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Brian Maloney

Winemaker, Buena Vista Winery

Brian Maloney was born on his family’s historic ranch in the Petaluma Gap straddling the Marin and Sonoma County border.

Inspired by his grandmother’s stories of her father’s struggles growing grapes and making wine in the Calistoga area before, during and after Prohibition, he enrolled in the world-famous Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California, Davis. Following graduation he worked the harvest of 2003 at DeLoach Vineyards and has remained there ever since, playing a key role in elevating the winery’s Pinot Noir pedigree, expanding its vineyard-designate program, and planting and establishing its Biodynamic estate vineyard.

Starting in 2011, Brian has expanded his responsibilities to include overseeing the rebirth of the legendary Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma. In 2012, his team was the first to make wine in the historic Champagne cellars in over 30 years, a celebration that was punctuated by the joining of Tokaji and Sonoma as Sister Cities on the first day of harvest for the reopened cellars.

Country born: United States

Education: UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Program, Mentor David Ramey

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
With generations of farming and winemaking in his background, Brian has always taken to letting the terroir show first. Whether with cool climate Pinot Noir or mountain top Cabernet, his ultimate goal is to let the interaction between the site, the vine and the grower shine through to set the style of the wines.