Laura Orozco has been named Associate Winemaker at V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. Brooks Painter, Director of Winemaking, announces "I am very happy to have such a creative and insightful colleague helping with all the winemaking duties. Laura brings a lot of talent and expertise to the team." Orozco will have responsibility for running the day-to-day winemaking operations at V. Sattui Winery.

Orozco was the first generation in her family to graduate from college and has early childhood memories of her father's hard work in Napa Valley vineyards. She grew up in Yountville and graduated in 1998 from UC Santa Cruz with a Molecular Biology degree. She returned to Napa and began her career as a harvest lab assistant at Franciscan Winery, all while taking winemaking and viticulture classes at Napa Valley College, thereafter being promoted to Lab Supervisor. After seven years at Franciscan she was offered the position of enologist at V. Sattui. Within a year, she became Assistant Winemaker.

"I love working with the many different types of wines we make here," she explains. "It's been a very steep learning curve; I love the dynamics and scope of what we do, from walking the vineyards, running the crushers, presses, pumping tanks over and seeing how the new wines develop," she adds.

Founded in 1885, V. Sattui Winery is a family-owned business which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2010. V. Sattui produces more than 40 wines, which are highly acclaimed and regularly garner top ratings and awards. V. Sattui Winery is the only winery in Napa Valley with its own extensive deli offering house-made prepared foods from salads to charcuterie to pastas and over 205 cheeses from around the world. From spring through fall, weekend BBQs await visitors, who can assemble a picnic and enjoy it outdoors under the 200-year-old oak trees on the winery grounds. In 1985 Dario Sattui, fourth-generation winemaker, redesigned the winery as an inviting 'village' setting, with the buildings' stone facades and towers framed by gardens and estate vineyards. Director of Winemaking Brooks Painter has overseen the winery's vineyard and winery operations since 2005.

V. Sattui Winery is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. More at www.vsattui.com.