Premiere Napa Valley Live Auction

Celia Welch

Winemaker, Davies Vineyards

After more than twenty-five years of making wines for other Napa Valley vintners, Celia Welch is excited to share with you the wine she has made for her own brand, Corra.

Celia Welch's first interaction with grapes was under the huge oak tree in her backyard in Southern Oregon, where her siblings and she plucked grape berries from stems for their father, an avid wine collector and home winemaker. Her parents also included the family on trips through Napa and Sonoma in the early sixties, and, like most visitors, she was entranced with the beauty of the rolling vineyards.

In 1982 with a degree in Enology earned at UC Davis in her back pocket, she set out to take a peek at a few wine regions. Her travels took her to the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast, and to New Zealand. She worked harvest in the Barossa Valley of Australia, and then settled in the Napa Valley to refine her craft.

Celia had reached a fork in her career path in the early nineties, and she chose to focus on independent wine consulting. The wines she has made create a microcosm of Napa Valley. She has made wine from vineyards on Mt. Veeder, Atlas Peak, and Howell Mountain to those in Carneros, and from benchland vineyards from St. Helena to Napa.

In 2004 came the idea and the challenge of founding Corra. It was not easy to find vineyard sources with top-quality fruit, a winery with a bit of space to spare for barrels, and a strong team of individuals with experience in different aspects of the wine business from grapevines to websites. The results of these efforts have been tremendous; well-received wines and a project that has lead to information- and idea-sharing for everyone involved.

Country born: United States

Education: 1982 with a degree in Enology earned at UC Davis

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Celia had reached a fork in her career path in the early nineties, and she chose to focus on independent wine consulting.

Dawnine Dyer

Winemaker, Dyer Vineyard

Dawnine Dyer, a California native with a degree in Biology from UC Santa Cruz began her career in the Wine Industry in 1974 at the Robert Mondavi Winery.

In 1976 she was hired by the start up Domaine Chandon where she worked closely with the French winemaking team from Moet & Chandon to develop the styles and winemaking techniques that have led to respect for the category of California Sparkling Wines. As VP, Winemaker, Dyer was responsible for all winemaking at the 400,000 case winery. During her 24 years at Domaine Chandon, Dyer spent considerable time in France, was involved in the 1986 founding of a sister winery, Domaine Chandon in Australia’s Yarra Valley and traveled frequently to Chandon’s facility in Argentina to oversee export products.

In 1993 Dawnine and her husband Bill planted a small Cabernet vineyard in the prestigious Diamond Mountain district of the Napa Valley and began making wine from the estate vineyard in 1996. In 2000 after 25 harvests with Chandon, Dyer left to devote more time to Dyer Vineyard. They now produce and market wine from their vineyard under the Dyer label.

During her career Dawnine Dyer has served as president of the Napa Valley Vintners Association, president of Napa Valley Wine Technical Group and was a member of the founding board of Women for WineSense. Through her work with the NVV, Dawnine became a recognized voice for the importance of Geographic Indications and Appellations of Origin to the Napa Valley and has been invited to speak on the issue in Geneva, Switzerland, Beijing, China, Lima, Peru, and Bordeaux, France. She has lectured for the annual Wine Industry Executive program at the UC Davis Graduate School of Business, is on the board of Frogs Leap Winery, and is a judge for several professional wine competitions. In addition to Dyer Vineyard, Dawnine consults on winemaking and is a partner in Meteor Vineyard.

Country born: USA

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Graham Wehmeier

Winemaker, Diamond Creek Vineyards

With a career spent producing mountain-grown wines, Graham has a deep understanding of hillside terroir and a background that includes both vineyard management and winemaking.

“The privilege of working with an estate like Diamond Creek cannot be overstated. There is nothing to radically change here. Our work focuses on removing any barriers that would prevent us from continuing the legacy of producing complex, age-worthy Cabernets of quality and character.”

“This is not about putting our stamp on Diamond Creek. It’s about listening and taking our time as we bring the estate to its highest potential.”

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Kevin Vecchiarelli

Winemaker, Diamond Mountain Vineyard

Drawing on nearly 30 years in the wine industry, California native, Kevin Vecchiarelli believes that extraordinary wines capture the vineyard site and its unique characteristics. Identifying particular attributes that require each vineyard site to be farmed differently, tailored to express the perfect balance of canopy and yield with just the right amount of stress. His inspiration to further express terroir winemaking utilizes his analytical eye and artistry of blending to quench his passion for creating that perfect wine.

While pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kevin was recognized by Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for his groundbreaking research for isolating umami compounds found in wine. That deep dive into the chemical makeup of wine led him to the Napa Valley in 2000 to begin his career at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, followed by 17 years at Grgich Hills Estate as the Assistant Winemaker. Determined to craft wines that were precise and focused, Kevin was hired as Associate Winemaker for CIRQ/Browne Family Wines but soon after was given the opportunity of Estate Winemaker and General Manager at Diamond Mountain Vineyard. Given a lot of freedom by the owners, Kevin is able to produce wines that truly express the terroir at the peak of Diamond Mountain.

Country born: United States

Education: Mentors include Phillip TItus, Tim Hanni, and Paul Hobbs

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
“With just the right amount of stress from the vineyard, just enough barrel to balance structure and apply a healthy dose of common sense I simply make the best wine that I can with a sense of artistry and place.”
-Kevin Vecchiarelli

Tony Biagi

Winemaker, The Vineyardist

Born in San Mateo, CA 1972. Graduated with Bachelor of Science, Enology, University of CA-Davis. Employed in wine-making sector in Napa Valley since graduation.

A 5th generation Northern Californian, Tony is an acclaimed winemaker with over 25 years of experience. His journey includes prestigious wineries such as Plumpjack Estate, CADE Estate, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Sinegal Estate Winery, before he took the helm at Hourglass in 2012.

Tony's unique understanding of grape phenolics, masterful blending skills, and a modern yet traditional approach to winemaking has garnered him a stellar reputation amongst peers and critics alike. In 2020, renowned wine critic Antonio Galloni of Vinious recognized his exceptional talent, naming him Winemaker of the Year.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
to create world-class wines of extraordinary quality that express the power and elegance of each vineyard site.

Thomas Brown

Winemaker, Wallis Family Estate

One of the country's top talents, Thomas was named 2010's winemaker of the year by Food & Wine magazine. He has been in Napa since 1997, where he began his career at Turley Cellars and now makes wines for select premium labels. Over the last decade, Thomas has received not just one but ten 100-point Wine Advocate Parker scores to go along with two 100-point awards from Wine Spectator. Beyond generosity and roundness in tannins, his wines have few common traits and are very individual.

Country born: US

Education: Thomas developed an interest in wine while studying History and English at the University of Virginia.

His new education began when winemaker Ehren Jordan at cult Zinfandel producer Turley Wine Cellars gave him an entry-level job in 1997.

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Thomas believes in non-interventionist style that eschews technology and all elements that contribute to sameness. He sums it up with "do as litle as possible."