LEON N. SANTORO
General Manager/Winemaker - Orfila Vineyards & Winery
Leon Santoro (center) |
Winemaker Leon N. Santoro, 53, brings 26 years of knowledge and experience
from the vineyards of California's Napa Valley to San Diego's largest
winery. Santoro orchestrates every facet of winery operations including
winemaking, marketing, general management and vineyard development.
Born in Villa Santa Maria, east of Rome, Santoro was born to a family
of winemakers and chefs. He came to the U.S. at the age of 17 and
enrolled at the State University of New York. After earning a
degree in chemistry, he entered his profession in New York as
a research chemist.
Santoro's first stop in the wine industry was at Louis Martini Winery
in Napa Valley where he worked his first grape harvest. He then
joined Winemaker Warren Winiarski at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars,
where he assisted Winiarski with the ‘78-81 vintages.
Their efforts were rewarded many accolades including a double
gold at the London Wine Festival for the 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon.
In 1981, Santoro joined Quail Ridge Winery in Napa Valley, as
co-owner/winemaker and became immersed in the wine production
process -- from grape and barrel to marketing and finance. Under
his direction, varietal and case production increased from 900 to
30,000 cases and U.S. distribution rose to include 30 states.
Profit-bound, Leon worked with brokers and shareholders to
successfully complete an initial public offering, increasing
the winery's capital by $1 million. He also guided the
development of a 40-acre terraced, mountain Chardonnay
vineyard on Mt. Veeder, in Napa Valley.
Quail Ridge was well received by consumers and the trade press.
In 1985, the White House presented Quail Ridge Chardonnay at a
dinner honoring their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales (known to Americans as Prince Charles and Princess Di)
and in 1986, the U.S. Ambassador to Iceland purchased Quail Ridge
Chardonnay for the superpower summit between Presidents Reagan
and Gorbachev.
Before joining Orfila Vineyards & Winery, Santoro served as
winemaker and vineyard manager at Japanese-owned Chateau De Leu
in Northern California. Santoro elevated the outdated winery to
a state-of-the-art viticulture operation: replanting the vineyard
with Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah grapes and instituting whole
cluster pressing for white varietals and small batch processing
for the reds, (processes which he has also instituted at Orfila
Vineyards & Winery.)
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.
In 1990, Santoro traveled throughout Eastern Europe and was witness
to the crumbling of the Berlin Wall.
As the general manager and winemaker at Orfila Vineyards & Winery,
Santoro balances all aspects of the operation and is dedicated to
furthering its reputation as San Diego's winery. |
