Skipstone
Philippe Melka
Winemaking Consultant
Philippe spent much of his early life in Bordeaux, receiving his geology degree in 1989 from the University of Bordeaux. In his final year of study, he took a wine course out of sheer curiosity, and from that moment on realized his passion — and future — lay with wine.
In 1991, Philippe earned his master’s degree in agronomy and enology under the direction of Professor Sequin, a renowned terroir specialist. Fascinated by the relationship between soil and wine quality, Philippe’s appreciation of this profound connection continues to this day and is reflected in his commitment to honor, above all else, the terroir of Skipstone’s vineyards.
Following his studies, Philippe set out to hone his craft alongside talented winemakers such as Jean Philippe Masclef and Jean Delmas at Haut Brion, Jean Claude Berrouet and Christian Moueix at Petrus and Dominus, and Roberto Stucchi Prinnetti and Maurizio Castelli at Badia o Coltibuono, before finally settling in Napa Valley in 1994.
Today, Philippe consults for an elite collection of California wineries and vineyard sites, considering each relationship based on the beauty and promise of the property’s terroir. It was this special potential that originally drew him to Skipstone in 2006. Philippe’s mission at Skipstone is simple: to express the beauty of the terroir through the artistry and intuition of the winemaker.