Our Winemaker


STEVEN CANTER, WINEMAKER

Steven creates "eclectic and balanced wines" that show the natural flavors of the Dry Creek Valley region.
Steven Canter was raised in Boston, Massachusetts and studied musical composition and guitar through out his childhood. He studied at the Berklee College of Music but soon discovered that the lifestyle of a professional

musician was not the path he should take. In 1985 Steven began working at a Boston wine shop and found that he really loved wine. "I wanted more control of my destiny and I came to a cross roads", Steven remembers and his aspirations to become a winemaker began. While in Boston he worked for Silenus Wine Imports, then as a sommelier at two prestigious restaurants in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Toppers at the Wauwinet and The Languedoc Bistro. In 1996 Steven decided to pursue his winemaking dream and followed his passion to California.

His career began with DeLoach Vineyards in Russian River Valley in Sonoma County and during the next 10 years Steven worked for wineries in Napa Valley, Amador and Mendocino counties, Australia, South Africa and Italy. Most recently he worked for Davis Bynum as head wine maker before moving to Quivira and Steelhead in 2006.

Steven's expansive global knowledge of winemaking includes the four vintages he spent working with Dave Powell at Torbeck in Australia's famed Barossa Valley. He worked with Dave on some of the world's greatest wines. He also worked at Beaumont Vineyards in South Africa, Corte Pavone in Tuscany and Tenuta Loacker in the Sud Tyrol-Alto Adige region of Italy and brings all this experience to his winemaking today. Steven's goal as a winemaker is to "interfere as little as possible in creating the balance that will enable the wine to show its richest varietal qualities." His Pinot Noir made under the Baker Lane label was chosen as one of Wine Spectator's "Hot New Dozen of California Pinot Noir(s)".

With Steelhead Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, Steven created "eclectic and balanced wines" that show the natural flavors of the region. The Zinfandel has rich "briary blackberry and black pepper" while the Sauvignon Blanc has fresh "lemon and grapefruit zest" both natural components for varietals grown in Dry Creek Valley. For Steven "winemaking transcends" all that he does, he has an "inherent trust in nature's wisdom" and he is not afraid to work with its natural order. Steven, his wife and two sons are conscious of living in harmony with the earth and grow most of their own vegetables and keep bees on their property.

Steven is very committed to the continued restoration of Wine Creek which runs through Quivira's property. The Steelhead and Coho Salmon have returned to the creek and Steven works with Trout Unlimited to keep the creek and surrounding ecosystem compatible for the spawning Salmon that return each year. "I became a member of Trout Unlimited when I was 12 years old so it is exciting to be an official supporter Trout Unlimited and their efforts," added Steven.