so tell us: Is red wine actually good for people?

Absolutely! There have been over 200 articles published supporting the health benefits of wine – in moderation of course – one or two glasses per day. People get the benefits when it is had on a regular basis. People who drink sporadically don’t get the same benefits.

Do you drink wine every day?

Almost, but not always. Usually three to four times a week at dinner with friends.

What would you most like people to know about your wines?

Our wines are world class. They’re amazing. I’m a Houstonian, so quite a few people from Houston are on our allocations or in our wine club. Our biggest supporters are in Houston and in Texas, in general.