Primary Appellation: Alexander Valley
Varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot
Matanzas Creek
With four decades of winemaking heritage, Matanzas Creek has a rich history of industry leadership - from launching the careers of renowned California winemakers to producing pioneering research on clonal significance, to founding the Bennett Valley AVA, Matanzas Creek has left an indelible mark on the progression of the Californian wine industry.
Location: Sonoma, California
Winemaker: Marcia Torres Forno
Matanzas Creek wines are sourced from the best growing regions throughout Sonoma County to represent each varietal. Their wines are crafted to express a profound sense of place and is delicately woven into the portfolio with a common thread of simple elegance.
The aromatic expertise belongs to winemaker Marcia Torres Forno, originally from Chile, shines through in each bottle. Achieving the signature delicacy of Matanzas Creek’s Sauvignon Blancs requires strict attention to detail from the vineyard—where timing of the pick is determined by precursor aromas of the fruit—to the cellar—where a range of different fermentation vessels are used in order to best cultivate the aromas. These exacting winemaking practices also shape the winery’s elegant Chardonnays and Merlots.
Though she has over 20 years of professional winemaking experience, Marcia’s introduction to the grape goes back to her childhood in Santiago, Chile, where Marcia often spent time at her family’s Maule Valley ranch wine cellar.
This early curiosity grew into a passion, and Marcia went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, with an emphasis in Fruiticulture and Enology, at Catholic University in Santiago. In 1995, Marcia started her first winemaking job at Viña Cousiño Macul in Santiago, then Viña Canepa, also in Santiago, as assistant winemaker. In 1996, Marcia came to the United States as part of the Communicating for Agriculture and Exchange Program. Her first California winemaking job was as an enologist at Cardinale Winery in Napa Valley. From there, she worked for Kendall-Jackson Winery in both Sonoma and Napa counties as assistant winemaker. Marcia was named winemaker for Pelton House in 2006 before being appointed Winemaker of Matanzas Creek Winery in 2010.