Xander Soren followed a digital music path to his segue as a California vintner. Recognized for launching GarageBand, the groundbreaking online audio workstation, and developing iTunes and iPod, the former Apple executive launched his first Xander Soren Wines in Japan. Soren now sources Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from sought-after Calif. vineyards for Japanese and American tables.
At a recent dinner in San Francisco, Soren introduced his two new Chardonnays and shared the backstory on his affinity for Japanese culture, his guitar-playing background, Apple experience, and his pivot to vintner of ultra-boutique wines.
“When I was a kid, I enjoyed stories and movies about Japan and the ‘Shōgun’ TV miniseries. While traveling for Apple decades later, I learned more about the Japanese aesthetic and their attention to detail,” said Soren during the dinner at Michelin-starred Niku Steakhouse.
The Passion Project
At university, Soren studied the humanities, took a course in Japanese history, and played guitar in a local band. After graduating, he worked in publishing. A friend introduced him to Steve Jobs who saw Soren’s potential as a musician who also understood business and technology. In 2001 as the Mac computer revolution flourished, Soren moved to Silicon Valley and stayed with Apple for 21 years.
During business trips to Japan, Soren dreamed of crafting a Pinot Noir that was elegant and made with precision to pair with the sushi and delicate omakase meals that chefs prepared for him. In 2012 he began making Pinot Noir at his friend’s winery. Early on, Soren met renowned consulting winemaker Shalini Sekhar, who also had a music background, a preference for cool climate Pinot Noir, and a love of food. Sekhar became the lead of Soren’s winemaking team.
Soren gifted his Japanese chef and sommelier friends with his California “hobby” wine.
These gifts, called omiyage or souvenirs, were well received. Soon his Japanese friends encouraged him to build a brand.
After retiring from Apple, Soren began building a brand. Riffing on his affinity for Japanese art, the wine logo that Soren designed is a monochromatic, four-pointed star within a circle that evokes Japanese kamon, or family crests held by a household, not an individual.
The Wines
It is no easy feat for Calif. wine producers to enter the Japanese wine market. Given Soren’s strong reputation in Japan, his love of Japanese cuisine and desire for authenticity, many high end culinary and wine professionals embraced his wine.
In 2023, the Park Hyatt Tokyo was the first venue to serve Xander Soren wine, a Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Soren set a stretch goal: Place his wine in a three-starred Michelin restaurant in both Japan and the U.S. A three-star Michelin restaurant in Fukuoka, Sushi Sakai, serves Xander Soren wines. Having built relationships with American chefs, Soren held the American launch of his Pinot Noir in 2024 at Chef Kyle Connaughton’s three-star Michelin restaurant SingleThread in Healdsburg.
Xander Soren Chardonnays were launched in Japan in March 2026 and then a month later at Niku Steakhouse in San Francisco. At the preview dinner, Soren said, “We make Calif. wine like Chablis with high acid and minimal oak that pairs best with a restrained style of Japanese cuisine.”
Niku Steakhouse paired Soren’s new Chardonnays with a Shigoku oyster accompanied by white asparagus velouté. Xander Soren 2024 HABARI Chardonnay, sourced from the Dijon clone 76 vines in the El Jabali vineyard in Santa Rita Hills, fits the bill for a Chablis-crisp wine. The El Jabali vineyard is also named El Habari—and Soren’s team discovered that “habari” is a horticulture term for the careful pruning of bonsai plants.
I preferred the pairing with 2024 XANDER Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County, crafted from a majority of Wente Chardonnay clones. Though this clone yields fuller tropical notes, the wine was made in a lean style with minimal oak and partial malolactic fermentation that harmonized well with the flavorful, chubby oyster.
Soren’s favorite pairing was the tuna chirashi with his 2021 Olivet Lane Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. “The tuna’s iron notes matched the steely minerality that characterize the Olivet Lane vineyard.”
Xander Soren wines are available with reasonable pricing on the website and at over 100 wine bars, luxury hotels, wine shops, and restaurants such as Michelin-starred Morihiro in Los Angeles and the Riza Carlton Fukuoka.
My favorite wine was the 2021 LUDEON Pinot Noir, Soren’s premium cuvée, named for his parents, Ludka and Leon. I liked the humanity of the name, the Bing cherry and dried rose petal notes, moderate weight and structure of the wine. I could drink it with many meals from simple pizza to the Niku A4 Wagyu.
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