Wine Portfolio

Steve Devitt

Winemaker, Darioush

Steve manages all winemaking and viticulture activities at Darioush. His understanding of microclimates, the local soils and the wines they produce enable him to create estate wines that best express the character of each individual vineyard. As a winegrower, he believes that the best winemaking begins in the vineyards. Steve personally manages the estate's extensive new vineyard developments and all aspects of the estate's wine production.

Country born: United States

Education: Advanced studies at UC Davis in enology and viticulture
Certifications: table wine production certificate (UCD), A.S. in viticulture Napa College
Internships: Oakville Research Station (biotyping phylloxera)
Mentor: Lori Wood (Freemark Abbey), Larry Wara (Chalk Hill)

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Focused on the limited-production of red Bordeaux varietals and small lots of Chardonnay, Viognier and Shiraz, Darioush employs minimal intervention or 'ancien' winemaking techniques, including hand harvesting and handsorting each grape cluster prior to crushing, , small-lot whole-cluster pressing, destemming, cold soaking, extended maceration, barrel-to-barrel racking and bottling without filtration.

This minimalist approach preserves and expresses the true varietal character of Darioush Signature wines. Our main focus is to grow a classic red Bordeaux blend that displays the finest qualities of the estate's unique soils and microclimate.

Michel Rolland

Winemaker, Darioush

Michel began his work as an oenologist in 1973, a time when modern wine was in its infancy. In 1985 he was offered the opportunity to study the ways to maximize the potential of California’ss wines, and his life as a global winemaking consultant began. He has since worked on four continents, more than a dozen countries, and over 150 different proprieties. Michel continues to advise clients around the world, in addition to serving as the winemaker for properties in Argentina and Bordeaux.

Country born: France

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years