Lasseter Family Winery

Lasseter Family Winery

Company type	Private
Industry	Winery
Founded	January 1, 2000 (2000-01-01) in Sonoma County, California, United States
Founder	John Lasseter, Nancy Lasseter
Headquarters	Sonoma County , United States
Products	French-style red wine blends (Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre)

Lasseter Family Winery is a winery situated in Sonoma County, California, established in 2000 by Pixar filmmaker John Lasseter alongside his spouse, Nancy Lasseter. With an annual production of approximately 1,200 cases and the ability to produce up to 6,000 cases, the winery concentrates on French-style red wine blends cultivated on 27 acres featuring Bordeaux and Rhône grape varieties. Their selection comprises Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. The winemaking philosophy was significantly influenced by Jess Jackson of Kendall-Jackson.

History

Following several years of winemaking as a hobby, the Lasseters purchased a 50-acre property in Glen Ellen in 2000, where they planted Rhône varietals including syrah, grenache, and mourvèdre. Two years later, in 2002, they acquired an adjacent 35-acre vineyard growing merlot and cabernet sauvignon and subsequently incorporated malbec and cabernet franc to diversify their blends.

In 2005, Julia Iantosca joined as winemaker, bringing with her experience from Stevenot Vineyards, William Wheeler Winery, Lambert Bridge Winery, as well as guidance under Merry Edwards. Her skills contributed to refining the winery’s emphasis on blended wines.

By 2011, the winery refreshed its branding by introducing proprietary labels such as Enjoué Rosé and Chemin de Fer, with artwork created by Sonoma-based artist Dennis Ziemienski. That same year saw the unveiling of their environmentally conscious, modern winery facility open for tours by appointment only.

Justi Creek Railway

The Justi Creek Railway is a private narrow-gauge railroad that traverses the Syrah vineyard at the winery. Although a trademark application submitted by the Lasseter family in 2010 was abandoned in 2013, the railway has continued to grow and appears on the label of their Chemin de Fer wine.

The railway operates a 1901 H.K. Porter steam engine named the Marie E., which can pull a small gondola car and caboose. This locomotive was once owned by Ollie Johnston—one of Walt Disney’s famed Nine Old Men—and ran on Johnston’s personal Deer Lake Park & Julian Railroad before being sold in 1993. John Lasseter acquired it around 2002. On May 10, 2005, during a private event honoring Johnston, the Marie E. and its caboose became the first privately owned rolling stock authorized to run on Disneyland Railroad tracks. Lasseter personally operated the locomotive during visits to the Pacific Coast Railroad in Santa Margarita, California in both 2007 and 2010, running alongside original Disneyland Railroad passenger cars.

On July 28, 2017, Lasseter piloted the Marie E. during Disneyland Railroad's reopening after a year-long closure due to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge construction. The steam engine pulled another locomotive named Chloe along with a railcar from the Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM).

The Chloe locomotive and its accompanying car were previously owned by Ward Kimball—another member of Disney’s Nine Old Men—and operated on his backyard Grizzly Flats Railroad. These pieces were donated to SCRM in 2006 and arrived there in 2007 before being sold to Lasseter. The Grizzly Flats Railroad featured structures including a water tower and depot building originally used as set pieces in Disney’s 1949 film So Dear to My Heart.

See also

• Rail transport within Walt Disney Parks and Resorts