Winemaker: Bob Iantosca

Bob Iantosca is living the winemaker’s dream life. Renowned for the sparkling wines he’s developed at Gloria Ferrer since the mid-1980s, in more recent years he’s been indulging the artists’ passion for experimentation and diversity with limited quantities of estate-grown still wines. This dual role as both sparkling and still winemaker makes Bob a rarity in the wine industry.

But his true love is bubbly. Since joining Gloria Ferrer in 1984, Bob has overseen the expansion of production from 40,000 to 100,000 cases and of vineyard plantings in Sonoma’s Carneros district from 40 to 340 acres, including new acreage at Circle Bar Ranch. Bob has also created five distinct cuvées and gained a rare depth of knowledge of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, from grape to champagne. The Carneros Cuvée, his tête de cuvée, leads a full range of sparkling wine styles. Bob finds the blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir complex and captivating. “They are a magical combination,” he says. Even his Blanc de Noirs has a small percentage of Chardonnay.

Bob spent 1999 directing a major expansion of the winery caves, bringing all of his still wine production in-house and creating ideal aging conditions. This added barrel storage capacity, along with a new red wine production facility completed in 2000, will allow Bob to keep a close eye on his varietal Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs while developing his two new red varietals. “The terroir of our newest vineyards at Circle Bar Ranch made Merlot and Syrah an appropriate choice,” says Bob. “There’s a new wave of red wines now that are fruitier and softer, and we’re very fortunate to be growing grapes in Carneros, which is known for producing grapes with loads of fruit characteristics.”

As the winery’s production increases and new varietals are released, Bob’s goal will remain the same — to craft wines that are consistent in expressing the Gloria Ferrer style and quality, while always reflecting the distinctive characteristics of Carneros. Attaining that goal has meant expanding the winery’s vineyards to include a broad variety of clones. This effort began in the late-1980s when Bob and Vineyard Manager Mike Crumly spearheaded an intensive clonal research program. Over the years they have painstakingly worked to determine which clones are best suited to each of the many microclimates in Gloria Ferrer’s Carneros vineyards. “Now we have a majority of estate-grown grapes, with great diversity in clones and vineyard lots, enabling us to blend our wines for consistency from year to year,” he says. “And we use a light touch throughout the production process to nurture the characteristics born in the vineyards.”

Bob’s earliest exposure to wine was as a young boy watching his Italian immigrant grandfather make wine at home, and being offered watered down samples at special-occasion meals with his grandparents. While studying fine arts at the University of Arizona, Bob began to frequent the local wine shops and made a practice of tasting a wide range of wines. Spring break trips to the wine country made him realize that Northern California was where he wanted to live. His career in the wine industry has included positions at Buena Vista, Dry Creek, Dehlinger, Stevenot and Mark West Vineyard.

Bob, his wife, Julia — also a winemaker — and their daughters, Catherine and Elizabeth, make their home in Santa Rosa, where they grow six and a half acres of Pinot Noir grapes. When not making wine, Bob enjoys mountain biking, steelhead fishing from his driftboat in Northern California and Southern Oregon and outdoor cooking.

Annual Production: 150,000 cases

Grape Varieties Planted

• Chardonnay
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Syrah / Shiraz