Affinity Fine Wine

Robin K Wines

Robin K wines are owned and founded by winemaker Bill Knuttel. Named after his wife "Robin Knuttel" Robin K wines are exceptional wines at great values.

For the past twenty years, Bill has focused his winemaking on ultra-premium and luxury wines, gathering a wide-range of experience not only in winemaking but also in viticulture, winery construction and wine education. While his training is rooted in science, Bill’s approach to winemaking hinges on an artistic approach, letting instinct and experience set the tone while minimizing the use of technology. Prior to joining Dry Creek Vineyard, Bill was the winemaker at Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery for seven years and at Saintsbury for thirteen years. In both cases he was recognized for superlative Chardonnay and, at Saintsbury, exceptional Pinot Noir. His wines are some of the most respected in California.

A native of Philadelphia, Bill’s family moved to Rancho Cucamonga, California when he was a teenager. Intrigued by the pre-prohibition wineries there, his walks to school were often detoured through old vineyards. He graduated from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, with a BS in Chemical Engineering in 1976. His interest in the arts and humanities and the study of literature and history, however, made him more of a Renaissance man than a techie. With degree in hand, he entered the work world at Dow Chemical in San Francisco, specializing in plant design and start-up; great tools for a winemaker, who essentially builds new wines each vintage. While his days were full of analysis and lab work, he spent much of his free time reading, listening to music and pursuing fine wines.

Eventually, passion took over and he gave in to wine, something that would ultimately fulfill his need for artistry and use of both his practical and technical skills. Bill accepted a scholarship from the University of California, Davis in 1981 and, after pursuing an MS in Enology and serving as an Enology instructor, he began his winemaking career at Saintsbury in 1983.

Bill lives in Napa with his wife, Robin. On weekends, when he’s not entertaining (or being entertained by) his children Kate and Sebastian, Bill still listens to music and writes.

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