Stephen grew up in the Napa Valley, where his family first settled in the 1800s. He and his siblings were the fifth generation on land his ancestor had identified as having the right conditions for winegrowing. Always appreciative of a good meal, with good wine and good company, he went off to have a career as a physician researcher, which took him to the National Institutes of Health.
Along the way, at a conference in France, he met Sylvia, also a physician, and a native of Chile. They took their passion for good food and wine to a new level when they decided to move back to the Napa Valley, to oversee the day-to-day operations for Taplin Cellars, the label the family created in 2011, after many years of selling their grapes to famed producers. Stephen and Sylvia, and their rescue dog, Roger, live in an adobe house adjacent to the estate, where they enjoy the visits of their children and grandchildren.