Winemaker

Kevin Jussila

Discipline: Winemaker
Based in: Paso Robles, California, United States
Venue: Kukkula Winery · Winery

i. Biography

“I started making wine inside our basement in our Topanga Canyon home,” Kevin Jussila has said, and that basement scale still reads through the work: small-handed, direct, and built around patience. The wines favor what the site can give over what the cellar can force, with the emphasis kept on restraint and on the material facts of the place.

The Climb

Kevin Jussila began his career as winemaker and founder at Jussila Vineyard in Topanga Canyon, California (1992–2004), where the demands of farming and fermentation established the working basis of his approach. That period set the terms for the rest of the path: vineyard rhythm first, cellar decisions second, and a steady respect for the labor required to make both hold together. Since 2006, he has balanced the precision of finance as financial advisor of Merrill Lynch with the work of being owner and winemaker of Kukkula Vineyard and Winery. The two roles describe a career split between analysis and production, with one side exacting and the other rooted in land, crop, and process. The result is a profile built on discipline and continuity rather than display.

Today

At Kukkula Vineyard and Winery, the wines are Estate-grown Rhône-style blends from organically dry-farmed vineyards, and the farming is treated as the starting point of the style. In the cellar, the approach stays light: native yeasts are used, and the red wines are neither fined nor filtered. That keeps texture in the glass and leaves the site legible. The language around the project follows the same line. Kevin Jussila’s wines land in that register: direct, controlled, and built around clarity rather than ornament. Simplicity here is a working choice, not a retreat.

Career - financial advisor — Merrill Lynch - owner and winemaker — Kukkula Vineyard and Winery, Paso Robles, California (2006–present) - winemaker / founder — Jussila Vineyard, Topanga Canyon, California (1992–2004)

Signature

Kevin's signature wines include Vaalea and Aatto. Together, they stand as concise expressions of his preference for wines that are direct, composed, and grounded in place.

Recognition

Kevin Jussila has received Wine & Spirits Magazine, top-100 wine in the world for Aatto (2019). The honor connects a Paso Robles winery to an international judging stage, and it does so through the same category of wines that defines his work.

FAQ What is Kevin Jussila's current role? As of 2026, Kevin Jussila is Owner and Winemaker. Where did Kevin Jussila work before? Kevin Jussila's earlier career included Jussila Vineyard. What is Kevin Jussila known for? Estate-grown Rhône-style blends from organically dry-farmed vineyards.