EVENTS

Tony Bugica

Director of North Coast Farming & Business Development
RAM’S GATE WINERY

Tony Bugica represents the fourth generation of a farming family. Attending the University of Nevada, Reno, he studied biology.  After college, he started Bugica Landscaping and Excavation.  During his 10 years as President of Bugica Landscaping, he managed 120+ employees which included supervision of over 500 commercial and residential properties in the Reno-Tahoe area. Tony’s company was honored with many awards in recognition for its unique designs and beautiful landscapes, and as one of the top landscaping contractors in the Reno-Tahoe area.

Upon arriving in Sonoma County, Tony started as Ranch Manager for Dry Creek Olive Company.  He then went on to work with Grey Creek Vinicultural Services selling vines, Growing immensely from that amazing experience, Tony then joined Bacchus Vineyard Management, working alongside Glenn Alexander for seven years, managing over 1,000 acres across Sonoma County.

Tony has been making wine since 1993, and since 2007 he has been able to bring to life his passions, continuing his family’s tradition of farming and an intimate familiarity with vineyards and the wines that come from them.  He’s presently with us at Atlas Vineyard Management as our North Coast Regional Manager, managing vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, doing what he has always dreamed of doing.

Lisa Amaroli

Winemaker
BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY

Lisa Amaroli has been a vital part of the Benziger Winemaking team since 1999. She graduated from Sonoma State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in both biology and chemistry. Previously, she worked at Martini and Prati Winery as a Production Manager. Lisa is responsible for determining styles for Benziger wines through collaborative tastings and initiates implementation in wine processing.

Jeff Baker

Winemaker
STONE EDGE FARM ESTATE VINEYARDS & WINERY

Raised on his family’s citrus ranch in Ventura County, Jeff graduated from Stanford University and earned his master’s degree in enology from the University of California at Davis. He served as winemaker during the 1970s at the iconic Mayacamas Vineyards, in the mountains that separate Napa and Sonoma.

Jeff joined a group of partners, which included Mac McQuown, in 1980 to create Carmenet Vineyards (now Repris Wines) on the southwest side of the Mayacamas range. In the late 1990s, both Mac and Jeff planted small Cabernet Sauvignon home vineyards. In 2004 they co-founded Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery.

Erich Bradley

Winemaker
PANGLOSS CELLARS-SOJOURN CELLARS

Erich Bradley is a self-taught winemaker and vintner based in Sonoma, California. He spent three Harvests (2000-2002) working in the lab and cellar at Arrowood Vineyards & Winery for California wine icon, Richard Arrowood, before leaving in 2003 to become the winemaker for Audelssa Estate Winery in Glen Ellen where he received critical acclaim for producing an eclectic lineup of small-lot, Bordeaux and Rhône-inspired wines sourced from an extreme, hillside vineyard located on the southwestern-facing slope of Mount Veeder in the Moon Mountain District AVA.

In 2011, Bradley left Audelssa to join private equity investor, Jim Momtazee, in founding Repris Wines after Momtazee acquired the historic Moon Mountain Vineyard, the original home of Chalone’s Carmenet Winery, from Diageo after the 2010 Harvest. Bradley currently oversees production of Repris in addition to Repris’ two sister labels, Pangloss Cellars and Texture Wines.

Bradley has also received critical acclaim as the winemaker and co-founder of Sojourn Cellars in Sonoma, a project he launched in 2004 with business partner, Craig Haserot. Sojourn focuses primarily on artisanal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Petaluma Gap, Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast AVA’s in addition to Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville, Rutherford and Sonoma Valley.

Janna Lahner

Cellar Master
TIN BARN VINEYARDS

A native Minnesotan, Janna spent her formative years romping in the great outdoors, where she developed a love of skiing, camping, and anything involving water. After graduating from the University of Oregon, she relocated to the US Virgin Islands. There, she adventured in the sea by day and worked in the sales side of wine by night.

In 2015, Janna relocated to Sonoma County to try her hand on the production side of wine. Bouncing between Sonoma and New Zealand, she chalked-up an impressive five harvests in three years. In 2017, we were fortunate to have Janna make the Tin Barn cellar her new home.

Kenneth Juhasz

Winemaker
AUTEUR WINES

My father arrived in the United States as a refugee from the Hungarian revolution. His story of survival and freedom taught me early to never let anything stand in the way of my pursuits and to live with depth and conviction. Financing my college education I worked in fine wine shops and restaurants, and when I saved enough I backpacked around the globe with my twin brother, John. Each experience further fueled my passion for wine and my visits to Burgundy were life-altering. The pursuit of Burgundian style wines brought me to Oregon’s Willamette Valley where I first started making Pinot Noir. After a few years in Willamette, followed by several in New Zealand, I eventually joined the esteemed wine team at The Donum Estate in Sonoma and began Auteur.

As a winemaker I extract all of what each grape gives me and begin to build a wine of character and complexity. Happiness for me is harnessing fear and understanding its delicate balance within me. Wine can be celebratory, but also have moments of solitude. I am very grateful knowing that I can bring pleasure and peace to family, friends, and to those I may never meet.

BEYOND AUTEUR Kenneth’s consulting clients include: The Donum Estate in Carneros (Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2013), Dunstan Wines (Durell Estate Vineyard), Pali Wines (Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2014) and newcomers, Blue Farm and Attune. He has also worked with Gary Farrell Winery and Semper.

Claudia Schug

Proprietor
SCHUG CARNEROS ESTATE WINERY

Zeke Neeley

Winemaker
KENWOOD VINEYARDS

Zeke Neeley, grew up in California but not the California people think of when they hear “California”.  The town of Daly City, south of San Francisco, has a climate more resembling foggy London which was why it was always such a joy for him to visit his grandparents in a sunny paradise called the Sonoma Valley.

That soft-spot for Sonoma wine country hung with him throughout his college years studying Biochemistry and later while living in San Francisco and working in the Biotech industry on cancer research.

Eventually, after finding that he and his wife spent every vacation visiting wine country, it dawned on Zeke what he wanted to do — become a winemaker!  After returning to UC Davis for a M.S. in Viticulture and Enology, Zeke worked at wineries in Santa Cruz, Carneros, and Napa—the last 10 years as a winemaker in Napa—and finally found his way to Kenwood.  All those years after burning his pale, Daly City skin in the Sonoma sun he has made it full circle and found a roundabout way to a childhood dream.

When not orchestrating the cellar, Zeke likes to spend his time with his wife and two children, watching baseball, and going for the occasional run.

Brenae Royal

Ranch Manager
MONTE ROSSO VINEYARD

Brenae Royal grew up in the town of Atwater, in California’s Central Valley. “I come from a family of teachers and doctors, so when I started raising pigs, my family thought, where did she fall off?” Brenae says, laughing. When asked about her first farming memories, she recalls picking weeds and planting flowers with her grandmother. “My grandmother has a ginormous garden.” As the Vineyard Manager for the 575-acre Monte Rosso Vineyard on the eastern hills of Sonoma Valley, one the most acclaimed winegrowing sites in California, Brenae might have her grandmother beat.

Brenae put her passion to action at a young age, joining 4-H at 12 and becoming an officer in the Future Farmers of America when she was 17. The program took her all over California and immersed her in a world she knew she wanted to be a part of for the rest of her life. Brenae studied Crops and Horticulture Science at California State University, Chico and during her senior year, after developing a palate for bold red wines, decided to pursue a career in viticulture.

She joined E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2013 as an Operations and Viticulture Intern and quickly established a relationship with an important mentor, winemaker Deborah Juergenson. “Deb started out as one of the first few women winemakers in a very male-dominated field. It’s been amazing to have her as a mentor, both professionally and personally,” Brenae says. “Viticulture is still very male-dominated, so to drive more inclusion and diversity is very much an uphill battle.” It’s a battle that Brenae has done anything but back down from. Since joining Gallo, Brenae has farmed Monte Rosso Vineyard with increasing levels of responsibility. In addition to her internship, Brenae also served as Viticulture Technician for 11 months before being named Vineyard Manager in 2015.

Monte Rosso is home to some of the oldest producing grapevines in California and has garnered a near- mythic reputation among winemakers. “When I started, it was intimidating. Here I am as this 24-year-old coming into to manage Monte Rosso, a world-renowned vineyard and one of the oldest in the state. It’s difficult and complex. Our vines range from four months old to over 130 years old, so it’s a lot to take on, but I love it,” she says. “We’ve brought a lot of technology and innovation to the vineyard, so much so that we can be farming up to three different wines within the same block.”

Mount Peak Winery, like Brenae, is singularly focused on expressing Monte Rosso’s uniqueness. “When our winemaker Mark Williams visits, it’s not uncommon to hop in my truck and then hike into his favorite blocks. It’s a hands-on approach to winemaking, and he’s very honored to work with the fruit.” When asked how Monte Rosso’s distinct terroir shows up in the bottle, Brenae quickly answers. “Acidity,” she declares, “and minerality and spice.” Part of the vineyard’s mystique is that its signature qualities seem impervious to producer and variety. “You can taste Monte Rosso wines blind and recognize them immediately,” she adds. Brenae is doing everything in her power to keep it that way. “My goal is always to preserve what is special about Monte Rosso,” she says. “Hopefully it will be producing for another 132 years.”

Jeff Riggs

Owner
Troika Wines

In 2009, Noël and I started to visit Napa Valley as often as we could. Visiting wineries, tasting wines, and enjoying the culture of the Valley, we appreciated the area so much that in 2011 we became members of the Napa community. After immersing ourselves in the wine culture and discussing the different paths we could choose to be involved in this life-style, our passion for wine led the way; we wanted to make a wine that we would be proud to call our own. The decision was made and our journey began, in 2013 we started to make our dream a reality.

I spent my early summers at my Grandparents’ farms and apple orchards in the Okanagan Valley in the State of Washington. Every summer, my responsibilities grew in the orchards, from changing the water lines to thinning apples and finally the harvest. It was a different time then, where families were expected to be a part of the operation to insure a successful harvest. It’s been 45 years since I left the farm, but it never left me.

In early 1972, my family moved to the Almaden Valley, from our house we could see the Almaden Vineyards on Blossom Hill Road. Each day I would take a shortcut through the vineyards on my way to school, watching the vines do their magic. This early exposure to the wine culture has had the same impact on me as my earlier experience in the apple orchards. I watched as the orchards and vineyards gave way to homes and shopping centers. It was disappointing to me, losing the farms and orchards. Well, Napa has given it all back to me, I’m home.

Noël’s early life was spent in Colorado, where she spent time with her brothers enjoying all that the Rockies make available. Being exposed to such a strikingly beautiful wilderness had its impact on Noël. Being free to roam has been her way, she has raised our children to be the same, free spirits.

A couple of years ago I left a thirty-year career in the corporate world. Noël and  I needed the change, to become “simple” again. We want our children and grandchildren to have the opportunity to experience the life we did growing up, together, to strive for the dream of a family owned and operated label that provides the love and care to make fine wines. We are Troika Wines.