Chad Melville

The Climb

Winegrowing at Melville Vineyards and Winery has been Chad Melville’s remit since 1997, when he co-founded the estate and took on the head winegrower role. The title carries the practical weight of vineyard decisions made over time, with Sta. Rita Hills as the fixed ground beneath the work. What the role requires is continuity: reading the season, staying close to the vines, and making choices that begin long before fruit reaches the winery.

Today

The current work at Melville Vineyards and Winery remains hands-on and rooted in judgment developed in the field. Chad Melville describes the craft in plain terms: “Cooking, like winemaking, is an art and not a science. I don’t use measurements.” For an artisan, the point is not looseness but calibrated instinct—timing, feel, and attention used alongside discipline in the vineyard.

Signature

The signature wines cited for Chad Melville are 2012 SAMsARA Syrah and 2016 Estate Pinot. Read as working markers rather than trophies, they point to estate character expressed through named vintages and the winegrower’s ongoing stewardship.

In Their Words “Cooking, like winemaking, is an art and not a science. I don’t use measurements.” “Farming and family has and always will be the core of Melville Vineyards.”

Recognition

Recognition here is bound to duration and continuity. Chad Melville’s profile is defined by the fact that he has held the co-founder and head winegrower role since 1997, and by the persistence of Melville Vineyards and Winery under that same framework. The standing of the work is embedded in the estate itself: in the vineyards, in the wines named above, and in the family-centered ethos he identifies as central to Melville Vineyards.