A youth spent growing up in Connecticut seems a long way from the grapevines of California. For Chris Weidemann, it took a literal leap of faith to leave all he knew behind and follow his dream. Excited by the stellar ’82 and ’83 Bordeaux he encountered while working in a retail shop, he packed everything he owned in his car and headed west to work the 1988 harvest at Napa Valley’s Freemark Abbey. A permanent job in the cellar at Stonegate Winery provided further practical knowledge. Chris then formalized his training at U.C. Davis, graduating in 1995 with a degree in Viticulture & Enology.
Subsequently, as an Assistant Winemaker for Newton Vineyard and at Morgan Winery, Chris has honed his craft alongside winemakers John Kongsgaard and Dean DeKorth. He describes his winemaking style as a joining of John’s focus on intense and dramatic wines with Dean’s discerning sensibility regarding textural balance and complexity
Chris and his wife Cathy reside in Carmel Valley, California, along with their young sons Ian and Nicklas.