Opus One, one of California’s most legendary wineries, has hired a new winemaker. Meghan Zobeck, formerly winemaker at Burgess Cellars, has been named director of winemaking for the 170-acre Oakville estate. Started by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild as an audacious joint venture in the late 1970s, Opus One today touts 100 acres of vines in Napa Valley's famed To Kalon vineyard, along with a 30,000 case-per-year production that enjoys a strong global market presence and collector prestige. The estate is co-owned by Bordeaux first-growth Château Mouton-Rothschild and Robert Mondavi Winery parent company Constellation Brands.
“I’m very excited to work with Meghan. Her energy and intensity is a perfect fit for us,” said Michael Silacci, winemaker at Opus One since 2001. “My job is to facilitate her advancement, build a great team around her and be mentored by her at the same time. And that’s it.”
Silacci plans to stay on for three to six more years, while continuing to focus on needed vine replantings and a shift to holistic farming practices in the vineyard that he instituted during his tenure.
“Before, we made changes at the nuance level,” said Silacci. “Now I want to move as fast as possible to use cover crop, or whatever it is that we need, and in doing that take us as fast as we can to the next level.”
From Football to Farming
It’s a dramatic hire, not just because of Opus One’s stature, but also because Zobeck has a relatively short winemaking résumé. She changed career paths in 2012, leaving her position as a player contract negotiator with the NFL to pursue a passion for wine. After internships abroad in Bordeaux, Piedmont, Chile and Australia, she arrived in California in 2013 and started her winemaking career with internships at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Screaming Eagle. She then spent four years as an assistant winemaker with Philippe Melka before moving to Jaime Araujo’s Trois Noix label. She has her own boutique label, M. Zobeck Wines.
[article-img-container][src=2025-03/ns_meghan-zobeck-opus-one-032125_1600.jpg] [caption= Meghan Zobeck has built a reputation for excellent work in both the cellar and the vineyard.] [credit= (Photo by Sorenson) ] [alt= Meghan Zobeck walks in a Burgess vineyard in Napa.][end: article-img-container]
Zobeck started her first major winemaking role at Burgess Cellars in 2020. Acquired by Lawrence Wine Estates that same year, the estate situated just below the Howell Mountain appellation was hit by that season’s wildfires and lost its winemaking facility. Zobeck oversaw a quick rejuvenation of the operation, working out of the former Luna facility on the Silverado Trail while also shifting farming at the estate to regenerative techniques. Those efforts quickly made her a rising name in the valley. And the farming practices she employed caught Silacci’s attention as he began looking for his eventual replacement.
“I’d met Michael several times over the years and always enjoyed my conversations with him. He has a philosophical nature which I enjoy,” said Zobeck. “Then at one point I was speaking with people on his team about pollinator plants, which made me realize they were doing similar things to what I was doing at Burgess. It was really nice to know that a place like Opus was doing something similar. To see how relentless they are in their pursuit of quality in every facet is inspirational.”
“Meghan and I are on the same page [on] regenerative farming. We’re aligned in our approach. And I think she’s the missing piece,” said Silacci.
A Benchmark Name Embracing Regenerative Techniques
Silacci has been a stabilizing force during his tenure at Opus One. Prior to his arrival, quality was more mercurial, as the French and American sides of the company weren’t always in synergy. Silacci’s shift in farming has proven to be a major factor in Opus One’s quality and consistency, shifting the vineyard to ripen earlier while still achieving full ripeness, and helping to avoid the vagaries of late season heat and wildfires. Other wineries have started a similar shift more recently.
Zobeck represents the newest generation of Napa Valley winemaker, for whom vineyard expertise matters as much as technical winemaking knowledge. Regenerative farming, based on the Roman concept of agricultura promiscua, is enjoying a renaissance, with Zobeck joined by the likes of Jason Jardine at Hanzell, Natalie Winkler at Schlumberger, Graeme MacDonald of MacDonald Vineyards, Tegan Passalacqua of Sandlands, Tom Garrett of Detert and others who have embraced focus on soil and vine health, with the idea that a vineyard will stay healthy longer as its vines age.
“For me, I want to learn everything that Michael and his team have been doing. Michael really cares about his team’s growth," said Zobeck. "Everyone there is so motivated and excited. To collaborate with that team and see how much further we can push the vineyard innovations and other initiatives in the winery is an amazing opportunity.”
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