Winemaker
Bob Lindquist
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Santa Ynez, California, United States
i. Biography
The Path
Retail was the first training ground for Bob Lindquist: the managed retail wine shop, the first retail wine shop in Los Olivos, Los Olivos, California (1979), where the work was immediate, local, and exacting. From that small start, the craft line is clear: wine handled at close range, a town-sized market, and the discipline that comes from learning how people choose, buy, and talk about bottles. That foundation carried into Qupé, where Bob Lindquist became founder and winemaker at Qupé (1982–2018), and built a long run around balance and steady control. Since 2019, Bob Lindquist has been winemaker at Verdad & Lindquist Family Wines, while today he serves as consulting winemaker of Qupé (since 2018). The work across those roles stays in the same register: vineyard, cellar, and market kept in view at once, with Los Olivos remaining the practical center of gravity.
The Work Today
Balance and aging are the stated target: Bob Lindquist said, “To make balanced, elegant wines that age well, the kind of wines we like to drink.” As a craft principle, that puts structure ahead of display and longevity ahead of immediacy. It is a straightforward standard, and a demanding one, because it asks the wine to hold shape over time. The permit process also sits inside the work. That detail points to the administrative side of production, where compliance and building use are part of making wine in place. The remark locates wine inside a broader retail environment, where property costs and business mix shape what can survive in a small town.
Signature
Bob's signature wines include 30th Anniversary Syrah, Qupé 1994 Marsanne, 2009 Qupe Syrah 'Bien Nacido Vineyard' Santa Maria Valley, Qupe Santa Barbara County Marsanne 2011, and 2017 Grenache from the Sawyer-Lindquist vineyard. Read together, they point to a producer working in a range of grapes and sites with a steady hand, favoring wines that carry place and variety without excess.
Acclaim
Bob Lindquist has received Wine & Spirits Magazine, One of the World's 50 Most Influential Winemakers. Bob's honors include Winemaker of the Year (2022) and One of the World's 50 Most Influential Winemakers. Those recognitions sit behind a career defined by consistency, long service, and wines built to hold up over time.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Bob
What is Bob Lindquist's current role?
As of 2026, Bob Lindquist is Consulting Winemaker.
Where did Bob Lindquist work before?
Bob Lindquist's earlier career included first retail wine shop in Los Olivos, Qupé, and Verdad & Lindquist Family Wines.
What recognition has Bob Lindquist received?
Winemaker of the Year (2022).
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