Winemaker

Marcia Torres Forno

Discipline: Winemaker
Based in: Santa Rosa, California, United States
Venue: Matanzas Creek Winery · Winery

i. Biography

She is from Chile, and the first place wine took hold was the family cellar: less as romance than as early schooling in bottle, place, and the discipline of taste. For Marcia Torres Forno, that setting turned wine from curiosity into work, with family tradition serving as the first framework for a career that would later move across countries and estates without losing its center.

Coming Up

Training at Catholic University in Santiago and Sonoma State University (2021) gave Marcia Torres Forno two perspectives on the same craft, one grounded in Chile and one shaped in California. That pairing built the technical base for a career that would move between regions and wine cultures, with education used as a working tool rather than a finish line. The cellar and the winery floor marked the next steps: winemaker at Viña Cousiño Macul in Santiago (from 1995), winemaker at Viña Canepa, winemaker at Cardinale Winery in Napa Valley (from 1999), and winemaker at Kendall-Jackson in Sonoma County. In each role, the work followed a clear line of accumulation, with Chile to California, Santiago to Napa Valley to Sonoma County, adding range without loosening the discipline required of the job. Since 2010, Marcia Torres Forno has been winemaker of Matanzas Creek Winery. That long run gives shape to a career built through repetition, movement, and sustained responsibility, where the craft is measured in continuity as much as in progression.

Where They Are Now

At Matanzas Creek Winery (since 2010), Marcia Torres Forno stands on a career formed by Chilean roots and California practice. The arc from a family cellar to leadership roles in Santiago and Sonoma County reflects a working life defined by accumulated skill, steady pacing, and the demands of winemaking over time.

Career - winemaker — Matanzas Creek Winery (2010–present) - winemaker — Viña Cousiño Macul, Santiago (from 1995) - winemaker — Viña Canepa - winemaker — Cardinale Winery, Napa Valley (from 1999) - winemaker — Kendall-Jackson, Sonoma County Education: Catholic University in Santiago; Sonoma State University

Honors

The measure of Marcia Torres Forno’s standing is the sequence of work itself: Catholic University in Santiago and Sonoma State University (2021), then winemaking roles at Viña Cousiño Macul in Santiago (from 1995), Viña Canepa, Cardinale Winery in Napa Valley (from 1999), Kendall-Jackson in Sonoma County, and Matanzas Creek Winery (since 2010). Taken together, those posts show a career that moved across borders while staying close to the core demands of the craft.

FAQ What is Marcia Torres Forno's current role? As of 2026, Marcia Torres Forno is Winemaker. Where did Marcia Torres Forno train or study? Marcia Torres Forno trained at Catholic University in Santiago and Sonoma State University.