Forge Cellars is made up of friends with a common goal: to grow grapes and handcraft wines of interest and value that perfectly balance minerality, aromatics and fruit to reflect the exceptional terroir of southeast Seneca Lake. Each vintage is viewed as an opportunity to express our region — to reflect its soils, cool climate, and diverse terroir.
Louis Barruol
Winemaker, Visionary
Louis comes from a winemaking tradition of 14 generations. His family has been located at their historic property in the village of Gigondas in the Southern Rhone Valley of France since 1570. Louis grew up among the vines and took over the estate from his dad in 1992, proceeding to improve quality and grow a vigneron-negociant arm of the business. Château de St. Cosme is now regarded as the benchmark of wine quality in Gigondas.
Meanwhile, Louis is at the helm of Forge Cellars in both winemaking and management, bringing an immense amount of practical experience and knowledge into every aspect of the project. He loves playing rugby and classical music, and eating a great, juicy American hamburger.
A note from Louis: "As a person who is part of an old French wine family, I know what the weight of traditions means. It is great to improve an estate that has been built over the centuries by many different ancestors: it means being a little part of a very long adventure. Trying to develop a new estate in the Finger Lakes represents a completely different perspective, a different exercise in a different environment. But at deep, is it that different? Maybe not that different, as the feeling is the same, the wish of proper understanding is the same and the final goal is the same: express in a wine the soul of a place. All that to say that I deeply enjoy being part of Forge Cellars with my friend Rick Rainey. It is a nice “human adventure,” as well as an achievement at every step that we climb, simply because we began this project with almost nothing but clear and strong ideas."
Rick Rainey
Managing Partner, Conductor
Born in Florida, Rick came to the Finger Lakes by way of the Philadelphia restaurant industry with the aim of someday owning a winery. For more than two decades, Rick has been involved in all aspects of the distribution business, from his role as a wine buyer for a French portfolio to managing a team of nine sales people. He naturally gravitates to working in partnership with growers and alongside the vines but also enjoys the cellar, as it is the culmination of all their hard work.
A note from Rick: “I was not born into this work, but frankly I have known nothing else since my early 20s. Wine has become my life and I cannot think of a greater calling, and consider myself fortunate to have a partner and a friend like Louis to help realize the potential of this area. This is truly the greatest journey someone in the world of wine could ever hope for.”
Léana Godard
Winemaker
Léana was born and raised around Grenoble near the French Alps; specifically in Voiron, where Chartreuse is made. She moved to Bordeaux to become an animal behavior specialist, but quickly got diverted by the wine industry. In 2018 she graduated from the University of Bordeaux with a National Diploma in Oenology.
During her time at University, she served as Louis’ intern and mentee at Château de St. Cosme. In 2018, Léana helped with harvest in Burgundy at Jacques Prieur in Meursault, where she learned from highly respected winemaker Nadine Gublin. Later that year, she started at Forge Cellars, splitting her time between the United States and France until 2022, when she transitioned to full-time in the Finger Lakes and at Forge Cellars.
Léana’s adventurous spirit leads her to enjoy paragliding, climbing, kayaking and pottery-making in her spare time.
A note from Léana: “Being trusted to be in charge of the winemaking and co-manage the vineyard is very empowering as a young female winemaker. The role is challenging, but also very fulfilling, as vine growing in the Finger Lakes is very difficult; mother nature is challenging us every year. My goal is to transcribe in a glass the emotion and the sense of place that is the Finger Lakes and its diverse terroir.”