Starfield Vineyards — From France to the Stars What happens when a California ranching family discovers that its true calling isn't cattle, crops, or technology—but wine? In this episode of Wine Soundtrack USA, host Allison Levine meets Rob Sinton of Starfield Vineyards, a remarkable family story that stretches from the vineyards of Paso Robles to France, Napa Valley, and ultimately the Sierra Foothills. Rob’s father, Tom Sinton, fell in love with wine as a teenager during a transformative summer in Reims, France. Years later, that passion led him to establish a vineyard, earn a Master's degree in Food Science at UC Davis—and eventually build one of the largest payroll and HR service companies in America. But wine never really left him. In 2011, Tom and Rob returned to winemaking under the Starfield Vineyards name. Their search for the perfect place took them back to France, where countless tastings across Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Rhône shaped the philosophy behind the wines they make today. Then they discovered a 67-acre property in the El Dorado AVA. For Rob, the journey was already underway. After studying Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis and working in Napa, he became Starfield’s winemaker, bringing experimentation, cofermentation, and an obsession with Rhône varieties to the cellar. But Starfield is about much more than wine. It is also about gardens, photography, astronomy, music, family—and a deep fascination with the natural world. Even the winery’s labels reflect that passion, featuring solargraphs created with pinhole cameras designed by Rob himself. Join Allison Levine and Rob Sinton for a conversation about risk, reinvention, family, France, California, and the pursuit of wines that aim for something truly exceptional. Wine Soundtrack USA goes behind the bottle to meet the people whose passions shape American wine. Produced by Claudio Latagliata — “The Winery Fixer”, bringing together the people, stories, and personalities that make the wine world impossible to ignore. Listen to Starfield Vineyards with Rob Sinton—and discover how a family's journey from ranching to wine eventually reached for the stars.