Head Winemaker
Shaun Turnbull
Also Known As
Rockstar
Years with Stone Hill
since 2005
Favorite Wine
Favorite Way to Spend Freetime
Enjoy spending time outside bbq’ing and sitting at the chiminea or just learning new skills to occupy spaces in the house.
About Shaun
Shaun Turnbull hails from Cape Town, South Africa. He studied winemaking at Elsenburg Agricultural College where he received his diploma in Cellar Technology in 1999. Teaching the science of winemaking since the early 1900s, Elsenburg College has earned a reputation in South Africa for being the best practical school of winemaking in the country.
After completing his studies, Shaun furthered his practical education by taking harvest internships at WineCorp in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Jefferson Cellars in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Heitz Cellars in Napa, California.
"Wine is made in the vineyard. The winemaker is basically a surrogate parent who nurtures what he receives from the earth into its final creation with the help of science and modern technology.”
-Shaun Turnbull
Before joining the winemaking staff at Stone Hill Winery in October 2005, Shaun served as winemaker at Slaley Winery, in the famed Stellenbosch area of South Africa. In his few years at Slaley, Shaun built a solid reputation for turning out award-winning wines from classic Vinifera varieties. Before Slaley, Shaun was winemaker for Lammershoek Winery in Malmesbury, South Africa.
Originally planning to study engineering, Shaun’s attention quickly turned elsewhere when his stepfather introduced him to wine and the possibility of a winemaking career. It was the idea of combining Mother Nature and the everyday senses of taste and smell with science and technology that intrigued him most. In winemaking, Shaun feels he is creating a piece of art that not only expresses a bit of his own individuality but also invites endless conversations from others who indulge in the same romance of wine.
As Stone Hill’s head winemaker, Shaun’s goal is to improve on the already high quality of each of our varietals. The most challenging and interesting part of his job is making wine from grape varieties other than Vinifera and in more extreme weather conditions than in South Africa. He also is very appreciative of the creative freedom available when working with our varietals and wine types. Every harvest, he gets to be creative with what wines he can make and how to make them.