Originally from the Midwest, Robert is a second year V&E M.S. student who has lived in California for over seven years. Prior to winemaking, he was an earth scientist and earned degrees from the Ohio State University (B.S. Geological Sciences) and Colorado School of Mines (M.S. Geophysics). The courses he took from UC Davis Extension, dating back to 2003, piqued his interest in winemaking. While unlocking the mysteries of the earth as a professional geophysicist, he began working crushes during vacations: at Spring Mountain Vineyard in 2008 and 2010 and Buccella in 2009. Since 2009 he has been producing small amounts of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot noir under his label, Wan Fiore Project, with his brother-in-law, Raymond Wan. He will be producing fine premier cru Volnay during the 2014 harvest at Domaine Michel Lafarge in Burgundy. Robert enjoys bass guitar, hiking, and dancing.