Affiliation : Meadowood Napa Valley
Location : Bolinas, CA, USA

 

Gilles de Chambure, MS
Director of Wine Education

 

Gilles de Chambure brings a passion for Napa Valley wine and a diverse wine background to Meadowood. Through the wine education program, he shares his natural enthusiasm for and knowledge of wine and the essential role it plays in society. Relying on his multi-faceted, international wine background and engaging speaking style Gilles crafts innovative wine events, tastings and Napa Valley excursions with a lively, informative approach that will inspire wine lovers of all levels.

Gilles’ roots in wine date back to his childhood in France where his family had vineyards in Burgundy and his uncle was on the board of a classified growth Château in Bordeaux. He was born in Paris and later lived in Rome. He attended Stowe in England and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Gilles began his career in investment banking working for Lazard Frères in New York and later Morgan Stanley in New York and London. His career in finance offered him an opportunity to taste some of the best wines in the world. Before long, his passion for wine outshined his passion for finance and he transitioned into a career in wine.

In the early 1990s Gilles became a négociant, bottling vintage Armagnac and Calvados in France and wine in South America. During this time he traveled extensively through most of the world’s major wine regions. In 1993 he was inducted into the order of Hospitalier de Pomerol by consulting winemaker Michel Rolland.

A position with Robert Mondavi as senior wine educator lured Gilles to Napa Valley in late 1993. There, he was tasked with educating members of the press and trade about viticulture and winemaking and the evolution of Napa Valley’s American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). During his tenure at Mondavi he continued to enhance his level of knowledge. Passing the Master Sommelier examination in 2000 Gilles became the 44th person in the United States to complete the MS program and the 100th in the world. Prior to this he passed the Certified Wine Educator examination in 1999 and was elected to the board of the board of the Society of Wine Educators from 2001 to 2003. He earned the Diploma from Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London in 1996 and sat the Master of Wine examination in 1998 writing his thesis on California Zinfandels. He completed the Office International du Vin (OIV) Wine Marketing Program at University of California, Davis, and the Bordeaux Institute d'Oenologie sensory evaluation curriculum.

In 2003 Gilles established his own wine education consulting service for restaurants, corporations and private collectors. He became a teacher for the Court of Master Sommeliers and a frequent lecturer at major wine conferences such as the Masters of Food & Wine and the Ahwahnee Vintners’ Holiday in Yosemite. Today, he dedicates most of his time to Meadowood.