Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/164544
WINEMAKER PROFILE Ahead FROM SHEPHERDING NAPA'S FIRST CULT WINES TO GLOBAL CONSULTING, A COMBINATION OF BUSINESS SAVVY AND WINEMAKING TALENT HAS KEPT ROB LAWSON OUT IN FRONT of the Curve by Deborah Parker Wong / photos by Christine Tomlinson A bove the mid-day bustle of downtown St. Helena, in the second-floor office of Pavi Wines, winemaker and consultant Rob Lawson is busy producing wines that people enjoy drinking. His Pavi Wines' Dolcetto and Pinot Grigio, along with several of the other brands under his care—Mirror, Fisticuffs and Ghost Block, to name a few—can be found poured by the glass and on lists at dozens of local restaurants. That support signals a tip of the hat by the trade to the ready appeal of his wines and is a place of pride for any native winemaker. Winemaker Rob Lawson. Lawson, a third-generation Napa Valley local, has been working with fruit from the Pelissa family (owners of Rock Cairn) since 1993. 136 / the tasting panel / september 2013 TP0913_104-156.indd 136 8/22/13 10:32 PM