Personalities
Fintan Du Fresne
Winemaker, Chamisal Vineyards
Though a winemaker’s domain is sometimes limited to the cellar, Winemaker Fintan “Fin” du Fresne is committed to spending an equal if not greater amount of time in the vineyards of Chamisal. “Our vineyards define the wines we make,” says the New Zealand native, who earned a degree in geology before going on to earn his post-graduate degree in Viticulture and Enology at Lincoln University in Canterbury. Fin spent the first two years of his career as a viticulturist at Martinborough Vineyards, one of New Zealand’s most respected Pinot Noir producers. A harvest job at Calera Wine Company in California introduced him to the Central Coast, and his work with legendary Pinot Noir producer Josh Jensen further shaped his love for Burgundian varietals. In 2003, Fin was named assistant winemaker at Adelaida Cellars in Paso Robles, and over the next three years, he worked harvests and consulted for wineries in both California and New Zealand. Fin was named winemaker for Chamisal in 2006.
