Our Story
A life shaped by wine
I'm Stéphane, Steph to everyone who knows me. I've made wine in France, Chile and California. I've had my own vineyard, lost it, walked away from wine and come back to it.
This is that story, and the reason Winery STEF exists.
Chapter 1
The Beginning
I grew up in the Loire Valley, near Saumur, in a family that has made wine for seven generations. Wine wasn't a career choice. It was simply part of life.
I studied viticulture and winemaking in Burgundy, learned biodynamic farming in Puligny-Montrachet, and started in 1985 as an apprentice in Saumur-Champigny. Then came vintages in Beaujolais and Vouvray, and back to Saumur-Champigny.
Chapter 2
The Journey
Then curiosity took over. In 1991 I flew to Chile and stayed until the end of the decade, making wine and working for the country's wine and technology fair.
In 1995, a business trip took me to San Francisco, to ZinEx, the great annual Zinfandel tasting. I promised myself that one day I would come back and make my own Zinfandel.
“Stepping into ZinEx, I was amazed by the energy and passion of the winemakers, the diversity of the wines, the taste of place in every glass. That day, I fell in love with Zinfandel.”
From a 2024 virtual tasting with Crush Wine Experiences.
Chapter 3
The Return
In 2000 I went home to the Loire and had my own estate in Chinon, making Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. It was the dream. In 2011 it ended: the business failed, and I lost it.
For six years I didn't make wine. In 2012 I moved to Miami and started over in a completely different life. I thought that chapter was closed.
It wasn't. The desire came back, stronger than ever. In 2021 I created Winery STEF and went back to the vineyards of California and Oregon to finally make the Zinfandel I had promised myself in 1995.
Chapter 4
Why Winery STEF Exists
I'm a winemaker without vineyards, and that's on purpose. My job is to find the special places, old vines, single vineyards, families who farm with care, and to make wine with the people who grow the grapes.
Every bottle starts with a person and a place. The wine is the proof that the story is true.
Chapter 5
Looking Forward
Today I travel between the southern and northern hemispheres, following the harvests to make wine in different countries, while my California wines continue their own story. There are new vineyards to discover, new growers to meet, new stories to tell.
I hope you'll follow along.
— Steph
On every bottle
Your Wine Journey
Every Winery STEF label carries a map, a compass and three words: Your Wine Journey. The map shows where the wine comes from. The compass is for what comes next.
The Founder's Journal
Follow the journey.
Once a month, a letter from me: vineyard stories, wine discoveries, and the things that never make it onto the label.