Forman is a Napa wine legend whose curriculum vitae mirrors the tale of the California wine industry itself. Born in Oakland, Forman earned his formal education at University of California, Davis, graduating in 1969. Soon thereafter he was cutting his teeth at Sterling, where he made California’s first vintage-dated Merlot. He traveled to France in the mid-1970s with Dan Duckhorn to learn more about the grape that still leads the way on Bordeaux’s Right Bank.
This article was originally published on February 13, 2025. You can read the full-length version here.
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