4/19 - Nancy Lasseter, Justin Vineyards & Winery

Nancy Lasseter - Lasseter Family Vineyards 

The story of Lasseter Family Winery began in 1992 when John and Nancy Lasseter moved to the town of Sonoma and discovered the art of winemaking through a group of amateur winemaking friends. For them, it was a leap from appreciating wine to immersing themselves in the winemaking process.  By 2000, the Lasseters were making their wine at the winery of their close friends, Tommy and Marcy Smothers. The “idea” of Lasseter Family Winery was slowly evolving, and John and Nancy began to consider options for a winery site. When a historic Sonoma Valley winery and vineyard property in desperate need of caring restoration and renovation became available in 2002, John and Nancy decided it was a perfect place to continue the story. Escrow on the property closed during the 2002 harvest, on the same day that several generations of the Lasseter family worked together crushing grapes just down the road at the Smothers Winery.  The Lasseters have partnered with master winemaker Julia Iantosca, who has many years of experience throughout Sonoma County, as they "fine tune" the vineyard, develop their signature blends, and craft what will ulitmately become the house style. Julia's passion for blended wines dovetails perfectly with the Lasseter's approach. Cellermaster Bart Hansen has years of experience from long tenures at Kenwood Vineyards and Benziger Family Winery. He knows the Sonoma Valley intimately and brings tremendous attention to detail to his daily winemaking responsibilities.  Three generations of the Lasseter family continue to work together on this project.

Justin Vineyards & Winery - Paso Robles, California

"When we started there were less than 10 wineries in the area."  JUSTIN Winery is a family owned and operated winery making estate grown and produced wines. The property was founded in 1981 by Justin and Deborah Baldwin when they planted their 160 acre property to the major Bordeaux varietals and created their Estate vineyard.  The winery is located in the Paso Robles appellation of California’s Central Coast. The region’s first grapes were planted in 1779 by Franciscan missionaries and today are home to the third highest concentration of wineries in the United States.  Their desire is to make world class wines that reflect the unique soils and climate of their California Central Coast property. Emphasis is placed on making Bordeaux-style blends and single varietals, combining Old World tradition with New World techniques.