Margaret Leonardi-Pruett

Margaret Leonardi-Pruett serves as the Senior Winemaker for Bonterra Organic Estates, crafting the company’s core Bonterra portfolio of organically farmed wines. Her technical expertise and meticulous approach to winemaking help to advance the winery’s leadership in earth-friendly and forward-thinking viticulture practices, while strengthening its legacy as a consumer favorite for over 30 years.

Margaret’s winemaking journey has its roots in Humboldt County, California, where she grew up on an organic dairy farm. Wine and food naturally intertwined with close-knit family gatherings, instilling in her a profound appreciation for both organic agriculture and wine’s power to bring people together. For Margaret, Bonterra Organic Estates’ pioneering commitments to organic farming, responsible business and environmental stewardship were a natural fit. “Bonterra is an overachiever, wholeheartedly committed to being the best we can be,” she says. “While wine is our bread and butter, we do so much for the environment, community, and our employees – and are always striving to do even more. Our larger size gives us the opportunity to make a much larger positive impact.”

Margaret takes pride in crafting high-quality wines at affordable prices, and her work has won significant public acclaim. Before taking the helm at Bonterra in November 2023, she led winemaking for the company’s heritage Fetzer brand, and the iconic 1000 Stories brand. In that role, she crafted some of the world’s most popular and accessible wines, including the top-selling Fetzer Gewurztraminer and Fetzer Chardonnay, consistently rated 90+ points by James Suckling and named Best Buy: Year’s Best U.S. Chardonnay for 2021 by Wine & Spirits. Also in 2021, Margaret was recognized as one of North Bay Business Journal’s Forty Under 40, awarded to the region’s most influential young business people.

Before joining Bonterra Organic Estates in June 2015, Margaret served as the Winemaker for Bronco Wine Company, spearheading all aspects of wine production for Cottonwood Creek Winery. In this capacity, she initiated the production of their wines made with organic grapes, including the exclusive label Green Fin for Trader Joe’s. Under her leadership, the winery scaled annual production and achieved ISO 9001 certification.

Margaret holds a degree in Agribusiness with a concentration in Marketing, and a minor in Wine & Viticulture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her immersion in the industry began as a member of the university’s Wine & Viticulture Club.

When not at work, Margaret is an avid outdoors enthusiast whose current favorite pastime is taking an evening walk in the vineyard with her fellow winemaker husband and young family. She is a passionate home cook, an enthusiastic dinner party host, and a creative magician with wine and food pairings. “Every bottle of Bonterra offers the chance to transform a meal into a celebration,” she says. “It’s beyond winemaking; it’s about making wines that taste great and are great for the environment.”