Margarito Rivera

When Margarito came to the United States in 1995, wine was not a part of his life in any way. Through working at various wineries over the years, his natural curiosity and joy in the unknown led him to a deep and ongoing discovery of the science behind great winemaking, including the chemistry and microbiology of grapes. (It runs in the family – his daughter is currently at UC Berkeley studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). He came to V. Sattui in 2017, where his top priority as Cellar Master is “the quality of the wines that everyone can enjoy on any occasion…there’s always something new to learn about winemaking.”

Margarito was born and raised in Actopan Veracruz, Mexico, where much of his childhood consisted of helping his father raise cows. Currently, Margarito lives in Napa with his wife Monica, who has helped him cultivate his passion for the wine industry.