Our Team
Lester & Linda Schwartz
Founders
Lester and Linda met when they were students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. They were 18 years old. During their courtship they spent their limited student budget eating at cheap restaurants and drinking wine instead of partaking of the other substances that were the popular student items of the day. They were married in 1967. Nine years later the couple moved to California.
Longing for the farms and vineyards of their earlier days, they discovered this enchanting property of virgin forest and open grassland above the historic Fort Ross. Here, floating above the fog, high over the spectacular Sonoma Coast and Pacific Ocean below, they planted their dream vineyard—and so Fort Ross Vineyard was born.
Jeff Pisoni
Winemaker
Jeff grew up in a life of farming and winemaking. A connection to the land was instilled in him from early on, and Jeff helped his father making wine as early as he can remember. At the time, his father was pioneering grape growing in his own mountain vineyard. A life-long passion for wine persisted. Jeff carried out his formal enology studies at the California State University at Fresno, and went on to craft wine and develop his passion in dynamic vineyards of California. With the start of the remarkable 2009 vintage, Jeff joined the Fort Ross Vineyard.
Holly Carter
Chef
Chef Holly Carter’s culinary path began in her grandmother’s Japanese restaurant, where the art of hospitality and the soul of umami first captured her imagination. Drawn to a more universal approach to food, she traveled the world taking classes in many countries, then moved to Sonoma County to attend a holistic culinary school, an experience that profoundly shaped her philosophy in the kitchen. With a deep respect for nature, tradition, and flavor, she has been cultivating her own approach ever since, blending culinary heritage with the vibrant bounty of the California coast. Now bringing her talents to the Fort Ross tasting room, Chef Carter draws inspiration from our vineyard itself, letting each wine guide and elevate her dishes in unexpected, thoughtful ways.
