Premiere Napa Valley Live Auction

Genevieve Janssens

Winemaker, Robert Mondavi Winery

I believe in the words of Mr. Mondavi: "Find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life."

After receiving her National Diploma of Enology 1974, Genevieve returned to her family's vineyards in Corsica and France, which she managed from 1974 to 1977. Concurrently, she also owned and operated her own enology laboratory in Provence and served as consulting enologist to many French chateaux in the mid-seventies.

Drawn to the Robert Mondavi Winery's philosophy in winemaking and winegrowing, Genevieve moved to the Napa Valley in 1978. From 1978 - 1979, she fully absorbed this philosophy, working at the Robert Mondavi Winery as a lab enologist and an assistant enologist. Deeply interested in the winemaking revolution taking hold in the state, Genevieve continued exploring California for the next decade, holding several consulting positions.

Genevieve became director of production at Opus One Winery in 1989. Then, in 1997, she came full circle as the director of winemaking at the Robert Mondavi Winery. In 2000, she helped implement the To Kalon Project, the winery's first major renovation since it was founded in 1966.

For Genevieve, carrying on the legacy of her beloved mentor, the late Robert Mondavi, is both a joy and an honor. "With our To Kalon Cellar finished and the new vineyard projects underway, this is an exciting time for the winery, and for me," she says. "I am proud to be the torchbearer of Mr. Mondavi's vision."

Country born: Morroco

Education: Genevieve's formal wine education began under the tutelage of the three legendary fathers of modern enology: Jean Ribereau-Gayon; his son, Pascal Ribereau-Gayon; and Emile Peynaud, with whom she studied at the University of Bordeaux, France.

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Honors / Awards:
Honored by the French governement as an Officer of the Ordre National du Merite Agricole (2009)
Named winemaker of the year for 2010 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Winemaking Philosophy:
It starts with the earth, the legacy of what we have received from our ancestors and what we are going to leave for the future generation. We must work to maintain the land, to grow so that we all live in symbiosis: the earth, the vines, the people - care creates quality.

Kurtis Ogasawara

Winemaker, Robert Mondavi Winery

Growing up in Sunnyvale, California, Kurtis lived just outside of Wine Country in the Bay Area. When he went off to college, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis.

When asked why he wanted to become a winemaker, he said, “It is the perfect mix of science and art; wine is something you can create to enjoy with family and friends.”

Kurtis began his career in California wine, working with sparkling wine at Domaine Chandon and Mumm Napa then moved further up the valley to Newton Vineyard where he was an Enologist. Drawn towards the idea of working for a historic winery and vineyard, Kurtis began his career at Robert Mondavi Winery in 2015 as the Enologist. In 2017 he joined the winemaking team as Assistant Winemaker and in 2018, Senior Winemaker at Robert Mondavi Winery.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Sally Johnson Blum

Winemaker, Robert Mondavi Winery

Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sally Johnson Blum attended the University of Michigan as an undergrad and became fascinated with winemaking while studying abroad in France.

After completing her dual degree in French Literature and Biology, she obtained a master’s degree in winemaking from UC Davis and began her career as a winemaker.

Sally’s many accolades include two 100-point scores, two wines on the Wine Spectator’s Top 10 Wines list, multiple wines featured in White House state dinners during every administration of her tenure and being named #3 on Glamour magazine’s “Top 10 Most Badass Women Winemakers” list.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Nova Cadamatre

Winemaker, Robert Mondavi Winery

In 2017, Nova became the first female winemaker in the United States to earn a Master of Wine degree, one of the most difficult wine certifications in the world.

She has been named to Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 under 40 list and has numerous 90+ scoring wines to her credit from both coasts. She has spoken for Bloomberg Financial and the Cornell Entrepreneurship Conference among numerous industry presentations and keynote speeches including ASEV, the Unified Symposium, BEV-NY, and The Vintage Report in Napa.

“Nova’s dedication to excellence embodies the Robert Mondavi winemaking philosophy. She is the perfect addition to our team and will carry the torch forward so that future generations can experience
and enjoy Robert Mondavi’s vision of balanced, world-class wines,” said fellow winemaker Genevieve Janssens.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years