David Castleberry’s relaxed style and laid back demeanor bely the fact that he is amongst the most accomplished sommeliers out there. After what had already been an illustrious career he was recruited by none other... Read More

David Castleberry’s relaxed style and laid back demeanor bely the fact that he is amongst the most accomplished sommeliers out there. After what had already been an illustrious career he was recruited by none other than famed sommelier turned winemaker Rajat Parr to run the wine program and at Michael Minna’s flagship RN74. At a young age David was at the top of his field.

But like Raj, David caught the winemaking bug. This, as it turns out, is not an unusual past. Many of the best winemakers around the world began their career working in restaurants. After years of being immersed in the world's best wines, with some encouragement from Raj, he decided to dive head first and started his first label Comptoir.

The wine was immediate and hit the list of many of the best restaurants. These are appellation wines, mostly from Ballard Canyon. His newest label, Love & Terroir, is his love letter to the legendary vineyards of Santa Barbara County. He is looking to as honestly as possible reflect the qualities of these vineyards and their terroir through a single variety. But he knew that in order to make wine like this he would need to work with someone who knows the area better than most, Chad Melville. A winegrower and maker who grew up on his family's famous estate, few people know the areas vinayed better than him. A true collaboration, both are responsible for the winemaking