Our Winemaker

It is the belief of our Winemaker that great winemaking begins in the vineyard.  At Anselmo Vineyards, special care is taken with each varietal to produce extraordinary wine.  No compromises are made.  Every block is hand-harvested and delicate care is taken throughout the winemaking process.  After hand sorting the fruit to remove imperfect grapes and leaves, the grapes are destemmed and placed into temperature controlled fermentation tanks.  Here, each lot will spend approximately six weeks fermenting: a process which includes cold soaking, a slow, cool primary fermentation and extended maceration.  After fermentation is completed, the grapes are pressed using a basket press which ensures gentle extraction of flavor, color and tannin by avoiding maceration of the seeds and releasing undesirable tannin.

Once the wines are safely in French oak barrels, the aging process begins: racking, topping and blending.  Our winemaker tastes each barrel of wine weekly, evaluating the effects of the oak on each varietal.  After one and a half to two years in oak, depending upon the program, the wines are bottled – where they will spend another year aging before being released.

Our Winemaker  has worked in the wine industry for 10 years as a winemaker, consultant, wine educator and retailer.  Our Winemaker consults with wineries and vineyards, both large and small, throughout the U.S.  She is currently in the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust diploma program and pursuing the highly sought after Master of Wine title.  Her education encompasses Microbiology, Chemistry and Enology.  She has a versatile background and has worked at facilities ranging from small boutique and premium mid-sized to large commercial operations.  She describes her production style as a blend of techniques taken from the very unique places and people with which she has been fortunate to work.  One of her most valuable experiences was her position as Research Winemaker with E. & J. Gallo where she spent most of her time researching techniques for quality improvement.  She has since expanded her love and in-depth knowledge for wine with wine judging and wine education.