Richie Allen

Richie Allen grew up in Australia — his earliest wine memory the long hours he spent as a seven-year-old in the country's tasting rooms, called 'cellar doors' there, while his parents tasted. He found the Santa Lucia Highlands the way most winemakers discover great regions: by tasting its wines, again and again. In blind flights, SLH stood out for depth, concentration, balance, and purity of fruit. Now Vice President of Viticulture and Winemaking at Rombauer Vineyards, Richie brings that conviction to the vineyards and the cellar.

His winemaking philosophy fits on a bumper sticker: simplicity makes better wine. Outside the cellar, Richie rock climbs, mountain bikes, and collects movie-camera lenses — if he hadn't become a winemaker, he says he'd have been a cinematographer. Pair his Pinot with duck confit, play '90s rock during crush.