Ted Lemon

Ted Lemon is a lifelong winemaker. He began his career with a French Literature degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He had a particular fondness for Proust. He received an Enology degree from the Université de Dijon in 1981 and worked at many prestigious estates in Burgundy: Domaine Georges Roumier, Domaine Bruno Clair, Domaine Parent, Domaine De Villaine, Domaine Delorme and most importantly Domaine Dujac. He was the first American ever selected as winemaker/vineyard manager of a Burgundian estate, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault, and remained in Burgundy through 1984. For many years, Ted was a partner with the owners of Domaine Dujac in Druid Wine Company, which distributes Domaine Dujac wines internationally and produces wines from Puligny Montrachet and Meursault under its own label.

Upon returning to the United States, Ted became the founding winemaker of Chateau Woltner on Howell Mountain and remained winemaker and vineyard manager there through 1992. Since then, he has been consultant to a number of prominent wineries: Franciscan Estates, Clos Pegase, Green and Red Vineyard, Reverie, Howell Mountain Vineyards, Archery Summit Winery in Oregon, Burn Cottage Vineyard in Cromwell, New Zealand and many more. With his wife Heidi, he began his own estate, Littorai Wines, in 1993. Littorai now produces 5,000 cases of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts.

Ted's winemaking philosophy is inspired by his years in France and is based upon the concept of terroir - that wine of a single place produced by a single estate is the greatest expression of winemaking. The Pinot Noir variety is uniquely suited to this philosophy. If the site is not exceptional, the wine will lack genius.