About Steve Dorfman

Partner at Ciatti Company

After moving to California from the east coast of the US in 1979, Steve Dorfman graduated from the University of California at Davis in 1982 with a BS in Enology. He began his career with Fetzer Vineyards in Mendocino County as an assistant winemaker, and then winemaker. In 1992 after the purchase of Fetzer Vineyards by Brown-Forman Corporation, Steve held the position of Director of Vineyards, Grower Relations and Bulk Wine Management until 1999, during which time he had received his MBA from St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. In 1999 he started working closely with Brown-Forman's M&A Group to develop joint ventures and winery acquisitions in Australia, South Africa, Chile, Italy, and France. In 2001 Steve took over the Brown-Forman Estates Group to manage all aspects of Brown-Forman's smaller wineries and joint ventures. In 2005, Brown-Forman reorganized along functional lines and Steve held his final position of Director of Wine Production for all Brown-Forman wineries and joint ventures.

After a successful 24 year career in wine and winery management, Steve joined the Ciatti Company in 2007, in order to work with wineries worldwide and without the limits of working for anyone wine company. Steve's primary focus is on domestic wine sales, wine exports from the US into Europe, and imports from Australia, New Zealand, and Europe into the US.