Rob Winter has built some mighty impressive, one-of-a-kind homes for others during the last 25 years.  While designing such a dwelling and putting in some vineyards 10 years ago for a man who relocated to the outskirts of St. Helena, he says he was presented with an opportunity to move to Napa Valley from Laguna Beach.  While working on the project he’s calling “Winter,” he began meeting some heavy hitters in the wine industry.  Although, Winter insists, at the time he didn’t know that they were some of the biggest names in the Napa Valley.  Figures such as Jim Barbour and David Abreu became his friends, as did vintner Jayson Woodbridge and winemaker Philippe Melka.  Over the next few years, while listening to their stories and tasting their wines, Winter began to foment the notion that indeed, he could make wine, too.  In fact, he just knew he could do it well.  In 2002 Helen Mawson, young rising winemaking star who worked as assistant winemaker for Vineyard 29 working directly with Philippe Melka at the Winter Estate, became the principal winemaker for WINTER in 2004.  She currently is working as Winter’s winemaker and assistant winemaker to Jayson Woodbridge at Hundred Acre.