Winemaker
Steve Tonella
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Rutherford, California, United States
i. Biography
Steve Tonella is president and fourth-generation vintner of S. R. Tonella Cellars in Rutherford, where family continuity and Rutherford fruit define the work. A business background informs the operation, but the center of gravity remains the vineyard and cellar.
The Path
Training at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo gave Steve Tonella a formal starting point before he moved into sales leadership positions in the high-tech industry. That work took him through Rome, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; England; and Japan. He later returned to the family business, where the vineyard and wine company remain the focus.
The Work Today
The current production note is centered on the cellar and vineyard he leads. Two bottlings mark that work: Reserve Rutherford Semillon, 2022, and Reserve Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc, 2022. Steve Tonella has described wine in social terms: “Wine is important to me because it brings people together regardless of their opinions their beliefs and their background.”
Career - Manager of the family vineyard and wine business / proprietor of S. R. Tonella Cellars — S. R. Tonella Cellars, Rutherford, Napa Valley (2010–present) - Sales leadership positions — high-tech industry, Rome, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; England; Japan Education: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Signature
Steve Tonella's signature wines include S.R. Tonella Cellars Rutherford Bench Cabernet Sauvignon, S.R. Tonella 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 Cabernet, Reserve Rutherford Semillon, and Reserve Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc.
In Their Words “Wine is important to me because it brings people together regardless of their opinions their beliefs and their background.”
Acclaim
Board service at the Rutherford Dust Society placed Steve Tonella inside the appellation’s working community, in a role connected to the ground around his own production.
FAQ What is Steve Tonella's current role? As of 2026, Steve Tonella is President and fourth-generation Vintner. Where did Steve Tonella train or study? Steve Tonella trained at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
