On Friday, March 9th, they have a special treat happening at Stew Leonard's Wines of Farmingdale. Michael Trujillo, the Head Winemaker for Sequioa Grove, is stopping by to talk about and taste some of Sequoia Grove's wines.
The wines being poured from Sequoia Grove that afternoon are the Chardonnay ($15.99), Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.99), and their specially selected Cambium ($99.99).
Come on down this Friday between 4pm and 6pm so you can listen to Michael talk about these wonderful wines, taste them and possibly find a new favorite.
Born in La Jara, Colorado, Michael grew up farming on his family’s ranch. As an engineering student at Colorado College, he took a spring break road trip to California in 1982 and dropped by Sequoia Grove to visit family friend Jim Allen. Allen offered him a job, and Michael’s career in the wine industry began. In Sequoia Grove’s vineyards and winery, he learned his craft from Jim Allen, as well as consultants André Tchelistcheff and Tony Soter; “André taught me the importance of balance, and Tony taught me modern techniques and ways to avoid winemaking problems.” Michael later rounded out his education when he enrolled at University of California Davis and the Napa Valley School of Cellaring.
Michael served as Sequoia Grove’s winemaker since 1998, and was promoted to head all winemaking operations and decisions in 2001, when the Allen family sold their remaining interest to long-time partners the Kopf family. Since then, he has worked to increase Sequoia Grove’s estate vineyard holdings, acquiring the Tonella Vineyard in Rutherford in 2006.
“With all of our wines, what I am aiming at is balance and varietal character. I have never gotten carried away with that big, high-alcohol wine trend that seems to influence much of our industry these days. I just want richness and balance, from start to finish,” says Trujillo of his winemaking philosophy.
