“Wine is Grown, not Made”
Fantesca’s Associate winemaker, Jonathan Leahy, has 11 years’ experience in wine production. From cellar rat to lab tech to winemaker, Jon’s experience flows from still wine to sparkling and from port making to late harvest.
Jon started his first cellar job in Sonoma County during the 1987 harvest, where he became immediately infatuated with Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. After obtaining a university degree in Food Science and Business Management, Jon sought a career in Hotel and Restaurant Management that took him from California to Colorado and Alaska, but he hadn’t yet dismissed the notion of pursuing a career in wine, which he did after moving back to his native California.
As Jon puts it, “I fell in love with winemaking back in ’87 while skipping a semester to help out a friend’s family vineyard. I fully planned on going back to winemaking as soon as I graduated. Well, life happened along the way, and I was not able to return to winemaking for over 10 years. When I finally did, I was the oldest cellar rat around!”
Jon considers himself very lucky to come from a family of enophiles, whose wine collection dates back to his great grandfather. “What first turned me on to New World wines, specifically California wines, was an incredible bottle of Cakebread Cabernet. The wine from that bottle was just the most incredible experience; it was the first time I realized how great a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon could be. For me, it spelled the start of a true addiction to wine and winemaking. I have been on a quest to make wonderfully rich wine ever since.”
Being a native of California, Jon has strong ties to the three Northern California wine counties of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. “I was weaned on Russian River fruit,” quips Jon. “Being exposed to some of the very top wines and winemakers of this North Coast region has helped me define my style as a hands-off approach to the wine in barrel but a very proactive involvement in the vineyard.”
“I feel that wine is grown, not made. Anything we can do in the vineyard to ensure the quality of the fruit just makes the harvest and crush operations that much easier. If we start with excellent fruit, then my job is to simply not mess it up once we receive it on the sorting line.”
At Fantesca Estate, Jon is responsible for managing the winery and all its custom clients as well as sourcing the fruit for the Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wine programs. He is Associate Winemaker, Production Manager, and also part-time lunch cook for the crew. Jon joined Fantesca in 2005 and has maintained a strong guiding hand toward making Fantesca one of Napa County’s best custom crush facilities.
