Mari Coyle

Winemaker, ONEHOPE

Mari Wells Coyle, VP of Winemaking and Estate Operations, Head Winemaker, ONEHOPE

Mari Wells Coyle was born in California but raised in the coastal city of Bellingham, Washington where her father worked as a merchant marine. Growing up, she spent her time in small fishing villages of the Pacific Northwest. In between early mornings headed out to fish with her father, Mari would sketch and paint, collect seashells, rocks, and eagle feathers for artful collections. It was here that her intense connection to nature developed—and her love for science and art emerged.

After graduating from high school, Mari decided to deepen her nautical roots and attend a maritime academy. With an unparalleled passion for chemistry, biochemistry, and nature, Mari was eventually guided to the one thing that encompassed all of these disciplines: winemaking. When she graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, her wine pilgrimage began.

Mari has since traversed throughout New Zealand, the Russian River, the Sonoma Coast, and the Sierra Foothills, working under premier producers such as Gloria Ferrer and Merry Edwards. She has been the Winemaker for brands such as Chatom, David Girard Vineyards, and the iconic Sterling Vineyards, where her blends were awarded some of the highest scores in the winery’s history. Mari has been recognized by the likes of wine critic Robert Parker, the San Francisco Chronicle, Sunset Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Wine Spectator, and “The Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine.”

Today, Mari has found her home as the VP of Winemaking, Estate Operations and Head Winemaker of ONEHOPE, a Napa Valley brand and world-class winery where every bottle gives back and creates a lasting impact for local and global causes. Here, Mari works with her winemaking team to tend to the vineyard’s organically farmed, estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. She also focuses on building relationships with vineyard partners to create wines that catch that “lightning in a bottle” moment. Mari strives to merge art with business, extending her love of nature into each impeccable bottle of wine she crafts.

She plays an integral part in developing wine education for the ONEHOPE brand and its direct selling platform which empowers entrepreneurs to make an impact while earning an income. Since Mari joined, ONEHOPE has grown to one of the 250 largest wineries of 11,000+ in the US and has built an impressive wine portfolio that includes numerous 95+ point ratings and 100+ medals from wine competitions. Her passion for wine extends to the ONEHOPE community of over 10,000 Cause Entrepreneurs, who get to connect with and learn from Mari every day through online wine education courses and videos.

Mari lives in Santa Rosa with her husband and two sons. In her spare time, she can be found enjoying outdoor sports, painting, and catching the sunrise over the Western side of the Mayacamas.

Country born: USA

Education: UC Davis Graduate, Viticulture and Enology

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Creating wines that taste of place using modern winemaking techniques.