NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (August 20, 2024) – Napa Valley’s family-owned Two Estates Wine Collective (TEWC), which features Cuvaison winery in Los Carneros and Brandlin Estate on Mount Veeder, is excited to announce the promotion of long-time winemaker, Steve Rogstad, to director of winemaking. Rogstad, who has guided the winemaking at both Cuvaison and Brandlin Estate since 2002, will oversee the stylistic direction for both wineries while continuing to make Cuvaison’s acclaimed cool-climate wines from the Tai Estate Vineyard. Rising star winemaker Rebecca George, who joined TEWC as associate winemaker in 2021, will guide the winemaking at Brandlin Estate’s historic vineyard on Mount Veeder.
“The success of our company is founded on two pillars: the extraordinary quality of our Tai and Brandlin estate vineyards, and the passion and professionalism of our exceptional team,” said TEWC President and CEO Daniel Zepponi. “Steve’s promotion to director of winemaking recognizes the integral role he has played in shaping the identity of our wines and in making TEWC the company it is today. We are equally excited to promote Rebecca George to winemaker for Brandlin Estate. Rebecca is one of the most talented winemakers of her generation and we are thrilled that she will be helping to write the next chapter in the rich story of our historic Brandlin Estate.”
A specialist of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Steve Rogstad has spent most of his professional life making wine in the Los Carneros appellation. Prior to joining Cuvaison, Rogstad worked at Saintsbury, Rombauer, Clos Pegase and La Crema, where he worked alongside legendary winemaker Dan Goldfield. Since becoming Cuvaison’s winemaker in 2002, Rogstad has been widely recognized for making many of the finest wines in Cuvaison’s history. “Great wines are the culmination of years of knowledge and experience,” says Steve. “For more than 20 years, I have had the incredible fortune to make wines from two world-class vineyards, Cuvaison’s Tai Estate Vineyard in Los Carneros and Brandlin Estate on Mount Veeder. I am excited to collaborate with Rebecca to continue to tell the story of these two iconic vineyards.”
In preparation for her promotion to Brandlin Estate winemaker, George has spent the past three vintages working alongside Rogstad and learning the nuances of the mountainous Brandlin Estate Vineyard, which has been the source for acclaimed grapes since 1926. George, who has worked at Schramsberg Vineyards, Marcassin, Kelly Fleming Wines and Burgundy’s famed Domaine Meìo-Camuzet, is thrilled to take on the winemaker position at Brandlin Estate. “There is so much history at Brandlin Estate. Our vineyard has excelled for almost a century because it produces wines that are as unique as they are extraordinary. Crafting wines that embody the essence of this place, this mountain, is both a privilege and a pleasure.”
ABOUT TWO ESTATES WINE COLLECTIVE
Two Estates Wine Collective is an independent, family-owned Napa Valley wine company. Established in 1969, with the founding of Cuvaison winery in Napa Valley, today Two Estates Wine Collective also includes Brandlin Estate on Mount Veeder. With an estate program that includes Cuvaison’s historic Los Carneros vineyard, which features over 125 planted acres largely devoted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the historic 49-acre Brandlin Vineyard on Mount Veeder, which is primarily planted to Cabernet Sauvignon and other red Bordeaux varieties, Two Estates Wine Collective focuses on ultra-premium, estate-grown wines. For more information, visit cuvaison.com and brandlinestate.com.
