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 BRETT de LEUZE
ZD Wines
Brett de Leuze, ZD Wines President & Partner, grew up in and around the wine business. He was
only four years old when the winery was founded in 1969. His experience ranges from picking the
grapes during the `70s, to bottling-line duties and assisting his brother Robert in the wine making of
the`80s. Brett and ZD Wines have grown up together from their beginnings.
Through his youth and college, Brett’s main interest outside of the winery was soccer. He
collected trophies attesting to his skill. In fact, soccer and helping build a business are not too
dissimilar. They both require stamina, alertness, and they both have GOALS! With graduation in
view, his attention was focused on obtaining a Business degree from California State University,
Sacramento.
Following graduation from CSUS in 1988, Brett formed a team with his mom, Rosa Lee, who
since 1969 had been managing all of ZD’s marketing and sales. For many years, Brett traveled
throughout the United States sharing his family’s wines and experiences with restaurateurs, retailers
and consumers. Over the years, Brett also visited wineries and vineyards in France, Italy and Germany,
gaining a broader perspective with regard to the diversity of the wine business.
Today, Brett’s energy and excitement for the wine industry continue to help define ZD’s
reputation as a family business dedicated to a sustainable approach to growing, producing and selling
world-class wine. Brett and his wife Natalie, have three beautiful children, Connor (10), Kayla (7) and
Alexandria (5) a third generation on the way.
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