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Keith Webster

Winemaker, Webster Cellars

WEBSTER CELLARS was born in 2008 when I was accepted to UC Davis??? wine production course, moved to St. Helena, California and bought my first crop of grapes. But, my foray into wine and winemaking began much earlier than that.

The son of a U.S. military officer, I grew up in Europe, just a short distance from my French godparents who significantly shaped my palate preferences as a result of drinking Bordeaux and other Old World wines.

After pursuing various careers, I landed in Aspen, Colorado with my love of wine still intact and began making wine in my garage. Admittedly, buying great wine grapes in Colorado was a challenge, but I was determined to realize my dream of making Bordeaux-style wines.

Eventually, I made the move to California and have followed my passion to produce wines reminiscent of my young adulthood, which ultimately led to the birth of Webster Cellars. As the culmination of my pursuit, I produce elegant wines with depth and character.

My wines are crafted to take you on a journey from the moment you uncork the bottle until you consume the last drop. They express an ever-changing scenery of the senses, evolving from shy and tight to open and embracing, like a love affair. There is a new discovery with every sniff of the glass and every sip of the wine; that, to me, is what fine wines should do.

The wines I create are balanced, integrated, delightful expressions of my love of the process and my desire to permit the true nature of the grape to manifest itself in the wine. Manipulation is kept to a bare minimum, additives are frowned upon and filtration is considered an unnecessary step. The result is a wine so complex and sophisticated, you could take it home to your parents!!

My hope is that tasting my wines will be like meeting the love of your life ??? that dance of experiencing the delight of knowing someone who, at first contact, is intriguing and who grows more and more connected to your soul with every kiss!

Country born: United States of America

Education: Self taught
UC Davis Wine Production Certification Program

Years in the wine industry: 8 years

Honors / Awards:
All my friends think I'm Cool and my Partner Chelli loves me a lot. Those are the highest honors I could possibly ask for, period.

Winemaking Philosophy:
Let the fruit Speak!! Keep human intervention to a minimum. Natural flavors of the grape are my palette and will always show my expression of the vintage and place the grapes were born.

Chelli Warnock-Webster

Winemaker, Webster Cellars

At the age of 2 my family moved to Sydney Australia. My dad worked for Lindemans Wine Company in Sydney. After many years in Australia my family moved back to the United States to Saint Helena, CA. My dad worked for Beringer Vineyards and my mom worked for several small boutique wineries. Growing up my parents made wine with some other friends that were in the wine business. A couple of well know wine makers and some financial investors in the wine industry. I cut my teeth from the ground up. Growing up I did everything from picking grapes, adding yeast, doing punch downs and topping wine. I was fortunate at a young age to be taught by some of the most experienced winemakers in the business. It wasn't until years later that I would once again get back into the wine industry. Now, along with my partner in life and business Keith Webster, he has drawn me back into my love of the process of winemaking. Together, I believe we make some beautiful wine.

Country born: United States

Education: MA.Ed - Master in Education
MA in Linguistics
Winemaking courses through Napa Valley College

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Intuition and instinct are the guiding principles behind my style of winemaking. I let the terroir and the fruit truly express themselves,which allows me to create wines without a lot of manipulation. I prefer my wines to be an unique expression of each individual harvest. No two vintages will ever be the same.