Steve Rogstad Punching down Pinot Noir. |
Steve Rogstad,
Winemaker
A love for European literature
led Steve Rogstad to pursue an undergraduate degree in English at the
University of Washington. His pursuit of knowledge took him to Paris
where he expected to gain a deeper understanding of the culture he had
read so much about. Once in Paris, he became enamored with the way of
life, passion for food and – naturally – the wines. The everyday choices
made by friends and associates in their wine and food pairings
fascinated Rogstad, and he decided to learn more about his new discovery
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In 1990, Rogstad was accepted
as an intern at Chateau de l’Eclair, a research facility in Beaujolais.
He began to experiment with fermentations using native yeasts, a subject
that has fascinated him ever since.
He decided to make winemaking
his career and returned to the United States to enroll in the University
of California, Davis and study for his Masters Degree in Enology and
Viticulture.
Rogstad’s winemaking career
started at Saintsbury where he learned the unique climate and geography
of the Carneros region in the southern part of the Napa Valley and
developed a passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Following Saintsbury,
he joined Rombauer’s custom crush facility as Assistant Winemaker in the
production of wines from such luminaries as Spottswoode, Neyers and
Viader before becoming Assistant Winemaker at Spring Mountain Vineyards
in St. Helena. At Spring Mountain he worked with Cabernet Sauvignon from
low yield, mountain vineyards and experimented with extended macerations
and hand-crafted wines.
In1996 he joined Clos Pegase as Winemaker and was credited with many
award-winning, highly rated wines.
When Rogstad came to Cuvaison
in January 2002, he saw a perfect opportunity to use his in-depth
knowledge of the intricacies of mountain vineyard farming and the unique
terroir of the Carneros appellation. As Cuvaison’s winemaker, he
supervises and directs new plantings and vineyard development at the two
key Cuvaison estate vineyards: the 400-acre Carneros estate, and the
170-acre Brandlin Ranch vineyard on Napa’s Mt. Veeder. The Brandlin
property, purchased in 1998, is planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon
and will produce its first harvest under Rogstad’s direction in 2002. |
