Twenty-six years after his first harvest at Alexander Valley Vineyards, Steve Reeder returned to his winemaking roots, becoming Vice President of Winemaking for Simi Winery in August 2003.

Reeder, an internationally recognized winemaker, has received wide acclaim throughout the wine industry for many varieties, especially the Bordeaux-varietal wines. Among his accomplishments was securing the number one and number two places on Wine Spectator's prestigious Top 100 Wines of the Year list in 1999 and 2002 respectively for Cinq Cépages, Chateau St. Jean's proprietary Bordeaux-varietal blend.

"When you think of the great wineries of Sonoma County, Chateau St. Jean and Simi are at the top of the list." Reeder confides, "In fact, I've lived across the street from Simi for many years and have thought it would be just a matter of time before I worked here."

The son of an Air Force pilot, Reeder is a third-generation Californian who spent a large portion of his childhood on the East Coast and in Europe, primarily Germany and France. A childhood fascination with fermenting things later inspired him to return to his home state and earn a degree in Fermentation Sciences at the University of California at Davis.

After a brief stint of winemaking in California, he began a ten-year period of winemaking on the East Coast. In 1992, Reeder went to Kendall Jackson, and in 1994 he and his family moved to Healdsburg, to return home. In 1997, he became the Winemaker and Director of Operations for Chateau St. Jean.

At Simi Winery, Reeder has come full circle and has satisfied his aspirations of living up to his Sonoma beginnings. "I'm returning to Healdsburg and the Alexander Valley where I started 26 years ago."