In 1991, he accepted a position at Thomas Jaeger Winery and stayed on when the winery was purchased by Ambassador Orfila.
Santoro is fluent in Italian and knowledgeable in Spanish, French and German. He has traveled extensively through the wine districts of Burgundy, Bordeaux, Veneto, Piedmont, Tuscany, Chile and Argentina.
As the general manager and winemaker at Orfila Vineyards & Winery, Santoro balances all aspects of the operation and is dedicated to furthering fine wine production in San Diego County.
"When I came to San Diego's San Pasqual Valley in 1991, my winemaker colleagues in Napa Valley thought I had lost my mind," says winemaker Leon Santoro. "Despite their pessimism, I was determined to show them that grapes for fine wines could be grown here, and furthermore, that those grapes could be transformed into award-winning wines."
