WINEMAKER
JON AFFONSO

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

​Jon Affonso’s passion for food and wine dates back to his days as an exchange student in Vendèe, France. Although he fell in love with the country’s food and culture, it was France’s wine that made its biggest impression on him and set him off to pursue what was to become his life-long passion. It was not enough to enjoy great bottles of French wine with meals; he wanted to understand how the wine was produced. When he returned to California, he began visiting wineries all over his home state, comparing California wines to the ones he had enjoyed in France. He then enrolled at California State University, Sacramento studying Geology and kept traveling to wineries as much as he could to taste, compare and take notes. In the end, the confluence of his love for science, food and French culture brought him to discover his passion: being a great winemaker.