Janet Tupper, owner of Mercantile 12, first ventured to Napa on a wine tasting excursion in 1993. She fell in love with everything about wine country—the hills, vineyards, barrelrooms, and the winemakers, hoteliers, chefs + retailers who make visiting an experience to remember. In 2010 in Walla Walla, Washington, after many other tasting trips, she had an epiphany; where were the quality, tasteful products that spoke to the sense of place?
Creating a product line in a modern vintage style celebrating these destinations took her four years and Mercantile 12 launched in 2014. As it turned out, other desirable tourist spots love the wine country inspired aesthetic created by Mercantile 12 Its drinkware, totes, towels + apparel have become top sellers small towns all across America.
TAILORED TO YOUR DESTINATION
Janet Tupper
President &Creative Director
A Kansas City native who moved to Seattle in 1996, Janet fell in love with wine country on her first trips to Napa and Sonoma twenty years ago, to watching Washington wine country become a destination during her 20 years of living in Seattle. With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience under her belt, Janet developed the brand of Mercantile 12 in 2010 and launched in 2013. She directs sales, business & product development, marketing, and design. The business is everything she is passionate about: the experience of wine country, the locavore trend in food and wine, amazing products, creative collaboration with designers and makers, a modern vintage aesthetic, connecting authentically. Her favorite varietals are a Dry Rose from Cinsault, Viognier, and Cabernet Franc. She loves tennis and entertaining at home.
Chris Dunagan
Vice President, IT
A co-founder of Mercantile 12, Chris is our Operations and IT person, unlocking the keys to all of our technology inner-workings. Chris. In his career in enterprise software, Chris watched a lot of small companies turn into much larger ones. So when Janet shared her vision for Mercantile 12, Chris asked, “Why not now?” and a business was born (in a basement). Now that Mercantile 12 is headquartered in Napa, you may find Chris updating the website or out on the tennis court
Dylan Rupert
Head of Design
Dylan has been a part of Mercantile 12 since it’s humble beginnings in Seattle as a graphic designer and marketing manager. She developed the logo in tandem with Janet’s inspiration to name the business after Highway 12, the name of wine roads that run through both California and Washington wine countries. These days, she directs larger design projects and oversees the art development process when Mercantile 12 introduces new collections. Dylan is also a culture writer and critic, and she currently lives in Los Angeles.