Julia Cresto was raised in San Diego California, a fourth generation San Diegan grew up driving on dirt roads through strawberry fields on her way to the beach ages away from the wine world. Through dumb luck, she ended up in Oregon to attend Oregon State University for the Fermentation Science program. There she studied applied chemistry and became a cheesemaker. Though after years of working in the universities creamery she traded in cheese curds for wine grapes. She took a leap and worked her first harvest in California at E&J Gallo in 2014, she worked with research and development experimenting with new technologies and traditional winemaking techniques. Always having a questioning mind, she feel in love with winemaking and all of the challenges it posed.

After graduating, Julia set out to give herself a practical education in winemaking by learning through doing. She worked under world class winemakers in Napa Valley, New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago region, Australia’s McClaren Vale but always felt a pull back to Oregon. Julia came back to Oregon in 2016 and first worked under Lynn Penner Ash in her first Oregon wine harvest experience. Julia dedicated her time to learning how Oregon Pinot Noir expressed itself in each AVA and how each region of the Willamette Valley had microclimatic variation. Julia’s first year back in Oregon made her fall in love with Oregon wine, its community and gave her a sense of grounding that tied her to this land.

Following Penner Ash, Julia worked under Josh Bergstrom and discovered her true passion for wine in Chardonnay. Under a great chardonnay winemaker, Julia strived to absorb everything she could about chardonnay winemaker from Josh Bergstrom. Through his Burgundian training and influence Julia learned the nuances and art of chardonnay winemaking through the Bergstrom lense.

Eager to learn more and make her own imprint, Julia searched for a place that she could call home in the Willamette Valley and set roots. As luck would have it, she ended up at the doorstep of the original female winemaker in Oregon, Luisa Ponzi. Luisa has been Julia’s biggest influence on her winemaking career. Through shared love of chardonnay and experimentation, Luisa has pushed Julia to question and push the envelope forward even if futile, self realization in winemaking is