Great wine must be embodied and actualized by great moxie. Brennon Leighton, our winemaker, has broken the mold. Raised by artists and hippies in Santa Cruz, California, Brennon was born to rebel, but struggled to find an appropriate venue for his artistic impulses. Dodging the option of becoming a conservative or conformist, he instead choose to dally in a punk rock band where he was rescued by a family friend and put to work busing tables in a fine dining establishment. It was there that Brennon was unearthed: a diamond in the rough.
Most people with a passion for the vine have a "wine epiphany." For Brennon it was the '85 Cheval Blanc that the General Manager of the restaurant graciously shared with him. He had never smelled anything so exotic and beautiful, and one taste filled his chest and face with an overwhelming sense of wonderment and instantaneous understanding. No great surprise, he wanted to experience this feeling again and again. When he asked his manager about becoming a wine steward he was met with a resounding "No," but as consolation he was allowed to stock the cellar and train under the current wine steward.
Time and a few subsequent epiphanies and his interest became an obsession, and his obsession blossomed into a full-blown passion for wine – he knew he had to become immersed in the wine industry. Brennon mulled over the idea of becoming a sommelier or a Master of wine, but ultimately recognized his love demanded he labor knee-deep in the physical process of making wine. At 26, he went back to school and never turned back, earning his degree in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis. He feels blessed to have worked with so many fine winemakers, at Efestē, and at Chateau Ste. Michelle where he produced the award winning wine Eroica.