Helen Keplinger

Helen Keplinger rejoined Kenzo Estate as Consulting Winemaker in 2025. Helen was a member of the founding winemaking team in 2005, working with Heidi Barrett and David Abreu. She left the team for various winemaking pursuits in 2010, which now bring back to Kenzo Estate an incredible depth of knowledge and experience across all aspects of winemaking. Along the way, her accolades include the 2023 “Winemaker of the Year” award from critic Antonio Galloni’s Vinous, which highlighted her attention to sustainability, terroir, the diversity in her wine programs and excellence in winemaking.

Helen completed a formal wine education at the University of California - Davis with a Masters in Enology. Through her work in Spain (Cellers Melis) with consultant Claude Gros, she was heavily influenced: "It is in the Priorat where I gained an enormous appreciation for minute changes in terroir and the results they imprint on the wines made from a particular site. That experience granted me a deep appreciation for terroir and terroir-focused wines. I find wines are more unique, nuanced, and captivating when they have a clear connection to a vineyard, sense of place, and hallmark of a vintage. Thoughtful work in the vineyard and winery translates to a pure expression of place in the wines. I continue to fine-tune my winemaking practices, and better my understanding of each vineyard and its complexities, intending to best harness its true character each vintage. The craft of winemaking is a life-long journey of continual evolution and learning.”

Helen's first vintage at the helm of Kenzo Estate's winemaking team includes the 2025 asatsuyu Sauvignon Blanc and yui Rosé wines - both already garnering critical acclaim as well as popularity in Kenzo Estate's tasting rooms in Napa Valley and Japan.