The Winemaker

Sam Baxter
Sam is Cobblestone's principal winemaker, overseeing the production of our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Monterey Chardonnay.

Sam is one of the first of a new generation of Napa Valley winemakers. Sam's father, Phil Baxter, created some of the early wines that brought notoriety to Napa Valley. A young Sam benefited from hands-on experience at the side of his father and others. He went on to study at the University of California, Davis.  After graduating with a degree in fermentation science in 1998, Baxter took a harvest intern position at Sterling Vineyards and worked in Australia. He began with Terra Valentine as cellarmaster in July 1999 and was appointed winemaker in April 2002.

>Baxter's academic foundation places him among a new breed of high-tech winemakers. Even so, his modern approach is tempered with strong respect for tradition.