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| Winemaker: Chuck E. Carlson at Calypso Fest |
WINEMAKER
Chuck Carlson has been making Rhône-style wines locally for more than 20 years. His winemaking style requires physiological ripeness in the vineyard, followed by minimal handling in the cellar, to ultimately achieve authentic vineyard and vintage expression. Chuck is passionate about all things “Rhône,” and he is currently president of The Rhône Rangers association. Frequently seen in colorful shirts that express his tropical affinities, Chuck has earned the nickname “Calypso” from his friends and colleagues.
After graduating from California State University at Fresno, where he majored in Agricultural Science and specialized in Enology and Viticulture, Chuck ventured to Santa Barbara County in 1981 and joined Zaca Mesa Winery as a lab technician. He was soon promoted to assistant winemaker and helped shape the winery’s groundbreaking Rhône varietal program.
In 1995, Chuck joined Curtis Winery as winemaker, where his passion for Rhône varietals has flourished, from the development of a new winery facility to the planting of estate vineyards.
To maximize vineyard expression, Chuck works intimately with each individual vineyard block, guiding the fruit to peak physiological ripeness through attentive viticulture—an approach that yields intense, fruit-forward flavors and terroir-inspired complexity. This complexity is preserved through traditional hands-on winemaking, including gravity transfer of wine in the cellar and the use of a classic wood basket press for small-lot winemaking.
“I prefer to work with—not against—what Mother Nature gives us,” Chuck says. “Ultimately, I want a wine to express the personality of the vineyard and the vintage.”
In 2004, Chuck was named president of the Rhône Rangers, an organization dedicated to the appreciation, enjoyment and advancement of Rhône-style wines in the United States. He lives in Arroyo Grande, California with his wife and two children.
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