Cline

Charlie Tsegeletos

Charlie Tsegeletos (pronounced Seg-uh-let-ose) was raised in northern California by Italian and Greek parents. Growing up, his family always had a bottle of wine on the table. He inherited his interest in wine from his great grandfather, Giuppe Guidotti, who in the 1930s grew grapes and made wine in the Guerneville area of Sonoma County, California.

In 1979, Tsegeletos earned his degree in agricultural science and management/plant science from the University of California at Davis. He launched his winemaking career in 1980 at the age of 24 as an apprentice for Pendleton Winery. In 1981 he joined Hacienda Wine Cellars as assistant winemaker in Sonoma, and in 1984 assumed the role of winemaker at D’Agostini Winery. Tsegeletos joined Glen Ellen Winery in 1987 as senior director of winemaking when it was owned by the Benzigers, and then ultimately sold to United Distillers & Vintners. There, he crafted his blending skills and the effects these skills had on wine. He joined the Cline Family Cellars in 2002, and helped kickstart the Jacuzzi winemaking program and still oversees it today.

Tsegeletos often lets the grapes guide his style of winemaking. He works closely with vineyard managers to ensure that varietals are planted in locations that will provide optimal acid and sugar levels and express true varietal characteristics. He then hones his winemaking skills to shepherd the wine toward his chosen style. His red wines are big and dark with lots of fruit concentration and delicate oak nuances; white wines are bright and fresh.

Tsegeletos is a professional wine judge, as well as president of the board of directors for the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Association. An avid snow skier and motorcyclist, he resides on an old chicken ranch in the hills of Sonoma with his wife, daughter and an assortment of animals.