Leah Adint, Winemaker

For Leah Adint, the love of winemaking has taken her around the world, giving her unique experiences that she brings to her role as Winemaker at Erath Winery.

Through Leah’s career, she has worked in viticulture and winemaking positions in California, Australia, France, Switzerland, Washington and now Oregon. “I was really attracted to the wine industry as a trade that could take me around the world, and it has!” says Leah. Leah graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in Viticulture & Enology as a recipient of the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates scholarship. Following college, she worked several vineyard and winery internships in California, including internships at Hall Wines in Napa Valley in 2007, Balletto Vineyards and Dutton-Goldfield in Russian River in 2008, and at Trinchero Family Estates in Napa Valley in 2009.

Leah went on to earn a master’s degree in Oenology at the University of Adelaide in 2012. While in Australia she participated in work experiences in the Hunter Valley, Adelaide Hills and Riverland, and as the red winemaker at Berri Estates, the largest winery in the Southern Hemisphere. During her five years abroad Leah also worked one harvest in Burgundy, one in central England, and one in Switzerland. After living in Australia for five years, Leah decided it was time return to the U.S. and joined Chateau Ste. Michelle as a travelling winemaker in July of 2015.

As part of the Erath winemaking team, Adint is excited about the sense of community Oregon has. “They have such a strong relationship to the land, to each other, to sustainability, to finding the gentler way of growing grapes and making wine. It will be great to explore each microclimate, seeing the landscape change throughout the seasons, and finding new favorite wines to bring home.”