MAY 13-16, 2021
EVENTS
Immersion Vineyard Exploration
The ideal conditions for growing world-class Chardonnay converge in the southernmost tip of Sonoma Valley’s Los Carneros appellation, specifically at Sangiacomo Family Vineyards. It’s no wonder that several of the region’s top wineries source fruit from these acclaimed vineyards. Winegrowers and brothers, Steve and Mike Sangiacomo, whose family have been farming since 1927, will personally welcome Immersion guests for an intimate exploration of this incomparable site. A cadre of Sonoma Valley’s cool-climate focused winemakers, who bring a renewed focus and discipline to one of the most well-loved varieties, will lead a lively discussion of the highly regarded Sangiacomo Vineyard designate chardonnays. Guests will then be invited to the Catarina Gardens for a beautiful lunch nestled in the heart of Carneros, a not-open-to-the-public outdoor dining room of the legendary Sangiacomo family.
The Setting
Ram’s Great Winery
The stunning Ram’s Gate Winery is a modern interpretation of the weathered farmsteads of old Carneros, a breathtaking setting to experience acclaimed wines from Sonoma’s marquee vineyard sites, including their highly coveted estate.
Featured Vintners & Growers
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.
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Lisa Amaroli
Richard & Alis Arrowood
Proprietors
Amapola Creek Winery by Richard Arrowood
Richard Arrowood is an iconic winemaster who has been making wine exclusively in Sonoma County for more than for 45 years. From 1974 through 1990, he created the wines for Chateau St. Jean, where he developed some of the first vineyard-designate Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Sonoma County.
He and his wife, Alis, founded Arrowood Winery with the 1985 vintage. Each year, they made extraordinary small-lot varietals and vineyard designates. Richard was the winemaster at Arrowood Winery until June 2010, when he resigned his position to devote himself full-time to making wines for his estate winery, Amapola Creek Vineyards and Winery.
Richard Lee Arrowood was born in San Francisco and raised in Santa Rosa, California, in the heart of Sonoma County. He began his winemaking career in 1965, working at Korbel Champagne Cellars while attending college. He earned a B.A. in organic chemistry at California State University, Sacramento, and completed graduate work in enology at California State University, Fresno.
From Korbel, he moved first to United Vintners and then to Sonoma Vineyards, where he worked for Rodney Strong and further developed his appreciation for the potential of single vineyard sites. In 1974 the founders of Chateau St. Jean chose Richard as their first employee and winemaster.
Within a few years, Richard had gained critical acclaim and a worldwide reputation for his wines. He produced vineyard-designate Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Fumé Blanc, Johannisberg Riesling, and Gewürztraminer bottlings in unprecedented numbers: from the 1980 vintage, the winery marketed nine single-vineyard Chardonnays from within Sonoma County.
By producing numerous small-lot, single-vineyard wines, Richard successfully demonstrated the significance of site—of terroir. Using virtually identical winemaking techniques for a given varietal, he showed that the differences in the resulting wines came from the vineyard, not the cellar. It was a revolutionary accomplishment. Richard received perhaps his greatest accolades for botrytis-affected late harvest wines, which rivaled even the great Trockenbeerenauslesen in richness and intensity.
In 1981 Richard met Alis Demers at the first California Wine Experience in San Francisco. They started dating and were married in 1985. In the same year, they created another partnership and began the plans for building Arrowood Vineyards & Winery.
Richard remained at Chateau St. Jean as executive vice president/winemaster until joining Alis at Arrowood full-time in 1990. Together they created a highly acclaimed prestige brand, which Robert Mondavi Corp. purchased in 2000. Richard and Alis stayed on, but after Constellation Brands purchased Mondavi in 2004 and subsequently sold Arrowood in 2005 to the (now bankrupt) Legacy Estate Group, Richard and Alis began Amapola Creek Winery.
Jackson Family Wines acquired Arrowood Vineyards & Winery through the bankruptcy court in September 2006. Richard continued as winemaster there until June 2010, when he left to devote his energies full-time to Amapola Creek Vineyards and Winery.
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Richard & Alis Arrowood
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.
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Jeff Baker
Prema Behan
Chief Operating Officer
THREE STICKS WINES
Look around for photos of Three Sticks Wines’ Chief Operating Officer Prema Behan: you’ll be hard pressed to find one in which she’s not open-mouthed smiling or laughing. To put it mildly, Behan, who’s first name (Prema) translates from Sanskrit to mean “giver of love,” is a joy to be around.
Behan began working for Three Sticks Wines founder Bill Price III in 2000 in an administrative position at Texas Pacific Group (TPG). She soon found herself working closely with Price, his family, and TPG’s Director of Operations. Her work there doubled as business school: she witnessed TPG’s rapid growth and global expansion, as well as from her experience closely assisting Price in his pursuits. Behan became an essential part of Price’s team, and began helping manage his winery operations. She has been involved in Three Sticks Wines from its founding, and has built relationships with every member of the winery’s allocation list as it grew from Price’s friends and family to include a growing number of Pinot-savvy consumers.
“Bill [Price] is one of the most exciting and interesting human beings to be around,” says Behan. “To me, Three Sticks Wines is really the essence of him, from his love of the land to his relentless pursuit of excellence. So it’s an enormous honor to get to run it,” she adds.
While Behan notes that she wouldn’t be in the wine industry if it hadn’t been for Price, hospitality comes naturally to her. Raised in Marin by her mother, a GM of restaurants, and her stepfather, an executive chef, she learned early on that hard work and fun don’t necessarily have to be mutually exclusive.
Behan was involved in the design and creation of Price’s other independent wine brands: Lutum Wines – a boutique Pinot and Chardonnay winery in Santa Barbara with Gavin Chanin and Head High – a lifestyle brand built with Sam Spencer to make delicious wines for adventure lovers.
“I believe in authenticity, in balance, and inspiring those around you to perform to their absolute best,” she says. “It really is my goal to have our team fulfilling their jobs via their skills and talents and loving what they do. That will equal our success,” she adds.
The Sonoma resident and busy mother of two (she has a 19-year-old and a 5-year-old son) is on the board of the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation as the Vice President, and recently completed the California State University Sonoma’s Executive MBA program (with Honors!).
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Prema Behan
Nate Belden
Cheif Proprietor
BELDEN BARNS
Raised on a horse farm in Colorado, agriculture has always played an important part in Nate’s life. With one grandfather operating a cattle ranch in Montana and the other farming dairy and corn in Nebraska, it isn’t surprising that Nate developed a deep passion for the land, fantasizing about tractors and livestock the way his friends dreamed of fast cars and high tech gadgets.
After graduating University of Colorado, Boulder, Nate put his rural dreams on hold in the name of a very urban finance career that led him to New York City and then to San Francisco. But the farming bug never left him. In fact, the further away he got from an agrarian life, the more he missed it.
In 2004, while still toiling away at his city job, Nate spent a holiday weekend with friends in wine country, and decided to steal away to look at an available farm in Sonoma. Despite the fact that the property was both well beyond his budget and his time available to operate a working vineyard, it was love at first sight. The visit fueled an entire year of monthly drives to Sonoma Mountain Road, where he would park in front of the property’s mailbox and fantasize about becoming a wine grower.
On one such pilgrimage to Sonoma in early summer 2005, the “For Sale” sign had been pulled, bringing his fantasy to an abrupt halt. After a few weeks of deep disappointment, Nate called the realtor to see if any similar properties were available, only to learn that the sale had fallen through. This time, he leapt at the opportunity to plant a flag on the site we now call Belden Barns.
These days, when Nate’s not immersed in planning this year’s crops or next year’s harvest and bottling, he is most likely adventuring around the Bay Area with Lauren and their two small children, Olivia and Milo. Active volunteers, Nate and Lauren also focus their efforts on improving the lives of orphans near Arusha, Tanzania, and put a portion of wine sales towards this cause.
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Nate Belden
Jamie Benziger
Winemaker
IMAGERY ESTATE WINERY
Born and raised in Sonoma County’s wine business has been such an amazing privilege, however growing up, Jamie says she didn’t fully understand what she was a part of. As a kid Jamie was always on the move whether it was playing soccer, riding her pony, or running around the winery with her two sisters, Kelly and Jill. It wasn’t until Jamie was studying Marketing at Loyola Marymount University and working summers in the concierge booth that she realized she wanted the family business to be her future. To get closer to home and the winery, Jamie transferred to Sonoma State University to complete her marketing degree and add wine business to her studies. She interned at Gundlach Bundschu winery and then branched out into winemaking after graduating. As soon as Jamie had worked her first harvest in the lab at Benziger she was mesmerized by winemaking. Since that first harvest in 2009, Jamie has had incredible opportunities to continue learning the chemistry of wine in the lab at St. Francis and Bogle wineries, traveling to New Zealand to drag hoses in the cellar at Villa Maria, and get her hands dirty in the field at Enterprise Vineyards. Now, after exploring the many facets of winemaking and the wine business, she is finally back home at Imagery Estate Winery
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Jamie Benziger
Eva Bertran
Vice President of Marketing
GLORIA FERRER CAVES & VINEYARDS / WINDVANE
Eva Bertran brings a captivating blend of Spanish style and California charisma to Gloria Ferrer Caves &
Vineyards. Complemented by her impressive wine expertise and deep understanding of the Sonoma
Carneros region, Bertran is an ideal leader at Gloria Ferrer. Having left her native Spain in 1986 — where her own family was in the wine business — she is a member of the original team that launched Gloria Ferrer, and continues to oversee the winery as devotedly as if it were her own family business.
Bertran holds a master’s degree in international management from Spain’s top business school, Escuela
Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas University (ESADE). Armed with this education, she has lent her astute intelligence and dynamic energy to every job she undertakes. She is instrumental in fostering the Catalonian traditions through every facet of Gloria Ferrer, infusing the company culture with her own casual elegance, quick wit,and enthusiasm.
A passionate wine educator, Bertran embraces her role as international ambassador for Gloria Ferrer,
leading sparkling wine and food pairings for consumers,trade, and media. She is relentless in her
understanding of sparkling wine as much more than a celebratory beverage. The cooking skills that Bertran has cultivated throughout a lifetime have led to a dynamic understanding of sparkling wine and its versatility with food. Her presentations at the winery and throughout the world are insightful and
profoundly persuasive.
Bertran is equally involved in her local wine community. A past-president of the Sonoma County Vintners, she remains an active member in the association. She also served as president of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Board of Directors and for many years on the Board of Carneros Wine Alliance. Away from work, Bertran complements her love of food and wine with her zeal for skiing, biking, yoga, and swimming.Having studied with the famous Catalan Chef Montserrat Segui,she enjoys preparing traditional Catalan dishes inspired by her grandmother,Teresa,for her husband, David, and their sons, Paul and Jack.
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Eva Bertran
Jean-Charles Boisset
Proprieter
BUENA VISTA WINERY
Jean-Charles Boisset was born into the world of wine in the village of Vougeot, Burgundy, France. His lifelong passion for wine began as a child, growing up above the cellars and within view of the centuries-old vineyards of Château du Clos Vougeot, the epicenter and birthplace of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
His parents, Jean-Claude and Claudine, founded the family winery in 1961 with an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in one of the most traditional winegrowing regions in the world. Today, the family collection includes wineries that share more than 18 centuries of combined winemaking heritage and tradition in some of the world’s most prestigious terroirs, from Burgundy to the South of France, to California’s Napa Valley and Russian River Valley.
Jean-Charles leads the family firm with passionate commitment to fine wine, history, quality and a deep respect for the environment. He implemented organic and Biodynamic farming at all of the family’s estate vineyards in Burgundy and California. Together with his sister Nathalie, he created Domaine de la Vougeraie, uniting the family’s Burgundy vineyards, including prestigious monopoles such as the Vougeot 1er Cru Clos Blanc de Vougeot – planted in 1110 by the Cistercian monks, into one of Burgundy’s leading domaines. He instituted the concept of “viniculteur”, redefining the company’s traditional role to encompass a close and active interest in all aspects of winegrowing to ensure premium quality and sustainable farming practices. He refashioned and elevated the family’s founding winery bearing his father’s name – Jean-Claude Boisset – into a premier boutique vigneron in the Cotes de Nuits.
In 2003 Jean-Charles brought DeLoach Vineyards, a pioneering producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, into the family collection. He immediately recognized the similarities to Burgundy: each boast a confluence of river, mountains, and soil that is perfect for growing world-class Pinot Noir. He began a mission, inspired by his Burgundian heritage to produce terroir-driven wines with the same commitment to terroir and organic and Biodynamic farming he had instituted in Burgundy. In 2009 Jean-Charles’ quest for California wineries with a sense of history, heritage and a pioneering spirit, led him to Raymond Vineyards in the Napa Valley, where five generations of family winemaking anchors it to the earliest days of the Napa Valley. Under his vision, Raymond has become a leading producer of luxury fine wines, implemented organic and Biodynamic farming on its 100 acre Rutherford estate, and become among the most dynamic winery destinations in California, earning “Winery of the Year” honors from Wine Enthusiast magazine. In 2011, Jean-Charles’ dream of championing California wine history became a reality when Buena Vista Winery, California’s first premium winery, founded in 1857, became a part of the Boisset Collection. From this great foundation of historical, pioneering wineries in France and California, Jean-Charles’ sets forth a vision of the wine world centered on family, passion, history, innovation, a commitment to fine wines, and a dedication to sustainable winegrowing.
Decanter magazine has included him on its “Power List” of the fifty most important people in the wine world each year of its publication since 2007; in March 2008, he received the Meininger’s International Wine Entrepreneur of the Year; and in December 2008, he was named “Innovator of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The French America Foundation awarded him their first-ever French-American Partnership Award in 2013, bestowed upon an extraordinary individual or organization that has contributed to creating a strong and enduring French-American partnership in business, government, or academia. Haute Living Magazine named him to the Haute List San Francisco, recognizing the 100 most influential people in the San Francisco Bay Area. JFK University in Concord, CA named he and his wife, Gina Gallo-Boisset, their 2014 “Entrepreneur’s of the Year” in an awards ceremony on May 16, 2014. He was honored with the 2014 Jefferson Award by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, which celebrates the museum’s historical connection with Thomas Jefferson and his renowned love of fine wine.
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Jean-Charles Boisset
Erich Bradley
Winemaker
PANGLOSS CELLARS-SOJOURN CELLARS
A native of Palo Alto, California, Erich became interested in wine while helping his family develop their vineyard on a small ranch in Sonoma Valley. Prior to that, Erich studied Bio-chemistry at the University of Chicago and Philosophy and Modern European Intellectual History at the University of California at Irvine. This led him to an initial career as high school teacher and tennis coach. Since moving to Sonoma in 1998, he has studied winemaking at the University of California at Davis and viticulture at Santa Rosa College. He has also benefited greatly from the mentoring of winemakers Richard Arrowood and David Ramey.
In 1999, Erich worked as a harvest lab technician at Arrowood Vineyards and Winery, a position that extended into Assistant Enologist through 2002. Erich left Arrowood in January of 2003 to become the Winemaker for Audelssa Estate Winery in Glen Ellen, a position he continues to hold today. Erich also spent two vintages as Winemaker for Hop Kiln Winery and has consulted on various winery projects in Sonoma and Mendocino throughout his winemaking career.
When Erich takes time away from winemaking and the vineyards, you can usually find him on the golf course or in his kitchen cooking up French and Italian country classics for his friends and family.
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Erich Bradley
Katie Bundschu
Proprietor
ABBOT’S PASSAGE
Sixth generation vintner, Katie Bundschu (and her canine side-kick Bacchus), has always chartered her own path in life. After college, she pursued a decade-long career in higher education before returning to the family business in 2012. Given her adventurous spirit and driving quest for discovery, Katie was keen to start a new project that branched out from the family vineyard and showcased her family’s longstanding knowledge of Sonoma Valley. Such was born Abbot’s Passage in 2016, with the vision to highlight notable but often-overlooked vineyards across Sonoma, and potentially beyond.
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Katie Bundschu
Bill Canihan
Proprieter
Canihan Family Wines
Bill Canihan works closely with consulting winemaker Alexandra Romanini to craft his small allotments of premium Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cabernet Franc from his small family vineyards in Sonoma Valley. His methods showcase the extraordinary fruit from his cool-climate site and the response his wines continue to receive is nothing short of impressive.
Canihan studied business while at UOP and in his free time enjoyed ski racing (he actually almost made the Olympic Team and for three seasons raced on the Pro Circuit). After college, Canihan joined two San Francisco-based wine tasting groups, the Vintners Club, and Friends of the Grape (FOG) where he focused on the details of his favorite producers, such as Rochioli and Williams Selyem, and used them as guides in his own production.
Today, Canihan is thrilled to share his wines with others and currently offers his wines in two tasting room facilities – one being a winery collective with a group of boutique wineries in San Francisco and the other being a small barn on his vineyard property in Sonoma Valley. “Bring your boots!” Canihan laughs. “It may be a little muddy out there, but it definitely gives people the real experience.”
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Bill Canihan
Katie Carter
Winemaker
BUENA VISTA WINERY
A true local, Katie Carter was born and raised in the town of Forestville. Katie earned a degree in Biology from UC Berkley in 2003. Katie’s deep love of nature and all creatures’ great (frogs) and small (yeast) led her to a variety of lab and field research jobs. She accepted a harvest position at Tandem Winery with Winemaker Greg La Follette. Katie loved the pace, spirit, and purpose of the winery led by Greg. This enthusiasm led to several winery lab positions and a 2006 assistant winemaking position with Mike Dobrovic at Mulderbosch Vineyards in South Africa.
She returned to West Sonoma County to survive her second harvest that year, joining the DeLoach team as Enologist. Promoted to Assistant Winemaker in 2012, Katie’s a key player on our winemaking team keeping winemaker Brian Maloney in line, as well as supervising lab and cellar endeavors. She’s delighted to be working with such fabulous and dedicated people. Katie loves being actively involved around the winery whether it is the regular barrel tasting, a day on the bottling line, chasing endearing dim-witted dirty sheep around the vineyard or blending our best Pinot Noir to perfection.
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Katie Carter
Keith Casale
Proprietor
GEHRICKE
Born in Atlanta, GA and raised as an Army brat, Keith Casale was exposed to multiple cultures in several foreign countries until settling in Venture, CA to attend St. Bonaventure High School. As a graduate of the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Keith settled in Napa Valley to pursue his passion for wine and a career opportunity in the industry. With a love for good food and great wine, Keith has developed a 25 year career in wine & spirits sales and finance. He currently works at 3 Badge Beverage Corporation and resides in Sonoma with his wife, Rie. Along with the good fortune of having children and grandchildren who also live in Sonoma, Keith’s passions include scuba diving, wakeboarding, and of course, Sonoma Valley wine!
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Keith Casale
Dalia Ceja
Sales & Marketing Director
CEJA VINEYARDS
Dalia Ceja has been surrounded by wine, food and travel her entire life. She may have grown up in the wine industry but she comes from very humble beginnings. In the late 1960’s her grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, worked in the vineyards and settled in the Napa Valley. With her parents as her role models, hardwork and education have been the forefront of Dalia’s drive to excel.
In 2008 she graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Marketing & Communications. After graduating from college she departed on a six month “Study Abroad” backpacking journey through South America, learning, exploring and enriching her career with real life experiences. This became the anchor for a blog that she would later launch in 2011.
In 2010 she brought her expertise to Ceja Vineyards as the Sales and Marketing Director, “A lot of minority wineries are developing their own style,” she says. “For us, it’s been about family and taking wine to a new level.” And for Dalia, being a Ceja means being part of that evolution, which includes promoting awareness of authentic Mexican cuisine and its subtle, complex flavors—the perfect companion for pairings that yield a new wine experience.
“Technology and social media have been a great way to expand our presence,” she says of the tweeting and blogging she does regularly. It is, however, cooking and the Ceja approach to wine and food that continue to be the biggest factor in opening doors. Dalia’s growing role in the culinary world is reflected in the expanding presence of food on the winery’s website, www.cejavineyards.com, and on YouTube, where she has published cooking demonstration videos.
In 2011 Dalia was named “Woman of the Year” through the Napa Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her entrepreneurial leadership and charitable contributions. In May of 2011 she launched her own blog and website – www.ddaliaceja.com. She highlights her own passions to creatively foucs on wine, fashion, food, travel, and fiestas! In 2012 she partnered with NakedWines.com as a consulting winemaker and launched her own wines under the La Tapatia wine label exclusively selling a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and is currently on her 5th wine vintage.
“You’re never too young or too old to explore your passions,” says Dalia, who is grateful to her parents for encouraging her to do just that. In 2014 she graduated from Sonoma State University and received her Executive MBA in Wine Marketing and Business. With her personal flare and her passion for wine, cooking and travel, Dalia is set to leave her mark.
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Dalia Ceja
Cyril Chappellet
Proprietor
SONOMA-LOEB
Moving to a home in the middle of the vineyards when he was 10 years old, Cyril Chappellet’s course in life was influenced by the romance of the vineyards and the growth of Napa Valley’s wine industry. The eldest son of Molly & Donn Chappellet, Cyril was encouraged to make his own career choices and explore life away from the family winery.
After studying farm management at Cal Poly and completing his business education at Pepperdine University, Cyril began his career in corporate planning and acquisitions working on the East-coast for an oil and insurance company. In 1988, with nearly 10 years of business experience under his belt, Cyril returned to Pritchard Hill, excited by the challenges Chappellet faced in an ever-changing industry. Cyril says his goal was “to continue what my father started – making extraordinary wines that express the unique growing conditions of Pritchard Hill.”
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Cyril Chappellet
Megan Cline
Partner
JACUZZI FAMILY VINEYARDS
Megan Cline is part of the second generation of Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Born and raised in Sonoma on the winery, Megan was surrounded by wine her entire life and developed an early passion which led her to Santa Barbara.
Upon graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara she stayed in the area, exploring and working the wine industry of the California Central Coast where she passed her Certified Sommelier course through the Court of Master Sommeliers.
More recently, Megan has returned to her roots in Sonoma and can be found doing a little bit of everything at the winery–working in the vineyard and with winemaking during harvest, hosting winery events, and working in the marketing department. When she’s not working at the winery, Megan is out taking photos, enjoying the food and wine scene of Sonoma County, and traveling around the world visiting other wine regions.
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Megan Cline
Jeff Cohn
Winemaker & Owner
Jeff Cohn Cellars
Jeff Cohn got his start in the industry just over 20 years ago. As an intern at Boordy Vineyards in Maryland, he drove an hour and half each way to prune trees in frigid weather, pick grapes in stifling heat, and scrub everything from barrels to floors. After college he found his passion for wine steadily growing. The more he learned, the more he wanted to learn, until he realized that becoming a winemaker was his ultimate goal. The job at Boordy was a deciding factor in the trajectory of his career — in spite of all the scrubbing.
With the encouragement and support of his family, Jeff moved to California in 1993 to follow his dream. He earned his master’s degree in agriculture chemistry, with an emphasis on enology, from California State University, Fresno. It was here that Jeff discovered French winemaking techniques and the concept of terroir. “The flavor profile was so different than anything else I had ever tried,” he says of the first Chateauneuf-du-Pape he tried in school. “It was a shocker. To go from tasting only single varietals to a blend really opened my eyes.”
Upon graduation, Jeff joined Rosenblum Cellars as an enologist. He rapidly moved beyond lab work and was officially promoted to winemaker, and in 2004 was named vice president of winemaking and production at Rosenblum. He was instrumental in creating cutting-edge barrel and yeast programs at the winery. It was through experimentation at Rosenblum that Jeff perfected the technique of using different types of yeast to create even more subtle, specific characteristics in the wine he was crafting.
He began his own label, JC Cellars, in 1996. Jeff goes to great lengths to marry California fruit to the aspects of terroir and minerality you’d find in France’s oldest winemaking regions. He does so by travelling all over California, from Paso Robles to Alexander Valley, in search of the finest fruit and the best vineyards. Among some of Jeff’s most important discoveries include the Rockpile region in Sonoma, where 14 years ago he began sourcing the Syrah grapes that are now the main component of his most elegant and complex wines; the Buffalo Hill Syrah, Haley’s Reserve Syrah, and the stunning 2013 Domaine des Chirats Syrah
The future of Jeff Cohn Cellars involves exacting even more attention on the quality of the fruit. “The Rhône stuff is the passion,” Jeff says, “but now we have some great Zinfandel vineyards including Cassata, Sweetwater Springs, Iron Hill, and the remarkable St. Peter’s Church. The goal is to become a bit more focused and work with some really small vineyards and growers that we know are the best of the best.”
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Jeff Cohn
PHIL COTURRI
Viticulturist / Proprietor
ENTERPRISE VINEYARDS / KAMEN ESTATE VINEYARD / WINERY SIXTEEN 600
Phil Coturri, a pioneer of organic viticulture, has been overseeing the Kamen Estate vineyards since Robert Kamen purchased the property in l980. Phil is a highly regarded Viticulturist with over thirty-five years experience with top quality northern California vineyards.
If you ask him, Phil Coturri might quote a Levon Helm song and describe himself as a “poor old dirt farmer”. However, after 35 years pioneering organic and biodynamic winegrowing in California descriptions range from “famed organic viticulturalist” by the Hollywood Reporter to “the ubiquitous wizard of sustainable winemaking” by Sonoma Magazine. He was born with the cultural palate of Italian immigrants, weaned on the music and ethos of San Francisco in the 1960’s and planted deep into the rocky hillsides of Sonoma Valley.
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Phil Coturri
Cabell Coursey
Founder
COURSEY GRAVES
Cabell Coursey’s obsession with winemaking began with a harvest in Burgundy while he was enjoying an undergraduate semester abroad. After finishing his B.S., Cabell spent a few vintages picking grapes and scrubbing floors in Burgundy, and then moved up to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Following his time in Oregon, Cabell traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand, where earned degrees in Enology and Viticulture from Lincoln University where he focused on cool climate viticulture. Cabell’s approach to winemaking is to use his senses in conjunction with his knowledge in biology, chemistry, and farming.
Cabell describes his philosophy:
“Winemaking is the culmination of a vast number of decisions. Starting with the site, the farming practice, the response to weather conditions, the picking date, the tank and barrel programs, ferment protocols, and continuing through blending and bottling. It is the daily decisions, actions, and sometimes lack of action that unlocks a vineyard’s highest potential. This quest to reveal each vineyards unique personality, while dealing with the challenges inherent in farming, is what makes winemaking challenging, interesting, and highly rewarding. My goal is always the same, to deliver each vineyard’s best expression in each vintage and to make a wine where the last glass is better than the first.”
Coursey Graves is a collaboration between John Graves, a Minneapolis tech entrepreneur, and Cabell Coursey an established Sonoma County Winemaker. The relationship began when Graves acquired the Bennett Valley Winery where Cabell was making wine. Aligned with the belief that great wines aren’t dictated by specific zip codes. Coursey Graves’s mission is to grow transcendent fruit and make original wines from the lesser known mountainsides of Napa and Sonoma.
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Cabell Coursey
Michael Cox
Winemaker
SCHUG CARNEROS ESTATE
A Northern California native, Winemaker Michael Cox grew up in Sonoma and spent time in both the Sonoma and Napa wine producing regions as a student. His local head start gave him an enviable background that most young winemakers find very difficult to achieve.
Mike first attended the University of California at Los Angeles, studying chemical engineering and working in a wine cellar during the summer. It was then that his love for wine surfaced and took him down another road. In order to become a member of the wine industry, he transferred to the U.C. Davis campus and graduated with a degree in Enology in 1991. Mike also took advantage of coming home from school each summer to work at Sonoma area wineries, gaining good solid experience every step of the way. He worked his way up through the cellars of two prestigious wineries, Hacienda and Dry Creek Vineyards, during and after he finished school. His first full Winemaker position was at DeMoor Winery in 1992. Mike likes to work closely with growers and prefers small production vineyards that contribute unique qualities to his blends. The Carneros grapes Mike works with at Schug offer unrivaled wine-making opportunities due to their unique diversity and complex, well-developed flavor characteristics.
In the cellar, his focus is on staying abreast of current winemaking developments. He favors progressive use of the newer technologies available to winemakers today, such as the Voll Tauchers, hydraulic punch-down fermenters that automate the process of gently punching down the cap during fermentation. Mike also has the impressive ability to manage the hundreds of separate lots stored in the cellars before blending, including the judicious adaptation of specific barrel coopers to specific vineyard lots, in order to emphasize the terroir.
As Winemaker, an important member of the Schug family team, Mike works closely with Sales & Marketing Director Axel Schug. Together their winemaking talents create the premium Carneros and Sonoma wines with the European flair that Schug is famous for.
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Mike Cox
Lloyd Davis
Founder
CORNER 103
Committed to continuing his track record for producing award-winning wines, Sonoma County was selected as the ideal location to introduce his newest brand.
Corner 103 is crafting limited production wines that showcase each varietal as well as the region in which they grow. Each wine comes from a different American Viticulture Area (AVA) of Sonoma County. In selecting a varietal, Lloyd took into consideration the soil conditions, weather and vineyard location, all of which affect the flavor characteristics of the grape. This allows him the ability to create very approachable wines that reflect the true quality of that region.
Corner 103 is also about creating a unique experience where wine is explored and discussed in a relaxed and fun environment. Lloyd wants you to learn all about his wines in a friendly, non-intimidating way. As a result, you will explore seven wines in a seated comfortable environment. There will be no more than 10 guests at any time.
Lloyd is committed to making Corner 103 a “must visit” for all wine lovers, whether expert or novice, coming to Sonoma Valley. When you finish this tasting experience, you will become a “fan” of Corner 103, its wines, its staff and be able to impress your friends with the depth of your wine knowledge!
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Lloyd Davis
Dan Fishman
Winemaker
DONUM ESTATE
Dan is the winemaker at Donum Estate where he started as an intern under former winemaker, Kenneth Juhasz in 2007. After working on five vintages, Dan became very familiar with the winemaking style of the Donum Estate and was named winemaker in June 2012.
Prior to becoming Donum’s winemaker, Dan spent time working a harvest at Wither Hills in New Zealand. His formal studies are in Philosophy and Psychology. His love for wine was sparked at an undergraduate course at Cornell University, Wine Appreciation 101. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Cornell University and a MA in Social Psychology from the University of British Columbia. In addition, he has worked at wine shops in Vancouver, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.
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Dan Fishman
Squire & Suzy Fridell
Proprietors
GLENLYON VINEYARDS & WINERY
Squire Fridell
Squire may look like a Vintner, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, but he also holds the possible distinction of being the only actor in history to have never drawn unemployment benefits. He graduated from University of Pacific and holds a Master’s Degree in Acting/Directing from Occidental College.
If Squire’s face looks vaguely familiar, it’s because he was one of the most successful actors ever in television commercials. Since 1970, he performed as principal on-camera talent in over 3,400 television commercials and about twice that many television and radio voice-overs. No matter where you might be living in the USofA, he was most likely in your living room more than once trying to sell you something. He was the on-camera spokesman for Toyota (1978-2012) and from 1984 until 1991 you might have spotted him on TV wearing a funny yellow and red outfit chasing “The Hamburglar” around McDonaldland!
Squire began his professional acting career on stage in Southern California with South Coast Repertory in 1968 and was one of the last “Contract Players” at Universal Studios. He has starred in twelve television pilots (mostly short lived), five big screen features (mostly unmemorable films), and starred/guest-starred in a whole bunch of TV shows over the years. He has been on the cover of TV GUIDE, was once “#1 Across” in the crossword puzzle of Daily Variety, and was photo-featured in NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE.
Squire is also the author of four published plays, a screenplay (that was almost made into a movie) and wrote the definitive commercial acting text, ACTING IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS FOR FUN AND PROFIT, now in its Fourth Edition, Harmony books. Go to Amazon and get a copy! If you’re a Clan Member, Squire would be glad to sign your copy next time you drop by to pick up your wine at GlenLyon!
Squire made the segue from actor/director to winemaker/vineyard manager gradually over the years, oft times wearing more than one hat, but it was a very smooth transition. “Same Greek God” as Squire is wont to say…
Suzy Fridell
Suzy McDermaid was born in Long Beach, California and grew up in Whittier. She holds a BA in Dance from UCLA where she taught, choreographed and performed with the UCLA Dance Company for three years.
In 1969 she moved to New York City to study dance with Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis and three months later, packed her bags to leave for her first European tour with the Nikolais Dance Theatre Company. She stayed with Nik for nine years, performing in twelve foreign tours and over forty US tours.
Suzy married Squire Fridell in 1977 and the newlyweds settled on a bi-coastal life. After a couple of years of frequent flying from NYC to LA and LA to NYC, they decided to give up Suzy’s cherished (rent-controlled) loft in Manhattan and take up “permanent” residence in their new home in Sunset Beach, California. After Suzy “retired” from the world of professional modern dance, she and Squire became proud parents of their daughter, Alexandra McDermaid Fridell, in 1982.
In 1986, Suzy and Squire decided that Sonoma Valley might be a wonderful place to raise their three-year old daughter.
Since their move to Glen Ellen, Suzy spent a zillion hours campaigning for school bonds, fund raising for schools, and volunteered for the schools and a myriad of community events. She and Squire were responsible for the construction of both an outdoor and an indoor theatre for two public schools in our Valley and they produced, choreographed, and directed plays in each for years. Suzy and Squire were both recognized and awarded “Volunteers of the Year in Education” for all of Sonoma County and when Suzy’s not at GlenLyon, you could find her somewhere in the middle of a gaggle of fellow vintner gals, choreographing and performing “Magnum Force” at each year’s annual Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Wine Auction. Suzy and Squire were honored to be co-chairs of the Auction a few years back.
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Squire & Suzy Fridell
Jeff Gaffner
Winemaker
RAM’S GATE WINERY
A grower at heart, Ram’s Gate Winemaker Jeff Gaffner is most content in the vineyard. He believes that wine is made there and focuses a great deal of his energy in the vineyards during the growing season to ensure balance and flavor, bringing the best possible fruit to cellar.
With more than 30-years of experience as both a grower and winemaker in Sonoma, Gaffner has developed longstanding relationships and recognition as a highly sought-after consulting winemaker. His first collaboration with Ram’s Gate Proprietor Jeff O’Neill began 15-years ago, and O’Neill, impressed by Gaffner’s depth of knowledge and belief that only great vineyards produce truly great wines, knew Gaffner was the obvious choice to lead Ram’s Gate’s mission: to produce the region’s finest single vineyard designate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
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Jeff Gaffner
Paul Giusto
Co Founder
HIGHWAY 12 VINEYARDS & WINERY
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Paul Giusto
Bart Hansen
Proprietor-Winemaker
DANE CELLARS
My career in the wine industry began as a summer job. During that first harvest, my job was to deliver five tons of grapes at a time, down the mountain, in a one-ton truck. It was from that experience that I knew I wanted to be a winemaker. I began my professional career with Kenwood Vineyards in 1986, where we specialized in vineyard-designated Zinfandels and Cabernets grown in Sonoma Valley.
In 1998, I left my position as Cellarmaster for Kenwood and joined the wine-making team at Benziger Family Winery, just down the road in Glen Ellen. My focus was the production of wines for the Benziger Family Ranch including Tribute, Imagery Estate and Benziger vineyard designates, and in particular the Zinfandel wines for Benziger and Imagery Estate. It was at Benziger that I was introduced to biodynamics and organic farming. At the time, both practices were new to the industry and we developed winemaking methods to go along with the farming practices.
I loved the idea of bringing cutting-edge techniques to age-old winemaking processes. With a passion for creating small-lot, distinctive wines, I was thrilled to join the Lasseter Family Vineyards in 2007 and to have the opportunity to create premium vintages of Rhone and Bordeaux-inspired blends from organically-grown grapes. It was also in 2007 that our son, Dane was born, becoming the inspiration and namesake for the opening of Dane Cellars, that same year.
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Bart Hansen
Kevin Holt
Winemaker
BELTANE RANCH
Kevin Holt crafts Beltane Ranch’s Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel to reflect the property’s authenticity and rustic elegance. Under his supervision, the grapes are allowed to mature until they develop the desired flavors, then are whole cluster pressed and cold soaked in stainless tanks to protect the juice. Holt uses a combination of new and neutral oak barrels to add a hint of spiciness to the bright, intensely flavored wine. Holt honed his skills at MacRostie Vineyards in Sonoma, Artesa in Napa, Testarossa Vineyards in Los Gatos, Quivira Vineyards in Healdsburg and before joining Beltane Ranch.
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Kevin Holt
Glenn Hugo
Winemaker
B. R. Cohn Winery
Winemaker Glenn Hugo began his career in Napa Valley 10 years ago at Girard Winery as a harvest intern. He was quickly promoted to Cellar Master and Assistant Winemaker, finally earning the title of Girard Winemaker.
Glenn’s background in the restaurant industry informs his artisanal approach to winemaking and wine as part of the culinary experience. A native Texan, Glenn developed his passion for wine in the restaurant industry before moving to Napa Valley with his family in 2003 to pursue a dream of becoming a winemaker.
Glenn’s formative winemaking experience was in Napa Valley and includes early assignments with Provenance Vineyards, where he learned from Napa legend Tom Rinaldi. As General Manager of Bounty Hunter Wine Bar in downtown Napa, Glenn met Marco DiGiulio, Chief Winemaker for Vintage Wine Estates, who launched Glenn on his winemaking career at Girard.
Glenn has garnered numerous awards, accolades and 90+ point scores for the Girard portfolio. In 2018, he accepted formal winemaker duties for B.R. Cohn Winery in Sonoma Valley, having worked with Marco on the Olive Hill Vineyard estate wines since Vintage Wine Estates purchased the property from Bruce Cohn in 2015.
Glenn’s philosophy is simple: wine is to be shared with friends, family and great food; it is a living and breathing expression that constantly evolves and instills memories.
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Glenn Hugo
Richard and Susan Idell
Proprietors
IDELL FAMILY VINEYARDS
Idell Family Vineyards, founded in 2005 by Richard Idell and Susan Kornblatt Idell, is well-known for producing Sonoma Valley premium grapes and wines. The vineyards are located within both Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Coast AVA’s. Idell Family Vineyards has partnered with viticulturist and vintner Steve Matthiasson of Napa to develop an ultra-premium Chardonnay vineyard, the Michael Mara Vineyard®. In addition to producing our own Chardonnay wine, from the Michael Mara Vineyard, grapes from this world class vineyard are currently sold to Kesner Wines, Scholium Project, Broc Cellars and Iconic Wines as well as Matthiasson Family Wines. These producers are all small premium wineries making hand-crafted wine. Six producers produce Chardonnay with a vineyard designate. The soil of this vineyard is similar to the rocky lower sections of the Durell Vineyard, which is, as the crow flies, a mile or so away. From the planting of the first vines, Steve Matthiasson, our partner along with his wife Jill, has continued to oversee vineyard operations for the Chardonnay Vineyard and additional red-wine plantings for our Oscar® line of red wines, Syrah and our traditional dry-farmed field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mourvedre and Grenache, all harvested and co-fermented as our Oscar® Mixed Blacks.
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Richard & Susan Idell
Jason Jardine
President
HANZELL VINEYARDS
Taking over as President and Director of Winemaking of Hanzell Vineyards in spring of 2014, Jason brings extensive wine business experience that starts literally from the ground up. After planting his first vineyard at the age of 18, Jason has acted as Vineyard Manager, Director of Winemaking and President for some of the finest wineries in the country including Flowers Vineyard and Winery, Rhys Vineyards, Clos Du Val, and Domaine Serene amongst others. With tremendous passion, Jason leads the Hanzell team through the implementation of Integrated Biodynamic Farming practices, allowing the vineyards to thrive and best express themselves in our wines. When not working here on the farm, you can find Jason in the family vegetable garden and spending time with his wife Ali and their two children, Gabriel and Pippin. Jason holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business.
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Jason Jardine
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.
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Kenneth Juhasz
Jason Jardine
President
HANZELL VINEYARDS
Taking over as President and Director of Winemaking of Hanzell Vineyards in spring of 2014, Jason brings extensive wine business experience that starts literally from the ground up. After planting his first vineyard at the age of 18, Jason has acted as Vineyard Manager, Director of Winemaking and President for some of the finest wineries in the country including Flowers Vineyard and Winery, Rhys Vineyards, Clos Du Val, and Domaine Serene amongst others. With tremendous passion, Jason leads the Hanzell team through the implementation of Integrated Biodynamic Farming practices, allowing the vineyards to thrive and best express themselves in our wines. When not working here on the farm, you can find Jason in the family vegetable garden and spending time with his wife Ali and their two children, Gabriel and Pippin. Jason holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business.
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Jason Jardine
Richard and Susan Idell
Proprietors
IDELL FAMILY VINEYARDS
Idell Family Vineyards, founded in 2005 by Richard Idell and Susan Kornblatt Idell, is well-known for producing Sonoma Valley premium grapes and wines. The vineyards are located within both Sonoma Valley and Sonoma Coast AVA’s. Idell Family Vineyards has partnered with viticulturist and vintner Steve Matthiasson of Napa to develop an ultra-premium Chardonnay vineyard, the Michael Mara Vineyard®. In addition to producing our own Chardonnay wine, from the Michael Mara Vineyard, grapes from this world class vineyard are currently sold to Kesner Wines, Scholium Project, Broc Cellars and Iconic Wines as well as Matthiasson Family Wines. These producers are all small premium wineries making hand-crafted wine. Six producers produce Chardonnay with a vineyard designate. The soil of this vineyard is similar to the rocky lower sections of the Durell Vineyard, which is, as the crow flies, a mile or so away. From the planting of the first vines, Steve Matthiasson, our partner along with his wife Jill, has continued to oversee vineyard operations for the Chardonnay Vineyard and additional red-wine plantings for our Oscar® line of red wines, Syrah and our traditional dry-farmed field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mourvedre and Grenache, all harvested and co-fermented as our Oscar® Mixed Blacks.
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Richard & Susan Idell
Jason Jardine
President
HANZELL VINEYARDS
Taking over as President and Director of Winemaking of Hanzell Vineyards in spring of 2014, Jason brings extensive wine business experience that starts literally from the ground up. After planting his first vineyard at the age of 18, Jason has acted as Vineyard Manager, Director of Winemaking and President for some of the finest wineries in the country including Flowers Vineyard and Winery, Rhys Vineyards, Clos Du Val, and Domaine Serene amongst others. With tremendous passion, Jason leads the Hanzell team through the implementation of Integrated Biodynamic Farming practices, allowing the vineyards to thrive and best express themselves in our wines. When not working here on the farm, you can find Jason in the family vegetable garden and spending time with his wife Ali and their two children, Gabriel and Pippin. Jason holds an MBA from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business.
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Jason Jardine
Katie Carter
Winemaker
BUENA VISTA WINERY
A true local, Katie Carter was born and raised in the town of Forestville. Katie earned a degree in Biology from UC Berkley in 2003. Katie’s deep love of nature and all creatures’ great (frogs) and small (yeast) led her to a variety of lab and field research jobs. She accepted a harvest position at Tandem Winery with Winemaker Greg La Follette. Katie loved the pace, spirit, and purpose of the winery led by Greg. This enthusiasm led to several winery lab positions and a 2006 assistant winemaking position with Mike Dobrovic at Mulderbosch Vineyards in South Africa.
She returned to West Sonoma County to survive her second harvest that year, joining the DeLoach team as Enologist. Promoted to Assistant Winemaker in 2012, Katie’s a key player on our winemaking team keeping winemaker Brian Maloney in line, as well as supervising lab and cellar endeavors. She’s delighted to be working with such fabulous and dedicated people. Katie loves being actively involved around the winery whether it is the regular barrel tasting, a day on the bottling line, chasing endearing dim-witted dirty sheep around the vineyard or blending our best Pinot Noir to perfection.
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Katie Carter
Keith Casale
Proprietor
GEHRICKE
Born in Atlanta, GA and raised as an Army brat, Keith Casale was exposed to multiple cultures in several foreign countries until settling in Venture, CA to attend St. Bonaventure High School. As a graduate of the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Keith settled in Napa Valley to pursue his passion for wine and a career opportunity in the industry. With a love for good food and great wine, Keith has developed a 25 year career in wine & spirits sales and finance. He currently works at 3 Badge Beverage Corporation and resides in Sonoma with his wife, Rie. Along with the good fortune of having children and grandchildren who also live in Sonoma, Keith’s passions include scuba diving, wakeboarding, and of course, Sonoma Valley wine!
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Keith Casale
Dalia Ceja
Sales & Marketing Director
CEJA VINEYARDS
Dalia Ceja has been surrounded by wine, food and travel her entire life. She may have grown up in the wine industry but she comes from very humble beginnings. In the late 1960’s her grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, worked in the vineyards and settled in the Napa Valley. With her parents as her role models, hardwork and education have been the forefront of Dalia’s drive to excel.
In 2008 she graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Marketing & Communications. After graduating from college she departed on a six month “Study Abroad” backpacking journey through South America, learning, exploring and enriching her career with real life experiences. This became the anchor for a blog that she would later launch in 2011.
In 2010 she brought her expertise to Ceja Vineyards as the Sales and Marketing Director, “A lot of minority wineries are developing their own style,” she says. “For us, it’s been about family and taking wine to a new level.” And for Dalia, being a Ceja means being part of that evolution, which includes promoting awareness of authentic Mexican cuisine and its subtle, complex flavors—the perfect companion for pairings that yield a new wine experience.
“Technology and social media have been a great way to expand our presence,” she says of the tweeting and blogging she does regularly. It is, however, cooking and the Ceja approach to wine and food that continue to be the biggest factor in opening doors. Dalia’s growing role in the culinary world is reflected in the expanding presence of food on the winery’s website, www.cejavineyards.com, and on YouTube, where she has published cooking demonstration videos.
In 2011 Dalia was named “Woman of the Year” through the Napa Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her entrepreneurial leadership and charitable contributions. In May of 2011 she launched her own blog and website – www.ddaliaceja.com. She highlights her own passions to creatively foucs on wine, fashion, food, travel, and fiestas! In 2012 she partnered with NakedWines.com as a consulting winemaker and launched her own wines under the La Tapatia wine label exclusively selling a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and is currently on her 5th wine vintage.
“You’re never too young or too old to explore your passions,” says Dalia, who is grateful to her parents for encouraging her to do just that. In 2014 she graduated from Sonoma State University and received her Executive MBA in Wine Marketing and Business. With her personal flare and her passion for wine, cooking and travel, Dalia is set to leave her mark.
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Dalia Ceja
Cyril Chappellet
Proprietor
SONOMA-LOEB
Moving to a home in the middle of the vineyards when he was 10 years old, Cyril Chappellet’s course in life was influenced by the romance of the vineyards and the growth of Napa Valley’s wine industry. The eldest son of Molly & Donn Chappellet, Cyril was encouraged to make his own career choices and explore life away from the family winery.
After studying farm management at Cal Poly and completing his business education at Pepperdine University, Cyril began his career in corporate planning and acquisitions working on the East-coast for an oil and insurance company. In 1988, with nearly 10 years of business experience under his belt, Cyril returned to Pritchard Hill, excited by the challenges Chappellet faced in an ever-changing industry. Cyril says his goal was “to continue what my father started – making extraordinary wines that express the unique growing conditions of Pritchard Hill.”
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