ROB DAFOE

Winemaker | Owner

A Santa Barbara native, Rob is a winemaker who is driven by a passion for the process and the art of wine as well as the evolution and significance of this beautiful area. Rob’s path to winemaking was not typical and unfolded over 25 years from his first true introduction to the history and culture of Vineyards and winemaking. During a winter break from High School, he boarded a Greyhound bus headed for Truckee, California to visit friends. After 2 weeks in the snow he came home with Chicken Pox, wild stories and mostly, addicted to the young sport of snowboarding. That next winter, he dropped out of college totake a skate/snow boarding trip to Canada. On the way home they stopped again in Lake Tahoe… he never really came home. The rich environment of Tahoe was a proving ground for the quickly evolving sport of snowboarding. After gaining sponsorships, he was sent to travel around the world, snowboarding, testing life and finding new experiences.  In the years following, with many trips to Europe and mainly France in both summer and winter, Rob’s fascination with the beauty and integrity of wine and its historical presence was solidified. From the storied vineyards, the aged character of the Chateau and the magnificence of the seasons, to the liquid itself and the culture of the people who create it. It was an intuitive connection that Rob knew would figure prominently for him later in life. Twenty plus years since and after 19 vintages of wine making, DAFOE WINES is the culmination of the passion for wine he found so many years ago. As a proud proponent of the region and its bright future, Rob’s wines have been featured prominently and garnered critical acclaim.