Tuck Beckstoffer

Winemaker, Tuck Beckstoffer Estate

Though he grew up in a prominent Napa Valley grape growing family and spent much of his early life learning about farming and viticulture from the ground up, it was in winemaking that Tuck Beckstoffer, proprietor of Tuck Beckstoffer Wines, found his passion. Having worked every summer of his young life in the vineyard, during college breaks Tuck had the opportunity to work in the cellars of highly regarded wineries such as Cakebread Cellars, Far Niente and Spring Mountain Winery, learning the craft of winemaking and sensory analysis from “guys who were truly making wine for the love of it.” The experience left an impression.

After a brief career as a professional sailor, Tuck spent time in Western Australia, further developing his understanding of winemaking and introducing new grape growing and winemaking techniques to the Leeuwin Estate Winery in Margaret River. He returned to Napa Valley, landing at the start-up Plump Jack Winery where he was Director of Operations. When Tuck was offered fruit from the 1997 harvest, he fashioned 40 cases of a Cabernet Sauvignon that which through word-of-mouth was sought after by restaurants and collectors. It was soon thereafter that Tuck decided to pursue his love of winemaking – and his desire to run his own wine business -- full time.

Tuck, who remembers the Napa Valley of the 1970’s as full of open spaces, has a deep respect for the land. With a profound understanding of farming and what distinguishes a truly great growing site, Tuck sources grapes for his Seventy Five Wine Company, Hogwash, Melee, Amulet, Vinifera, Semper, Mockingbird and Tuck Beckstoffer labels from some of the finest vineyards, fashioning wines that are creative, pleasurable and memorable.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Philippe Melka

Winemaker, Tuck Beckstoffer Estate

I spent much of my youth in Bordeaux, France, earning my geology degree from the University of Bordeaux. On a whim, I took a wine course in my final year of study - a decision that changed my life. Yearning to know more, I set out for Napa Valley (Dominus Estate), Western Australia (Chittering Estate), Chianti in Italy (Badia O Coltibuono) and Bordeaux (Chateau Petrus) where I divided my time between soil study and winemaking. However, the great diversity of terroirs I found in Napa Valley, and its potential for extraordinary wines, was a revelation to me.

Country born: France

Education: I feel fortunate to have been trained and influenced by some of the most notable personalities in the wine business: Jean Delmas and Jean Philippe Masclef from Haut-Brion, Christian Moueix and Jean Claude Berrouet from Petrus, Paul Draper from Ridge, Daniel Baron from Silver Oak and Michel Rolland from Chateau Pasteur.

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Honors / Awards:
My recent naming as one of the top 9 wine consultants in the world by Robert Parker has been truly humbling, and a terrific honor. But my pursuit of excellence in this field I'm so passionate about has only just begun.

Winemaking Philosophy:
We drive to create wines that express the voice of the soil.