Co-founder of Domaine de la Côte, Rajat Parr is a two-time James Beard Award winner and internationally regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on wine. Rajat Parr grew up in Calcutta, India, before journeying to the United States where he chose to pursue the cellar instead of the kitchen. He honed his wine knowledge and tasting skills, while beginning a career that would see him become one the world’s most celebrated sommeliers.

Parr not only frequently traveled abroad to European wine regions; he also became close with several of California’s top winemakers. This ultimately translated into bottling his own wines, where Parr made the transition from sommelier to producer. During this period, he became closer to Santa Barbara County winemaker Sashi Moorman, as they found mutual interest in pushing the boundaries of California wine, every vintage seeing how much earlier they could harvest to achieve more balanced alcohols, racier acidity, and purer flavors. Most recently, in early 2014, Parr took over the historic and acclaimed Seven Springs Vineyard in Oregon. Beyond his wineries, today Parr remains partners with Michael Mina in his two RN74 restaurants. He also co-authored the James-Beard-Award winning book Secrets of the Sommeliers, and co-founded the trend-setting California non-profit wine group, In Pursuit of Balance.