Maya Dalla Valle is a second-generation winemaker, and Dalla Valle Vineyard’s wine director, whose great talent, impressive educational pedigree, and unique trails and ideas are heralding a new era for the iconic brand. Maya’s passion for wine is ingrained in her DNA. In 1986, her parents, Naoko and Gustav, made their first vintage of estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon. The following year—the year she was born—they planted Maya’s Vineyard, a 5-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon that has become one of the most revered winegrowing sites in America. In 1992, this remarkable vineyard yielded a wine that would go on to earn Dalla Valle’s first perfect 100-point score from legendary critic Robert Parker. Growing up at Dalla Valle, Maya had the opportunity to spend time with and learn from celebrated winemakers like Heidi Barrett, Tony Soter and Mia Klein. These experiences richly influenced her formative years with a sense of place and purpose that has come to define her adult life. However, before joining the family business, Maya was committed to earning her place and making a name for herself. To pursue a career as a winemaker, Maya earned a master’s degree in viticulture and enology from Cornell University, and a Master of Business and Science degree in vineyard and winery management from France’s prestigious Bordeaux Science Agro. Training with the best, Maya also gained invaluable hands-on winemaking experience at Ornellaia e Masseto, Bodegas Rolland, Pétrus and Château Latour. Once she cultivated her skills to the caliber of Dalla Valle, Maya returned to Dalla Valle and joined the winery as director in 2017–making the estate a true multigenerational winery. In January 2021, Maya was named the estate’s winemaker. “Dalla Valle is my home. It is also my family’s legacy,” says Maya. “I am so excited to be working alongside my mom. Dalla Valle is her life’s work, and what she has created is remarkable. I also know that the greatest wineries are judged in terms of decades and generations, and that our story is still being written. I am honored to be carrying our family’s legacy into a second generation.