2006-12-22
Winemaker Profile:
Beaulieu Vineyard
JEFFREY STAMBOR
by Sue Straight, The Wine Wench
Jeffrey Stambor is a man who really loves his job. A smile lights his face and his warm brown eyes twinkle as he talks about his career. He is the winemaker responsible for the Bordeaux varietal wines produced at Beaulieu Vineyard.
He proudly describes Beaulieu Vineyard (BV for short) as “an American wine classic” because “BV has a tremendous amount of history, and its continued success is made possible by the hard work of hundreds of people, from the vineyard workers, to the cellar, to the office and marketing people.” Some employees have been with BV for over 30 years, and Jeffrey is not far behind them, with 17 happy years under his belt.
A native of Northeastern Ohio, Jeffrey came to California to attend UC Davis’ veterinary program. He wanted to be a large animal vet, but “vit” took over. The leafy lure of viticulture was just too strong to resist. After taking an intro to wine class, Jeffrey was hooked. He changed his major and graduated from UC Davis in 1982 with a degree in plant science with a specialty in viticulture.
Jeffrey joined BV in January of 1989. His title was “Enologist/Viticulturist” because he was responsible for being the link between the winemaking (Enology) and the vineyards (Viticulture). That was his title until 1995, when he became able to concentrate solely on crafting BV’s Bordeaux varietals.
“The thing that I love about my job is that it’s never the same – that’s the best and worst of it,” he says, smiling. “There is never a dull moment around here.” Jeffrey also loves choosing the small lots of wines to make his final blends. He spends many hours tasting through the wines. He tells me, “I love throwing all the pieces up in the air and making them all fit together like a puzzle.”
Winemaking is like a puzzle or a recipe, if you will. The ingredients are the grapes from selected vineyards and the different types of oak barrels, each imparting its own signature aromas and flavors. There are myriad ways to use these components to produce the best possible wine. That’s the winemaker’s art, and Jeffrey Stambor is truly an artist.
Visit Beaulieu Vineyard’s Tasting Room and Reserve Room, located at 1960 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA. Call 800-264-6918 or visit www.bvwines.com for more information.
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