Nancy and John Lasseter first met at a computer graphics conference in San Francisco in 1985. They shared a love of storytelling, and soon discovered they both loved wine as well. Each was already in a brown bag tasting group – John at Pixar, and Nancy at Apple. In pursuit of this mutual passion, they would often escape to Wine Country for romantic getaways, and they chose bountiful Sonoma County for their honeymoon.

In the early ‘90’s they sought to put down roots in a small town where they could raise their five children, and it followed naturally that Sonoma Valley would become their home. Then, shortly after establishing themselves in the community, they caught the winemaking bug and went to work on what would soon become a fruitful new venture. By 1997 they were bottling their own Bordeaux blend to give out as Christmas gifts, and Lasseter Family Winery was born.

Their zest for living can be seen in every aspect of the winery. John’s love of trains is represented on every bottle of Chemin de Fer and a classic steam locomotive runs through the estate vineyards. As patrons of the arts, they collected work by several local artists, which led them to commission Dennis Ziemienski to capture their spirit and passion for wine in a series of label paintings. Nancy’s addiction to puzzles then sparked the idea of turning Dennis’ magnificent label images into a collection of wooden jigsaw puzzles.

The Lasseter's five sons helped with beekeeping and many other projects on the property throughout their childhoods. John’s beloved father “Papa,” the winery’s self-proclaimed “sidewalk supervisor” and “estate Doberman,” lived on the property. Papa worked tirelessly on harvests and bottlings well into his ‘80s. He served as guardian and inspiration to everyone, and it was a tragic loss for the family when Papa passed away in 2011. Papa’s brother “Uncle Bill” and Bill’s wife “Aunt Ruth” remain regulars at the winery today.