Enticing Douro Cruise, March 30-April 7, 2027, with Verdad Wine Cellars & Lindquist Family Wines

Lindquist Family Wines

Since the Harvest of 1975, Bob Lindquist has been working in the wine business. At the young age of 22 years his first job was working as a “cellar rat” for a small family winery near Gilroy CA; picking, crushing and pressing grapes, punching down, pumping over and shoveling out fermenters and cleaning — lots of cleaning!

On his days off he explored the up-and-coming wineries of Santa Barbara County and fell in love with the area. This led to a job with Zaca Mesa Winery in Los Olivos in 1979 as the winery’s very first tour guide.

In 1982, while still at Zaca Mesa, Bob founded his first winery, Qupé Wine Cellars. Qupé became one of the early pioneers of Rhone varietals in California, with a focus on Syrah. Bob also made Chardonnay from Santa Barbara grapes to “pay the bills”.In 1989, Bob and Jim Clendenen partnered to build their own winery at Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, which they called CLV (short for Clendenen Lindquist Vintners).

In 2018, Bob started his own eponymous brand, Lindquist Family Wines, still focusing on Rhone varietals and Chardonnay. Bob’s wife, Louisa Sawyer Lindquist is also a winemaker, with a focus on Iberian varietals and Cabernet Sauvignon under the brand name Verdad.

Bob, Louisa and Jim’s wines are still made at CLV alongside the winemaking team that has worked with them for decades, focused on producing the very best wines from California’s Central Coast.

Bob’s lifetime accolades in the field of winemaking are numerous and notable, including:

• First winery in Santa Barbara County to make Syrah, Rhone blends, Marsanne & Viognier
• First President of the Santa Barbara Vintners – 1983
• Founding member of The Rhone Rangers – 1988
• Winemaker of the Year from the Central Coast Winegrowers – 1994
• 14 times named a Top 100 winery by Wine & Spirits Magazine
• Wine Person of the Year by Hospice du Rhone – 2006
• Rhone Rangers Lifetime Achievement Award – 2015
• San Luis Obispo County Winemaker of the Year – 2022
• “One of the World’s 50 most Influential Winemakers” Wine & Spirits Magazine

Join Bob & Louisa Sawyer Lindquist on this “Bucket List” trip to Portugal.This once-in-a-lifetime program combines a 4-night land tour, staying three nights in Lisbon and one night in Porto before our 7-night Douro cruise.We’ll see the sights of Lisbon, the mountaintop castles of Sintra, miraculous Fatima, the university city of Coimbra and enjoy a relaxed night in beautiful Porto.This is a relaxed and leisurely introduction to Portugal before boarding our 7-night Douro River cruise aboard the luxurious ship AmaDouro.

This website explains nearly everything about this trip. Feel free to share this with any like-minded friends.

Sincerely,

Bob Lindquist & Louisa Sawyer Lindquist

Owners and Winemakers