Erin Miller

Winemaker, Twomey Cellars

As Erin Miller was preparing to go into the Peace Corps, she took a detour that would change her life. "I was on my way to Niger, West Africa and I wanted to work down some of my student loan debt before becoming a volunteer for 2 1/2 years. I heard about a harvest job in Napa, and I thought, what better way to earn a little money than by working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week as a harvest cellar rat?" But in working that harvest job Erin discovered "the sheer joy of winemaking," and when she returned from Africa, she pieced together her love of agriculture, the outdoors and winemaking, and determined to make her career in wine.

After earning her Masters of Science from U.C. Davis, Erin headed to France, working as a vineyard and cellar intern at Domaine de Coume del Mas in Banyuls-sur-mer and then Domaine Rene Lequin-Colin in Santenay. In France Erin was taken with the concept of the "vigneron," the idea that the winemaker is also intimately involved in the vineyard. "We tend to separate those two things here in the U.S., but I love the idea of bringing them together, of that seamless transition from vineyard and grapes to wine and ultimately, to the table."

That philosophy has guided Erin throughout her career. Upon her return to the U.S. in 2006 she took a position as Viticultural Enologist for Kendall Jackson's Vinwood Cellars' Bordeaux Program, and in 2007 moved to an enologist position at Hartford Family Winery in Forestville, CA. In 2010 she joined Provingage Wine Associates, managing wines for four luxury wineries and working as the Oregon Assistant Winemaker and California Winemaker for Evening Land Vineyards. Each position afforded Erin the opportunity to work both in the vineyards and the winery, and she worked closely with her vineyard manager counterparts to increase quality through fruit load and canopy management and overall vine monitoring and observation.

In 2014 Erin joined Twomey Cellars as Winemaker, a move that allows her to continue her work with vineyard-driven wines crafted to express a distinct sense of place. She spends much of her time working in Twomey's Pinot Noir vineyards in Sonoma, Mendocino and Santa Barbara counties, as well as its Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in Napa Valley.

"At Twomey I'm drawing on the excellence that has been established while refining the wines to develop an even greater sense of place," she says. "For me, wine is an attempt to capture a time and place in the bottle. It is the prism we look through to the past while enjoying the present."

Country born: United States

Education: Erin Miller earned her Masters of Science from U.C. Davis, she then headed to France, working as a vineyard and cellar intern at Domaine de Coume del Mas in Banyuls-sur-mer and then Domaine
Rene Lequin-Colin in Santenay.

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
In France Erin Miller was taken with the concept of the "vigneron," the idea that the winemaker is also intimately involved in the vineyard. "We tend to separate those two things here in the U.S., but I love the idea of bringing them together, of that seamless transition from vineyard and grapes to wine and ultimately, to the table." That philosophy has guided Erin throughout her career.

Daniel Baron

Winemaker, Twomey Cellars

I began working in the vineyards of Knights Valley for John Rolleri in 1971. In 1975, I enrolled at UC Davis and completed my Bachelors and Masters degrees under grape geneticist Harold Olmo. I moved to Anderson Valley in 1978 where I worked as vineyard manager and assistant winemaker at Navarro Vineyards. In 1981, I decided to fulfill my dream to work in Bordeaux. When my first opportunity didn’t pan out as expected, I stayed in France, traveling to many wine regions and working in seven different chateaux throughout the Bordeaux region during the 1981 harvest. I became fluent in the language and learned the business and social customs. In France, you don’t do business until you share a meal. That made a big impression on me.

A chance meeting with Christian Moueix led to a one-year internship at the Chateau Petrus in Pomerol, and there I was befriended by winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, cellarmaster Jean Veyssiere and his son Francois. They taught me about wine as a part of culture and how history, quality and tradition are intertwined with the practical aspects of winemaking. After the 1982 vintage, Christian Moueix put me in charge of his new winery in Napa Valley, Dominus Estate.

I worked at Dominus from 1982 to 1994, rising to general manager, when a quirky newspaper ad placed by Justin Meyer of Silver Oak Cellars caught my attention. Justin was looking to name his succesor. We hit it off immediately, and although I wasn’t sure about leaving Dominus, Justin wouldn’t take no for an answer. I worked side by side with Justin until his retirement in 2001.

Justin instilled in me both pride in what Silver Oak had accomplished and the humility to realize that there is always room to improve. He constantly searched for ways to raise quality, and that’s become one of our core values at Silver Oak.

Country born: United States

Education: Bachelor of Science, Plant Science Major, UC Davis graduation with Highest Honors, 1976 Master of Science in Horticulture, UC Davis, 1981
Mentors: John Rolleri, Chateau Montelena;
Dr. Harold Olmo, UC Davis;
Ted Bennett, Navarro Vineyards;
Christiane Moueix, Jean-Claude Berrouet, Michel Gillet, Jean and Francois Veyssiere, Ets JP Moueix;
Justin Meyer, Silver Oak Cellars

Years in the wine industry: years

Honors / Awards:
Citation for Outstanding Performance, Plant Science Major, 1976
Department Citation for Outstanding Undergraduate Accomplishment in Viticulture and Enology, 1976
Board Member, American Society of Enology
President, Napa Valley Wine Technical Group

Winemaking Philosophy:
To me, wine has always been more than something to drink. My family’s love and appreciation of good food, the time I’ve spent in France and the many mentors I've had along the way have led me to an appreciation of the role wine plays in daily life as well as history and culture. To me, creating wine is one of the ways people preserve civilization.

Daniel Baron

Winemaker, Twomey Cellars

I began working in the vineyards of Knights Valley for John Rolleri in 1971. In 1975, I enrolled at UC Davis and completed my Bachelors and Masters degrees under grape geneticist Harold Olmo. I moved to Anderson Valley in 1978, where I worked as vineyard manager and assistant winemaker at Navarro Vineyards. In 1981, I decided to fulfill my dream to work in Bordeaux. When my first opportunity didn’t pan out as expected, I stayed in France, traveling to many wine regions and working in seven different chateaux throughout the Bordeaux region during the 1981 harvest. I became fluent in the language and learned the business and social customs. In France, you don’t do business until you share a meal. That made a big impression on me.

A chance meeting with Christian Moueix led to a one-year internship at the Chateau Petrus in Pomerol, and there I was befriended by winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet, cellarmaster Jean Veyssiere and his son Francois. They taught me about wine as a part of culture and how history, quality and tradition are intertwined with the practical aspects of winemaking. After the 1982 vintage, Christian Moueix put me in charge of his new winery in Napa Valley, Dominus Estate.

I worked at Dominus from 1982 to 1994, rising to general manager, when a quirky newspaper ad placed by Justin Meyer of Silver Oak Cellars caught my attention. Justin was looking to name his succesor. We hit it off immediately, and although I wasn’t sure about leaving Dominus, Justin wouldn’t take no for an answer. I worked side by side with Justin until his retirement in 2001. Justin instilled in me both pride in what Silver Oak had accomplished and the humility to realize that there is always room to improve. He constantly searched for ways to raise quality, and that’s become one of our core values at Silver Oak.

Country born: United States

Education: Bachelor of Science, Plant Science Major, UC Davis graduation with Highest Honors, 1976 Master of Science in Horticulture, UC Davis, 1981
Mentors: John Rolleri, Chateau Montelena;
Dr. Harold Olmo, UC Davis;
Ted Bennett, Navarro Vineyards;
Christiane Moueix, Jean-Claude Berrouet, Michel Gillet, Jean and Francois Veyssiere, Ets JP Moueix;
Justin Meyer, Silver Oak Cellars

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Honors / Awards:
Citation for Outstanding Performance, Plant Science Major, 1976
Department Citation for Outstanding Undergraduate Accomplishment in Viticulture and Enology, 1976
Board Member, American Society of Enology
President, Napa Valley Wine Technical Group

Winemaking Philosophy:
To me, wine has always been more than something to drink. My family’s love and appreciation of good food, the time I’ve spent in France and the many mentors I've had along the way have led me to an appreciation of the role wine plays in daily life, as well as history and culture. To me, creating wine is one of the ways people preserve civilization.