Spring 2019

35 Lloyd Cellars is a family owned winery founded and managed by husband and wife team Rob and Bonnie Lloyd. Late last year, Lloyd Cellars was recognised in LUXlife Magazine’s annual Food & Drink Awards programme as the Best Napa Valley Chardonnay Winemaker of 2018. Naturally, we were eager to speak to Rob to find out more about his ethos, history and product. Few industries represent the luxury sector as much as winemaking. Despite its classical beginnings, it remains, to this day, an industry that caters to those with a refined palette and an appreciation for the finer things in life. It also has a high skill barrier, with only the most experienced and talented vintners succeeding in this notoriously competitive world. Established by husband and wife Rob and Bonnie Lloyd, Lloyd Cellars is a truly family-owned business that champions the concept that quality is king. Indeed, as Rob states, “I enjoy the wines that I make. If it doesn’t live up to my standards, we don’t share it with others.” This dedication ensures that they have forged an enviable reputation in a region that has become synonymous with extraordinary wine. Yet, as Rob is quick to emphasise, Lloyd Cellars is still a small winery at heart. “We are a small winery, with myself and my wife Bonnie as owners, my youngest daughter’s Godfather Greg doing sales, and our accountant Jim that has been with us since we started Lloyd Cellars back in 2008. It is a very competitive industry, but luckily for us we have been able to continue to grow from friends telling friends, fans of our wine recommending it to others, and Greg’s hard work developing new relationships on the sales side.” Lloyd Cellars is also a very localised winery, enjoying a friendly relationship with their clientele: “The clients that I work with are ‘handshake’ types of clients that I enjoy spending time with.” Rob continues, revealing that they are making considerable efforts to source a distributor over the next few months to increase market exposure. “One major development in the wine sector is the consolidation of distributors: we are spending a lot of time trying to find the right partners to bring our wine into more states in the US.” The conversation soon turns to Rob’s efforts to make every facet of Lloyd Cellars ‘cutting edge’ in their approach to sustainability and industry standards. "In the cellar, we have been working hard to use less to create our wines. Less water to clean, less electricity used. Not only do we follow the proper OSHA standards, but we strive to always make the best product for our customers and, at the end of the day, ourselves.” In this, Rob’s pursuit for perfection has helped spur the business on to new heights, as his clients know that every bottle and every drop is endorsed by the owner himself. “We are always striving to drive our company forward, whilst trying to treat others as we would like to be treated.” At the end of the day, regardless of changing weather and environmental conditions, Rob’s main goal is to create a product that is constantly great. Ultimately, he is a perfectionist, utilising his considerable skill and experiences to evolve and refine his craft. FO180079 With this in mind, there can be little doubt that Lloyd Cellars is different. Different to the expected, and different to its peers. Rob’s experimental roots can be found in the years he spent working in large wineries early in his career, where he was exposed to grapes from all regions of California. From these experiences, Rob understood exactly what wines he wanted to make, and where he could source the grapes to make them. Lloyd Cellars was born from this passion and dedication to creating the finest wines in a region known for fine wines. More than that, Rob is a self-confessed ‘barrel junkie’, delighting in the entire wine-making process. He’s experimental in his approach, always keen to try different barrels and toasting methods to create wines that are specific to Lloyd Cellar’s unique style and brand. With a Master’s Degree in Oenology from UC Davis, and a history of working at some of the best wineries in Napa Valley, there is perhaps little surprise that Rob has made the swift impression he has, in an industry that so rarely sees such a meteoric rise in their ranks. As we come to the end of the interview, Rob reveals one of the secrets to his award-winning Chardonnay: “Lloyd Chardonnay is made trying to maximize the natural process of fermentation to enhance the wine’s aging rather than adding anything to stabilize it early on. This is a more challenging process, but the rewards are worth it.” Finally, when it comes to the future, Lloyd Cellars aim to balance growth with maintaining quality, staying in line with their core ethos. “We continue to grow steadily and consistently, trying to make great products that are in-line with what the market demands.” Contact: Rob Lloyd Company: Lloyd Cellars Telephone: +1 (707) 257-2797 Website: www.lloydcellars.com An Artisan Winemaker Achieving True Excellence in the Industry “Make what you love and believe in the wines you produce.” - Rob Lloyd on achieving success in the industry