DIRECTOR, LUXURY WINEMAKING

Margo Van Staaveren’s passion for the next vintage is infectious to those around her, and with 45 harvests under her belt, she’s also quite impressive. “I like the cyclical nature of winemaking. From bud break through harvest to fermentation and blending the wine,” she says. “Every year, you get to navigate the opportunities and challenges as they come to create something amazing — a wine that you are proud of and will enjoy with friends and family.” 

That kind of endless optimism has made Margo one of the most admired and respected winemakers in California. Shortly after graduating from the University of California at Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Fermentation Science, Margo joined Chateau St. Jean as a Laboratory Technician in 1980. By 1989, she had worked her way up to being named Assistant Winemaker and later Associate Winemaker. In 2003, she was named Winemaker and General Manager. 

During her tenure of more than 40 vintages there, Margo played a pivotal role in every facet of the winemaking process, producing an extensive portfolio of Sonoma County wines, vineyard-designated wines, limited-production Reserve wines, and the flagship Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2008 she was named “Winemaker of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Under her tenure, Chateau St. Jean was also the first Sonoma winery honored with the prestigious “Wine of the Year” award from Wine Spectator magazine for its 1996 Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux-style blend of “five varieties.” The winery received high acclaim again when it received the “#2 Wine of the Year” from Wine Spectator for its 1999 Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon. 

With a proven palate, Margo was tapped by Treasury Wine Estates in 2016 to be the Director of Luxury Winemaking. The leadership role sees her coordinating and collaborating with luxury winemakers to ensure authenticity, style differentiation, and optimization of all resources across an iconic portfolio of wineries such as, Beaulieu Vineyard, Beringer Vineyards, Etude, Sterling Vineyards, and more. 

“Working with our brands and those who craft them inspires me each day. I get to experience different wine styles, personalities, and points of view in my role here,” she says. “I’ve always felt privileged to find winemaking as my career!”