A French native, Philippe hails from the Loire Valley, the wine region of Chinon and Vouvray. Upon developing an appreciation for wine, he first studied viticulture and enology at Château La Tour Blanche in the Sauternes wine region of Bordeaux and before completing his studies at UC Davis in California with a Bachelor’s in Plant Biology (1995) and a Master’s in Viticulture (1998). Upon graduating from UCD, Philippe joined Joseph Phelps Vineyards first as a viticulturist and later as Director of Vineyard Operations for wineries both in Napa and Sonoma counties. Following his long tenure at Phelps where he practiced sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming methods, Philippe moved to Oregon to on focus cool climate pinot noir. He brings a 25 year experience to the Atlas team with knowledge on how to harness the potential of a vineyard, enhance its unique characteristics, and produce fruit that reflects the subtle and inherent qualities of a site using conventional, organic or regenerative approaches.
