Aaron Pott

Winemaker, Seven Stones Winery

Many have stories of the formidable waiters of Paris, but Aaron’s is a bit different: at ten years old, a waiter famously denied his request for milk in favor of wine, declaring that milk "ees for babies." That early fascination followed him home, where he spent his teenage years conducting fermentation experiments in his parents' garage.

Aaron formalized his passion by earning a Fermentation Science degree from UC Davis and a Viticulture degree from the prestigious Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, France. His illustrious career in Bordeaux included serving as Winemaker at Château Troplong Mondot and later as Director of Château La Tour Figeac. Upon returning to California, Aaron held pivotal roles at St. Clement and Quintessa before joining Seven Stones in 2007.

Today, Aaron is the exclusive day-to-day winemaker at Seven Stones, bringing his exceptional expertise and vision to our esteemed wines. His remarkable contributions to the industry were recognized by Food & Wine Magazine, which named him one of their “Winemakers of the Year” in 2012.

Country born: United States

Education: With an Enology degree from UC Davis and a Master’s in Viticulture from the University of Burgundy, Aaron believed from the start that winemaking should be an art. He was drawn to Napa Valley’s larger-than-life characters, like John Kongsgaard and Michel Rolland, who sought to reverse the science-driven trends of the time. In 1990, Aaron joined John at Newton Vineyard as assistant winemaker. Alongside Merlot and Cabernet, they bottled an unfiltered Chardonnay; suddenly, wine was electric again and Aaron was hooked. When Michel visited from France to consult, Aaron would squeeze his 6’3″ frame into the back of John’s beat-up Ford Ranger to take notes. He soaked up every bit of that incredible learning environment.

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Honors / Awards:
2012 Winemaker of the Year- Food and Wine Magazine

Winemaking Philosophy:
We aim to draw the terroir into the glass as purely and cleanly as possible. Organic farming, native yeasts, and non-interventionist techniques help make this happen.