Brooks Painter is widely respected in the wine industry for his leadership, technical expertise, and lasting influence on modern Napa Valley winemaking. After more than two decades guiding the winemaking and vineyard programs at V. Sattui Winery and Castello di Amorosa, Brooks now serves as Winemaker Emeritus, providing strategic guidance and mentorship to the next generation of winemakers while helping safeguard the stylistic legacy of both estates.

Brooks joined the winery in 2005 following several years making wines at leading Napa Valley estates including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Robert Mondavi Winery. During his tenure, he helped shape an expansive portfolio of wines and earned numerous accolades, including “Winemaker of the Year” from the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Today, he continues to lend his deep knowledge of viticulture and enology to guide vineyard strategy, succession planning, and long-term quality initiatives across the estates’ vineyard holdings and grower relationships.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Northern California, Brooks graduated from University of California Santa Cruz with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. As President and Board Member of the Napa Valley Wine Technical Group and a technical reviewer for research proposals submitted to the American Vineyard Foundation, he has helped advance the science of winemaking throughout the region. His research on the biochemistry and sensory evaluation of wine has been published in leading industry journals including The American Journal of Viticulture and Enology, Biochemistry, Practical Winery & Vineyard, and Wines & Vines.

Brooks and his wife Beth live in Napa and remain active in local community, charity, and public planning issues in Napa Valley. Their two adult children, Miles and Emily, are now enjoying the wine tasting and winery visits that once bored them to tears. As a family, they enjoy traveling, skiing and snowboarding, sailing, hiking, and cooking.