John Schilter - Winemaker

John’s fermentation and distillation career started on the family farm in Washington State.  Every year hard cider would be made using the apples from the orchard and wine from grapes purchased in Eastern Washington.

With roots in agriculture, John left the family farm in 1985 to pursue a degree in Viticulture & Enology at U.C. Davis.  Graduating in 1988, he began his winemaking career at the prestigious Château Lafite Rothschild.  In 1990 John began working as assistant winemaker at J Sparkling Wine in Healdsburg before moving on to Mumm Napa Valley and eventually the winemaking position at Chateau Woltner on Howell Mountain.

After several years in production winemaking John began marketing barrels in the North American market for Seguin Moreau, while pursuing an MBA at the U.C. Davis Graduate School of Management.  After ten years at Seguin Moreau, holding the positions of Enologist, V.P. Production and CEO, John began Chercher Trouver (to seek, to find) with his wife, Karen.

The goal of Chercher Trouver is to seek and to find the best grapes and vineyards and make these wines in the vineyards with the help and patience of Mother Nature.