Stephen is a managing partner of Rigby Viniculture, a consultancy that specializes in all things wines and vines – from dirt to bottle. He started his career as a harvest intern, then as full-time assistant winemaker, in 1979 for Mississippi State University’s Enology Lab. He moved to Virginia in 1982 and began a long career as a winemaker and consultant for wineries primarily in VA, NC and PA. Currently he is winemaker at Boxwood Estate Winery in Middleburg, VA, which specializes in Bordeaux varieties. Career steps have included winemaker under Bruce Zoecklein’s direction at Virginia Tech’s enology research and extension lab, winemaking for several Virginia wineries from 1982-1999, before moving to NC in 2000 to work in the young and developing wine industry there. His last position in NC was as a custom crush winemaker for nine clients making about 75 wines each vintage. In 2019 he joined the Boxwood team and once again makes wine from grapes that his wife and vineyard manager Joyce grows.