John Buechsenstein

John Buechsenstein is a veteran California winemaker and wine educator with extensive experience in the Napa Valley and other wine-growing regions of the California coast. He has led wine study tours to Bordeaux, Champagne, the Loire Valley, and the Rhone Valley in France. Recently, Buechsenstein served as the COO of Sauvignon Republic Cellars, specializing in Sauvignon Blancs from around the world. As a co-founder of California's Rhone Rangers, he has vinified nearly every major vinifera grape into a variety of styles, and has also made award-winning wines at Fife Vineyards and McDowell Valley Vineyards. A world-renowned wine educator for over 30 years, he has received the UC Davis Outstanding Teaching Award and lectures on wine sensory evaluation at the UC Davis Division of Continuing and Professional Education. He has also taught at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Buechsenstein is a past president of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, a charter member of the Society of Wine Educators, and has served as a professional wine judge at competitions both in the U.S. and abroad. He co-authored the Wine Aroma Wheel and has written for the Sommelier Journal.