12/10 - Rob Jensen, Emilio Estavez,

Rob Jensen  Testarossa Winery 

Rob Jensen, a fourth generation Northern Californian, has always had a great passion for California winemaking: its past, present, and future. Extensive travel to Europe's great wine growing areas, combined with living in Italy during his university days, further increased this passion and eventually led to the founding of Testarossa Winery. In fact, the name of the winery comes from a nickname given to Rob during his studies in Italy: Testarossa, meaning redhead in Italian.  Although Rob's degree is in Electrical Engineering, with a minor in Italian language and culture (Santa Clara University, 1986), he has studied grape growing, winemaking and chemistry at the renowned School of Viticulture and Oenology at UC Davis. During Rob's nearly twenty year high-tech career he held several sales and marketing positions in pre- and post-IPO companies in Silicon Valley. In October 2001, Rob left his high-tech career in Silicon Vallley to work full-time at the winery. Rob's technical background, love of the arts, and business experience made it a natural for him to dive headlong into the wine business, an industry that is equal parts science and art.

Emilio Estevez - Actor - Wine Grower

 CALLUSED palms and bandaged fingers; broken fingernails stained black with dirt -- Hollywood actor and director Emilio Estevez proudly shows off his vineyard worker hands as he walks the vine rows.  Four years ago, Estevez planted this half-acre Pinot Noir vineyard around his Malibu home. Today, wine labels featuring a pen-and-ink drawing of his front-lawn vineyard -- a wink to the ego satisfaction of bottling his own wine -- are ready to be slapped on his first serious vintage, the 2007 Pinot Noir aging in a single half-sized oak barrel in his wine cellar. Estevez, along with dozens of his Malibu neighbors, has added vintner to his list of credits.