Greg Stach, Landmark Vineyards’ winemaker, is a highly respected winemaker known for crafting elegant, world-class vintages. He is recognized for creating some of the best single vineyard designate Pinot Noirs of the decade. For the past 10 years, Stach has brought his enthusiasm for and expertise in Pinot Noir to Landmark’s winemaking team. Stach helped establish Landmark’s distinguished Pinot Noir program, one which is quickly gaining Greg Stach, Associate Winemaker notoriety as one of the premier wine programs in California.

His unstinting dedication, commitment and respect for the land are reflected in his elegantly balanced wines. Stach’s winemaking philosophy incorporates traditional winemaking techniques with a “less is more” attitude. Believing that great wine begins in the vineyard, Stach intervenes during the winemaking process to ensure consistency and quality, but relies heavily on the fruit’s intense, ripe flavors and distinct vineyard characteristics. Under his direction, Landmark’s wines have consistently earned stellar reviews from top wine critics, including six honorable appearances on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list.

A graduate of California State University at Fresno with a degree in journalism, Stach didn’t discover his true passion for wine until the mid-1980s while working as a restaurant sommelier in Fresno and Reno. Eager to immerse himself in the wine industry, Stach then went back to school and earned a degree in enology from Fresno State, graduating in 2001.

Aside from being the winemaker at Landmark Vineyards, Stach is also the winemaker at the renowned Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir producer Kanzler Vineyards.

Eric Stern, Winemaker Emeritus

Winemaker Eric Stern has been an integral part of the Landmark family for more than 20 years. A veteran California winemaker, Stern is an award winning winemaker specializing in hand-crafted, traditional Burgundian-style wines.

A native of New York, Stern graduated from New York University’s Washington Squa Eric Stern, Winemaker re College after studying music, anthropology and geology, and worked for 10 years with chamber music ensembles in New Hampshire and Michigan.

Several years later, while working in a Boston fine wine shop as manager and sommelier, he realized his true calling. Following his dream, he relocated to California in 1983 and enrolled in California State University at Fresno, pursuing a second under-graduate degree in enology. After apprenticing at Acacia and Carmenet wineries, he joined Landmark in 1989 as assistant winemaker. Promoted to winemaker in 1993, Stern continues to pursue his passion for hand-crafting balanced, distinct wines. Relying on his refined sensibilities and adhering to the highest aesthetic standards, he consistently produces robust wines in the true Burgundian sense, and is recognized widely for Landmark’s signature Chardonnays.

Stern retired after Harvest 2010 and currently resides in Sonoma with his wife, Carol Brown, a writing instructor. He enjoys listening to music, reading, swimming and gourmet cooking. Eric and Carol love traveling to the world’s great winemaking regions.