You may not know ANY of our wines, and that’s a good thing.
Our customers support independent winemakers and get exclusive access to their very limited, small lot wines. So these will never appear on a grocery store shelf… they’re unique to us.
But you’ve definitely run into our winemakers…
The crazy thing is that these talented little guys are the hard-working winemakers behind some of the world’s most famous wines.
So you can skim the lists below and see if you recognize any of the wine brands our winemakers have been involved with.
The $75+ club:
|
Wine brand |
Winemaker |
Role |
|
Merus |
former winemaker |
|
|
Penfolds Grange |
former senior winemaker 1984-1989 |
|
|
Ruinart |
former winemaker (2002-2007) |
|
|
Mumm Perrier-Jouet |
former director of production (1991-1995) |
|
|
Tignanello |
consultant winemaker |
|
|
Joseph Phelps |
consultant winemaker |
|
|
Stags’ Leap |
oversaw brand as Treasury’s chief winemaker for Americas |
|
|
Antinori – Solaia |
consultant winemaker |
|
|
Flora Springs |
winemaker |
|
|
Chateau Teyssier |
personal project |
|
|
Cliff Lede Vineyards |
former winemaker |
|
|
Domus Aurea |
winemaker |
|
|
Beringer |
oversaw brand as Treasury’s chief winemaker for Americas |
|
|
Heitz |
consultant winemaker |
|
|
Etude |
Oversaw brand as Treasury’s chief winemaker for Americas |
|
|
World’s End |
personal project |
The Well-Known Names:
|
Don Sebastiani & Sons |
Rob McNeil |
Director of Winemaking |
|
Mumm Napa |
Rob McNeil |
V.P. Winemaking and Operations |
|
Geyser Peak |
Ondine Chattan |
Head Winemaker |
|
Cline Cellars |
Ondine Chattan |
Former cellar worker |
|
Ridge Vineyards |
Ondine Chattan |
Former assistant winemaker |
|
Domaine Chandon |
former winemaker |
|
|
Estancia |
personal project |
|
|
Robert Mondavi Private Selection |
personal project |
|
|
Artesa |
Ana Diogo-Draper |
winemaker |
|
Charles Krug Winery |
former winemaker |
|
|
Covey Run |
former winemaker |
|
|
Lange Twins |
winemaker |
|
|
Woodbridge |
former winemaker |
|
|
Treasury |
Chief Winemaker for the Americas |
|
|
Jackson Estate |
former winemaker |
|
|
Craggy Range |
former winemaker |
|
|
Geyser Peak |
former winemaker |
|
|
Champagnes Paul Goerg |
winemaker |
|
|
Chateau St Jean |
oversaw brand as Treasury’s chief winemaker for Americas |
|
|
Kendall Jackson |
former assistant winemaker |
The complete list:
|
Amani |
winemaker |
|
|
Barden Stevenot |
winemaker |
|
|
Bodega Lorca |
personal project |
|
|
Bonny Doon |
former cellar worker |
|
|
Boulevard Napoleon |
personal project |
|
|
Bravium |
personal project |
|
|
Brick + Mortar |
personal project |
|
|
Canoe Ridge |
former assistant winemaker |
|
|
Chateau Maris |
winemaker |
|
|
Colby Red |
personal project |
|
|
David Bruce Winery |
former assistant enologist |
|
|
Easthope Winegrowers |
personal project |
|
|
Eonian Wines |
personal project |
|
|
Fortunatus |
personal project |
|
|
Girard |
assistant winemaker |
|
|
Ironstone |
winemaker |
|
|
Kim Crawford Wine |
former cellar hand |
|
|
Mark Anthony |
former winemaker |
|
|
Marschall Groom Cellars |
family winery |
|
|
Milliaire |
personal project |
|
|
Paul O’Brien |
personal project |
|
|
Pfeiffer Wines |
family winery |
|
|
Plunkett Fowles |
former winemaker |
|
|
Pommery Lanson |
former technical director (1985-1991) |
|
|
Rainier Wine |
winemaker |
|
|
Rumpus |
personal project |
|
|
Rustenberg Wines |
former winemaker |
|
|
Rutherford Hill Winery |
Ana Diogo-Draper |
former assistant winemaker |
|
SP Drummer |
personal project |
|
|
Spring Mountain Vineyard |
former winemaker |
|
|
Vina Pargua |
winemaker |
|
|
Wines by Sam |
personal project |
|
|
Breathless Wines |
Winemaker |
It’s like an IMDB for wine!
IMDB is an amazing website for when you’re trying to remember an actor’s name or the character they played in a particular movie. And it’s also a great way to discover movies. After all, if you love one Mel Brooks movie, you’re probably going to love them all!
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could do that with wine? Walk into a store and it tells you that the wine was made by your favorite winemaker. Or if you spend too much money on a wine and think it’s sort of meh, you could avoid all the wines made by that consultant winemaker!
Am I the only one who would find that useful?
Well, I can’t make an app, but here’s a start… a full index the non-Angel funded wines made by Angel-funded winemakers. If you spot one missing, let me know and I’ll add it to the list.
If you’ve never tried our wines and you’re curious, use this list to find a winemaker you may already be a fan of. And you can support that winemaker directly and enjoy a bottle of wine that they made thanks to the support of wine drinkers like you!
Great post! I’m sure many Angels and Archangels would be interested in these lists. Are you planning to share the link in the NW groups?
Feel free to post to groups if it comes up or would be helpful!
Very interesting, Ryan. Maybe some wine “snobs” will recognize some names and pay attention.
This is useful information Ryan. Please add Scott Kelly to the list. Cheers!
Done! 🙂
[…] wines even more, then you should get to know the winemakers behind the wine. Not only are they the winemakers behind the world’s most famous wines… they’re also really fun people with a contagious level of […]