Sonoma County’s Dutton-Goldfield Winery hires new winemaker

Melissa Stackhouse is the new winemaker for Dutton-Goldfield Winery, an independent, locally owned Russian River Valley winery in west Sonoma County.

While the winery specializes in pinot noir and chardonnay, Dan and Steve also produce small quantities of pinot blanc, riesling, syrah and zinfandel.

Sebastopol-based Dutton-Goldfield stated Stackhouse apprenticed at Robert Mondavi Winery, Sterling Vineyards, Joseph Phelps Winery, and Peter Michael Winery. She went on to hold winemaking positions at some of the most esteemed wineries in California including La Crema, J Vineyards & Winery, Meiomi, and SIMI.

“Melissa is a hugely experienced and esteemed colleague within our wonderful circle of associates in the Russian River. More importantly, Melissa’s combination of intelligence, curiosity, pride (not ego), drive, integrity, humility, strength, patience, caring, kindness, and love of craft make her a rare person, and a wonderful fit with our values and pleasures here at Dutton-Goldfield,” stated Dan Goldfield, the winemaker who founded the winery with grower Steve Dutton in 1998.

Stackhouse received her winemaking degree at UC Davis.