Winemaker, Jeff Gaffner

Owner/winemaker Jeff Gaffner is a 25 year veteran of the wine industry, although his involvement in grape growing goes back much further. As a second generation Sonoma Valley farmer, Jeff and his family have managed their prized 100 year old Casa Santinamaria Vineyard in Sonoma since 1934.

Jeff’s career as a winemaker was launched in 1981 at Chateau St. Jean under the tutelage of renowned vintner Richard Arrowood. Most notably, Jeff was part of the winemaking team responsible for Chateau St. Jean’s 1996 Cinq Cepages, which was named the 1999 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine.

In 1997, Jeff, together with wife Terisa, launched the family’s own wine label, Saxon Brown, named for the willful heroine in Jack London’s Valley of the Moon. The winery gained instant recognition for their flagship “old vine” Zinfandel from the family’s Casa Santinamaria Vineyard; one of only a few remaining classic, Italian field blended vineyards. The winery also produces an “old vine” Semillon from the same vineyard and two Syrahs; one from Parmelee-Hill Ranch in Sonoma Valley and one, a Napa Valley blend from the Heritage and Herrick Vineyards.

In 2000, Jeff was asked to take over winemaking for Napa Valley’s Edgewood Estate Winery. After two years that saw the winery rise from relative obscurity to a top ranked producer, Jeff transitioned to a consulting role in order to devote more time to Saxon Brown as well as to other consulting projects in Sonoma and Napa Valley, including Armida Winery, Three Sticks and Sand Hill Wines. Most recently, Jeff has been tapped by former Edgewood Estate Winery President Jeff O’Neill and partner Larry Vosti to oversee winemaking of Xtant, a luxury Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon label.

Jeff lives with wife Terisa and sons Jason and Tyler in Sonoma.