Robert Fiore

The Climb

Robert Fiore trained at University of California, Davis, then began working in Asheville in positions that grounded him in the practical side of the trade. At GreenLife, as a wine section employee, and at a local wine distributor, as a wine distributor employee, he learned the basic mechanics of selection, display, and movement from cellar to table. That early work widened into a more focused sense of style and structure. Later, as wine selector for the menu at Bouchon, Fiore was responsible for choices that required balance, pairing, and context. The progression from Asheville to that curatorial role shows a methodical sharpening of judgment, with each step adding to his read on what makes a wine land. Today, he is winemaker of Peter Michael Winery (since 2020), bringing that accumulated experience to one of California’s most closely watched names.

Today

In 2020, Fiore became head winemaker at the Calistoga winery and now leads its winemaking with a preference for clarity over excess. The cellar approach is classical and minimally interventionist: hand picking and sorting, native fermentation, and aging in the finest French oak. That framework leaves space for the vineyard while still demanding the discipline needed to shape the result with restraint. Under his direction, the work stays quiet, precise, and controlled, with the emphasis on texture, line, and length rather than weight.

Signature

Robert's signature wines include 1998 Peter Michael 'La Carrière' Chardonnay. The bottle sits at the center of his profile as more than a reference point; it is the kind of wine that can reset expectations, defined by composition, site, and the way it holds a place within the glass.

In Their Words “It wasn’t until I was in my midthirties, some twenty odd years ago, that I had my first wine of terroir.” “This wine became the portal through which I entered to learn about wines of place.”

Recognition

“It wasn’t until I was in my midthirties, some twenty odd years ago, that I had my first wine of terroir.” “This wine became the portal through which I entered to learn about wines of place.”