Adelaida's current program and winemaking style is heavily shaped by the wealth of experience and perspective Jeremy Weintraub brought to Adelaida. Jeremy's philosophy has always been simple: To craft a wine that conveys its origin. Wine that reflects the land in which it was grown.
It was under Jeremy's guidance that Adelaida's vineyards earned their organic certifications. Prior to his tenure and accolades at Adelaida, he worked three years at Seavey Vineyard in Napa Valley, where he garnered high critical acclaim (and several 95+ point scores) for his wines.
Jeremy took an unusual path on his journey to “winegrowing”—a term he favors, as it denotes the importance of both the land and vines. His career started with economic and political writing in Washington DC, but his passion for wine inspired a change. Jeremy attended and graduated from the UC Davis School of Enology in California, achieving a Master’s in Viticulture and Enology while on a prestigious scholarship from the Wine Spectator. He gained experience working with the classic and noble grapes on both coasts of the US, Central Otago, NZ, and in Tuscany at the Antinori Tenuta Tinagnello winery.
Jeremy's contributions and impact at Adelaida are vast. He echoed Don Van Steenwyk’s original desire to allow the land to express its innate beauty with minimal external manipulation.
It was while being mentored by one of Paso Robles' legendary winemakers, Ken Volk of Wild Horse Vineyard, that Terry Culton's love for Pinot Noir and winemaking was born. That passion for crafting visionary wines (and especially visionary Pinot Noir) has led Culton on a unique, and oddly circular, journey.
Prior to becoming the winemaker at Adelaida in 2003, he traveled and worked in numerous regions known for growing outstanding Pinot Noir, including the Anderson Valley of California and the Willamette Valley of Oregon (working at Edmeades and Willamette Valley Vineyards, respectively). He then worked in the Hollister area under Josh Jensen of Calera Wines, who played a pivotal role in establishing Pinot Noir as a great varietal for North America.
Drawn to the historic old Pinot vines of HMR, Culton was Adelaida's winemaker for ten years. At Adelaida, he honed his unique style of vineyard-driven wines with extraordinary balance. After leaving Adelaida, Culton started his own private label, Culton Wines, and he was the winemaker for Le Vigne in Paso Robles for a period of time.
But that siren lore of Pinot Noir seems to have brought Terry back to one of his original wineries and roots. He is now the Director of Winemaking & Vineyards at Willamette Valley Vineyards.
A veteran winemaker of the Paso Robles area, Steve Glossner has been the winemaker at numerous iconic Paso Robles wineries. After receiving his degree in Enology from CSU Fresno, Steve moved to Paso Robles in 1993, and he's had a huge impact ever since.
Prior to working at Adelaida, he was the winemaker for Justin Vineyards and Winery. He's also been associated with other winemaking posts, including for Steinbeck Winery and Halter Ranch. He currently works closely with multiple consulting clients, including Guyomar Wine Cellars, and he also produces Port-style wines for his PasoPort Wine Company.
John Munch's wine mantra has always been: Let the grapes do the work. A winemaker purely by accident, John launched Adelaida Cellars in 1981, with his late wife Andree Guyon. Before joining forces with the Van Steenwyk family, he purchased grapes in bulk from some of Paso Robles' most iconic vineyards of that era, including Estrella Vineyards (which he was also associated with).
The iconic and original Adelaida label of the two faces is the reflecting image of Andree and her sister, and is rumored to be painted by his artist friend, Michael Lidbury.
In 1991, John partnered with the Van Steenwyk family, and the Adelaida Cellars label was brought to the Hilltop Ranch for the first time. Also in 1991, now with access to the vast array of properties owned by the Van Steenwyk's, John was able to cultivate and plant Viking Estate Vineyard on the Viking Ranch. The Viking Vineyard is Adelaida's first estate vineyard. He is also responsible for the early restoration of HMR after it was purchased by the Van Steenwyks in 1994.
John left Adelaida Cellars in 1999. He continued to operate and produce wine in Paso Robles at Le Cuvier Winery until 2013. A true artist in every sense, his passion and unique approach to life and winemaking are still felt at Adelaida.
