Marla Carroll

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

A California native, Marla grew up in the Tehachapi Mountains, which separate the Southern California High Desert and the rich agricultural lands of the Central Valley. It was here she grew up exploring the outdoors, hiking, camping, backpacking, and cultivating an appreciation for the outdoors, and laying the foundation for her deep interest in grape growing and winemaking.

With a strong understanding of the science behind winemaking, it is her passion for food and flavors that shape her approach to crafting wine at Antica Napa Valley. Paying close attention to the distinct character and expression of each lot creates wines that express the terroir and essence of the estate vineyards atop Atlas Peak.

"I'm inspired by the endless layers of complexity that begin in the vineyard and lead to a bottle of wine. I love that it changes over time, yet is a snapshot of a particular vintage and harvest conditions," says Marla.

Marla received a degree in Biotechnology from the University of California at Davis with a concentration in Microbiology & Fermentation Science. While a few key courses introduced her to the world of wine, it wasn’t until she took a position during harvest at the historic Charles Krug Winery in 2002 in the Napa Valley, that she truly understood her interest in winemaking. In 2004, Marla accepted a position with Franciscan Estate, spending seven years in a series of roles, including Enologist and Assistant Winemaker. After some time off with her family, Marla returned to Franciscan Estate in 2013 as Winemaker.

Marla lives in Saint Helena, Calif. with her husband and their two daughters. In her down time she loves cheering on her girls on the soccer field, hiking in the nearby state parks and sharing homemade meals (with wine of course) among friends and family.

Country born: United States

Education: My time at UC Davis provided the foundation for my education in wine with professors like Linda Bisson and Roger Boulton who were skilled in teaching by letting us make mistakes and allowing us to learn from them. I supplement my education at Napa Valley College with classes to enhance my tasting experience and wine knowledge as well as my viticulture and soils education with Professor Stephen Krebs.

I worked a harvest abroad in 2008 at Kim Crawford in New Zealand. It was eye opening to work at a winery that was laser focused on one variety (Sauvignon Blanc) and how that impacted the timing and work load of everything. Very different than the moderate pace of a Napa Valley harvest.

Mentors include Janet Myers, Genevieve Janssens, Piero Antinori and Renzo Cotarella.

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Honors / Awards:
Marchesi Antinori was awarded the World's Most Admired Wine Brand in 2023 by Drinks International Magazine.

Winemaking Philosophy:
Let the vineyard tell the story of what the wine should be. My job is to learn the land and help the wine express it so people feel connected to this place at a specific moment in time.

Matt Brain

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Winemaker Matt Brain, possessing a master’s degree in biosciences and a background in process engineering, brings naturalist philosophies and highly technical abilities to winemaking at Alpha Omega where he began as Associate Winemaker. After leaving a successful career in the Toronto area to pursue his dream of winemaking in California, the Ontario, Canada native joined Phase 2 Cellars, a custom winemaking operation in San Luis Obispo, for the 2006 harvest. Matt was quickly promoted to supervise cellar operations for the facility’s premium label, Tolosa, while receiving mentorship from some of the most renowned and respected professionals in California.

Matt earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in biosciences at Sam Houston State University, where he was a scholarship decathlete. He also earned a winemaking degree from UC Davis and held winemaker titles at prominent California wineries and winemaker/lecturer positions with Enology and Viticulture programs at both Cal Poly and Fresno State universities. He partnered with The Vineyard Team, which promotes sustainable winegrowing, as a Sustainability Auditor and continues to educate as a Podcast Host for the organization. Matt’s passion for the environment benefits Alpha Omega, where the land and winery are both Napa Green certified and the Vineyard Management team practices sustainable farming.

Country born: Canada

Education: UC Davis Professional Winemaking Degree/Taught winemaking at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Fresno State

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
As a winemaker who believes that every vineyard block has a specific set of unique characteristics, Matt aims to identify those distinctive attributes and to express them in the glass as naturally as possible.

Sam Kaplan

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Sam Kaplan
Winemaker, Arkenstone

Arkenstone Winemaker Sam Kaplan has been making wine for over two decades in Napa Valley. All roads seemed to lead to Napa since his childhood in Oklahoma. His physician father made wine in the family garage, with fruit from their home vineyard, and grapes from the Napa Valley via train, with Sam stomping grapes and sampling the finished product at meals. Sam went to Lewis and Clark College in Portland thinking he was going to become a doctor, but a stint living with a wine-loving family while studying abroad in Spain gave him second thoughts. Sam grew captivated by wine culture and its powerful ability to bring people together. A key point in Sam’s life came while visiting a winery in the Willamette Valley. Walking into the winery cellar that day, the smell of fermentation overwhelmed him, sending chills down his spine. It was a pivotal moment. The intensity of aromas brought him back to his childhood, made him feel instantly at home, and cemented the realization that he was destined to pursue a career in wine. Sam ended up with a Religious Studies degree and a job offer at Gary Andrus’ Napa Valley property, Pine Ridge. His instinct was to get a formal wine education, but Gary–now his mentor–convinced him to learn on the job, by farming and working harvests. Sam’s first full time role was at ZD Wines, where he learned the ropes and worked his way from the bottom up. He met his wife Nancy there, who worked on her off days to expand her palate as a Michelin star chef. In 2006, the opportunity of a lifetime came knocking in the form of a winemaker role at what would become Arkenstone Estate and he helped to shepherd what would bethe very first vintage to be released from that year. Sam helped design the Howell Mountain project from soup to nut with owners Ron and Susan Krausz and continues to oversee the day-to-day farming and winemaking for the estate ensuring seamless integration from farming to fermentation to bottle. His signature style embodies the Arkenstone winemaking philosophy, which is based on consistency and elegance. Sam’s wines quickly became legendary for their depth, complexity, and balance. In addition to his full-time role at Arkenstone, Sam also serves as winemaker for Napa Valley’s Memento Mori, Vida Valiente, Vangone Estate, and MAXEM, the wine label he started with Nancy. Since it’s very fist 2006 vintage, Sam has been, and continues to be, a critical part of the Arkenstone story. When he isn’t making iconic wine, he’s traveling, fly fishing with Max and Emma, exploring new recipes with Nancy, farming their garden, or blending artisan gins for his famous martinis.

Country born: United States

Education: BA, Lewis and Clark
Enology coarsework at UC Davis and Napa Valley College

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
My goal is to highlight the specific vineyards and bring balance and focus to the wines. I make wines that are approachable upon release, yet are very age worthy.

Celia Welch

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Celia Welch is one of North America's most highly regarded winemakers and has earned a reputation for crafting distinctive wines that express the individual qualities and characteristics of each vineyard.

As the daughter of an avid wine collector and home winemaker, Celia had an early introduction to wine appreciation and the elements of winemaking. She discovered her fascination with flavors and aromas, which inspired her to earn her degree in Enology from UC Davis. Afterward, she explored and worked in the wine regions of the Pacific Northwest, New Zealand and Australia.

She then settled in Napa Valley, and after spending several years working in notable wineries honing her skills, she became an independent winemaker working for such clients as Staglin Family Vineyard. Today, her client list consists of a select group of Napa Valley wineries, including Scarecrow, Keever Vineyards, Lindstrom, and Hollywood and Vine.

In the nearly three decades she has been making wine professionally, Celia has contributed greatly to the success of Napa Valley. We are privileged to have her as part of the Barbour Wines team.

Country born: United States

Education: Degree in Fermentation Science from UCD

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Harvesting when the berry flavors are bright and vibrant captures the essence of a particular vineyard's personality. Creating wines that reflect a particular corner of Napa Valley makes these wines not only unique, but also exquisitely balanced.

Brian Maloney

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Brian Maloney was born on his family’s historic ranch in the Petaluma Gap straddling the Marin and Sonoma County border.

Inspired by his grandmother’s stories of her father’s struggles growing grapes and making wine in the Calistoga area before, during and after Prohibition, he enrolled in the world-famous Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California, Davis. Following graduation he worked the harvest of 2003 at DeLoach Vineyards and has remained there ever since, playing a key role in elevating the winery’s Pinot Noir pedigree, expanding its vineyard-designate program, and planting and establishing its Biodynamic estate vineyard.

Starting in 2011, Brian has expanded his responsibilities to include overseeing the rebirth of the legendary Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma. In 2012, his team was the first to make wine in the historic Champagne cellars in over 30 years, a celebration that was punctuated by the joining of Tokaji and Sonoma as Sister Cities on the first day of harvest for the reopened cellars.

Country born: United States

Education: UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Program, Mentor David Ramey

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
With generations of farming and winemaking in his background, Brian has always taken to letting the terroir show first. Whether with cool climate Pinot Noir or mountain top Cabernet, his ultimate goal is to let the interaction between the site, the vine and the grower shine through to set the style of the wines.

Marc  Gagnon

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Marc’s resume & accolades as a winemaker are too long to write, but it includes many 100 point wines, roles including Head Winemaker at Bryant Family Vineyard and Assistant Winemaker at Screaming Eagle, and currently Director of Winemaking for Caldwell Vineyard in Coombsville, among other projects. Although his winemaking resume is grand, his personality and skills are far beyond.

Kennedy describes Marc as a brilliant combination of artist & scientist. Gagnon leads the winemaking strategy and oversees all portfolio winemaking & production in collaboration with Kennedy. Gagnon has been described as “utterly brilliant” by Antonio Galloni, the famed wine critic and founder of Vinous. With Marc leading international winemaking efforts, the portfolio is stronger than it has ever been. Marc lives in Napa & travels to each site as needed.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
My aim is to promote greater overall biodiversity and to help fortify the health of every facet of the vineyard, from the microbes in the soil to the raptors flying overhead, to the team members in the field. It’s in this state of health and balance that we can achieve greatness.

Phillip Corallo-Titus

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

As Chappellet's winemaker for more two decades, Phillip Corallo-Titus has guided the winery's storied winemaking program, building on Chappellet's legacy as one of California's preeminent producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. A gifted winemaker with a passion for experimentation, Phillip has embraced the diversity of Pritchard Hill to craft benchmark wines that authentically express the terroir-inspired complexity and character of their mountain origins.

Country born: United States

Education: Phillip studied agronomy, viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis. A dedicated student of wine, Phillip also traveled to France to learn about the great wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Because I've worked with our vineyards for so long and know each block so intimately, I am able to focus on the individual characteristics of each vineyard lot. This diversity allows us to enjoy a great deal of freedom during the blending process, while also adding immense depth and complexity to our wines.

Elizabeth Vianna

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

A native of São Paulo, Elizabeth Vianna spent her early years on a bi-cultural journey moving from Brazil to the United States and back again several times. Elizabeth attributes her career in winemaking to a glass of 1985 Sociando Mallet, which she enjoyed at a pre-auction tasting at Christie’s in New York. A biology major at Vassar College, Elizabeth was originally on the pre-medical school track. She fell in love with wine while living in New York City where she worked as a clinical toxicologist at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. Her strong science background and sudden infatuation with wine propelled her to apply to the University of California, Davis and its renowned winemaking program instead of medical school.

Vianna first became familiar with the Chimney Rock winemaking program in 1999, working as a harvest intern while completing her Master’s degree in enology at U.C. Davis. Upon graduation, she became a Lab Director at Napa Wine Company and was soon named Assistant Winemaker working directly with many of the region’s top winemakers including mentors Celia Welch, Erin Green and Heidi Barrett. Vianna was named to the position of Assistant Winemaker at Chimney Rock in January 2002, and advanced to the position of Head Winemaker in April 2005. In 2011 she was promoted to General Manager of Chimney Rock and she continues in her role as Head Winemaker at the Stags Leap District estate winery. During her tenure at Chimney Rock, she has consistently produced wines that have been highly rated among critics and highly valued among consumers. A staunch advocate for sustainability and the legacy of the Napa Valley, she has long served as board member and twice as President of the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association. She serves as a board member of the Napa Valley Vintners. She is also a member of the inaugural cohort of the 2021 Napa Valley Vintners Leadership Program . As one of the few Latina winemakers in Napa Valley she is a strong advocate for women and minorities in the wine industry and formalized her mentorship with Batonnage, a non-profit organization in 2023 When she is not walking vineyards or making wine, you will find her immersed in music or hiking with her husband and Labrador Molly somewhere in the Bay Area.

Country born: Brazil

Education: Masters degree in enology U.C. Davis

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Honors / Awards:
Commencement speaker, University of California-Davis School of Graduate Studies, 2009

Winemaking Philosophy:
My goal is to create wines with great texture and to have those wines represent the vineyards from which they are born. The tactile experience is just as important as the aroma and flavor. More specifically, my goal as winemaker at Chimney Rock is to highlight and honor the strengths of the amazing Cabernet we grow in Stags Leap District.

Sean Thompson

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

I started my career in winemaking with Beringer at the old Italian Swiss Colony in Asti. The hook was set with the discovery of the diversity of flavors and aromas produced by the simple grape and its fermentation. I continued my enological exploration with the fermentation of red wines after moving to Napa Valley for a position at the Merlot house of Rutherford Hill Winery.

I returned to the University of California, Davis in the fall of 2002, to work with Dr. David Mills in earning a Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology.

Upon graduation, I began at Staglin Family Estate in Rutherford, CA, working directly with Luc Morlet to mine the terroir of estate-driven Cabernet Sauvignon. This final piece led me to join Schramsberg in the summer of 2006 as the J. Davies Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Assistant Winemaker, and taking over as the winemaker in 2008. In 2017, I became Director Winemaking for Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards.

Country born: United States

Education: B.S. Chemistry, U.C. Davis
Masters of Science in Viticulture and Enology, U.C. Davis

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Keeping your ears open and your mouth shut. Much of my education was shaped by asking questions and listening to the answers. I also believe in fostering an environment to encourage questions from others in and outside the winery. People want to be a part of the experience of producing spectacular wines.

Alison Doran

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Raised in Palos Verdes with plenty of horses and surfing, Alison Green Doran was drawn into winemaking in 1973. Her father, oil man and long-time Alexander Valley vineyard owner Russell Green, had bought the Simi Winery in 1969, and brought in Andre Tchelistcheff as a consultant soon after. By working as a harvest intern beside Andre for six months at Simi in 1973, Alison found both her life’s work and her mentor.

Andre found her a five-month stagaire position in Alsace for the crush of 1975, and then an enologist position with start-up Hoffman Mountain Ranch in Paso Robles. After finishing her Fermentation Science degree at UC Davis, she began working for the Firestone Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1976. Starting as lab tech, she worked her way to bottling supervisor and then to cellar master, and then in 1981, to winemaker.

Country born: United States

Education: Fermentation Science/UC Davis

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
To craft elegant wines that express the true terroir of Doug Hill's vineyards.

Jordan Jeffries

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Jordan's interest in agriculture sparked at a young age, while tending to his family farm in his hometown of Eugene, Oregon. His pursuit to work with the land coupled by his intrigue in wine drew him to UC Davis where Jeffries studied Viticulture and Enology. After graduating in 2008, Jeffries worked his way up from various renowned properties including Duckhorn, Merry Edwards, Tamber Bey, Davis Estates, and Brasswood Cellars. As an avid tinkerer, he has perfected his knowledge of the Napa Valley terrain through both professional and personal exploration.

While Jeffries holds many accolades for his winemaking prowess, winemaking is not his sole passion. Jeffries married his wife in 2018 and they reside in Calistoga, California with their two sons Rhys and Kieran.

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Aimee Sunseri

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Aimée Sunseri, a fifth generation Nichelini, is the winery’s seventh family winemaker, starting with her great-great-grandfather Anton Nichelini in 1890.

Aimée oversees the entire grape growing and winemaking process from bud break to bottle.

Aimée received her education at UC Davis in Viticulture and Enology. She became head winemaker in 2009. Her formal training and family mentorship molded her passion for her life’s work.

“Our family has a great American story,” said Aimée. “Growing up I was always proud that there was a winery built by my great-great-grandparents that was still being operated by family. Not everyone still has that connection to a place. My job is to make outstanding legacy wines that I hope you will share with your family while continuing to follow your own American dream.”

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Aaron Miller

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Miller graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior before continuing on to receive his Masters. After being published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture and interning in Italy and New Zealand, Miller held positions at Groth Winery and Lewis Cellars. Miller, a life-long fermenter, can often be found brewing beer and making cheese when not spending his spare time with his wife and family.

Country born: United States

Education: BS UC Davis
MS UC Davis

Years in the wine industry: 10-15 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
As Head Winemaker for PlumpJack Winery, Aaron Miller brings twelve years of wide-ranging experience and an extensive education to the position, holding a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. A California native, he found his calling in the wine industry and planted roots in Napa. Miller is dedicated to crafting Oakville Cabernet that not only showcases the terroir of the estate's 42 acres, but also to crafting Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon in the PlumpJack style.

"My goal is always to make wine that is strong enough to stand on its own, yet elegant enough to be enjoyed with food," says Miller. "The soil profile at PlumpJack allows for such complexity, simultaneously light and dense. That diversity necessitates preparedness. When it comes to winemaking, I think ten steps ahead, and then act. Being well prepared is critical in order to find the balance between the science and the art of winemaking."

Aaron Pott

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Aaron Pott's curiosity in wine began at a young age when he ordered a glass of milk in a venerable Parisian bistro. When the waiter responded - in halting perfect English - that "milk is for babies" and promptly produced a glass of watered down red, Pott realized that wine was a beverage of choice for adults and immersed himself in the world of wine trivia.

Studying oenology at the University of California, Davis, Pott delved into all aspects of the theory of winemaking, including practical application by working part-time in the research laboratory at Robert Mondavi Winery. He completed his education with a master's degree in Viticulture from the Universite de Bourgogne in Dijon, France.

Pott immediately took the position of assistant winemaker at Newton Vineyard, under winemaker John Kongsgaard. It was at Newton - under the wing of his first great mentor - that Pott would be introduced to Michel Rolland. At many tastings with Kongsgaard and Rolland (set up by legendary wine collector Dade Thieriot), Pott tried to convince Rolland to find him a job in France - pulling hoses around a dark cellar and working on his language skills.

Rolland soon sent word that he had found the ideal position - winemaker at Chateau Troplong Mondot, Premier Grand Cru Class, St. Emilion. Pott would thereafter become winemaker and general manager of Chateau La Tour Figeac Grand Cru Class, St. Emilion.
Pott worked for nearly six years making wine in France before returning to the States to take a position with Beringer Wine Estates.

As a winemaker for the company's international brands in France, Italy and South America, he had the pleasure to work with French winemakers Jean-Louis Mandrau, formerly of Chateau Latour and Andre Porcheret, whose resume included the Hospice de Beaune and Domaine Leroy. Pott's duties expanded in 2001 as winemaker at St. Clement in St. Helena. In 2004, he accepted the position as winemaker and general manager at Quintessa.

In 2007, Pott formed Pott Wine, dedicated to producing wines from different distinct terroir in the Napa Valley - the Chester's Anvil project committed to unique varietals and Huis Clos Consulting working with a limited quantity of noble producers including Seven Stones, Blackbird Vineyards, Saint Helena Winery, Quixote, Carl Doumani's Como No?, Perliss, Greer and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick's new project, Somnium.

In 2012 Pott was elected Winemaker of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine.

Pott organically farms his self proclaimed "Chateauneuf du Pott" vineyard estate on the dizzying heights of Mt. Veeder with his wife Claire and daughters Tosca and Isolde.

Country born: United States

Education: Fermentation Science B.S from U.C. Davis, Master's degree in Viticulture from I.U.V.V. Universite de Bourgogne, Dijon, France. Mentored by John Kongsgaard and Michel Rolland. Winemaker at Chateaux Troplong Mondot and Latour Figeac in St. Emilion France 1993-1998.

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Honors / Awards:
Food and Wine Magazine Winemaker of the Year 2012

Winemaking Philosophy:
The vineyard is where most winemaking should happen. Indigenous yeast, long macerations, wooden vats, small barrel ferments, well chosen cooperage from years of excellent relationships with French coopers. Intense observation and anal retentive attention to detail.

Steve Reynolds

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Steve Reynolds feels he was destined to be in the wine business since his youth. The Oklahoma native’s father was in the electrical business and the family moved numerous times during Reynolds’ youth, including a seven year stint in a small town just south of Munich in southern Germany.

“My father was almost fanatical about wine and was an avid wine collector,” Reynolds, recently recalled. “Most of our family outings centered around wine and wineries and we never had a meal where there wasn’t a bottle of wine on the table.”

Reynolds returned to the United States after high school and attended the University of Washington. He next went to the University of the Pacific where he graduated in dentistry in 1986. He eventually wound up in the Lodi-Stockton area where he practiced dentistry and where he was first introduced to his future wife, Suzie.

“Suzie was at St. Mary’s College in nearby Moraga, and we started dating. She had a best friend at the school that was dating a guy from Napa named Oscar Renteria,” Reynolds added. “We all started hanging out together during the late 1980’s and going to the Napa Valley on weekends and holidays where Renteria’s father was a vineyard manager.”

In 1993, the couple became engaged. A fifteen-minute conversation between the pair on a return trip from Napa persuaded Reynolds to sell his Central Valley practice and move to Napa.

“We decided we loved Napa and I wanted to be one of those gentlemen farmers making homemade wine on the side in my garage. I started a new practice and Suzie continued to work in her family’s insurance business.”

The Reynolds’ jump into the wine business began for real in 1995 when an old chicken farm on the Silverado Trail, south of the prestigious Stag’s Leap District, became available. Vineyards were planted and, in 1999, the first wines were made from a small portion of some very specific vines that had dropped fruit a few months earlier. The finished wines were well-received by friends and acquaintances and Reynolds decided it was time to get into the wine business on a larger scale.

The Reynolds Family Winery’s first release of around 2,000 cases came at the start of the new millennium amid a rash of personal problems for Reynolds. With a six month old baby and its needs to deal with, Reynolds lost his inspirational father (and winery investor) and was then forced to give up his dental practice when the running of the new winery operation proved too time consuming.

“I was really up against it,” Reynolds admitted. “It wasn’t the greatest time in my life, but I had no real choices. The winery demanded someone be there on a full time basis. I called on my friends and neighbors, and everyone pitched in and helped out.”

Basically self taught as a winemaker, Steve Reynolds took courses at UC Davis for two years to perfect his art. He credits South African winemaker Anthony Bell for seeing him through the hardest time in his winery’s evolution. The rest is practically a chapter from a romantic novel.

The first Reynolds Family wines were incredibly well received, as were the succeeding releases. Today, Reynolds Family Winery has grown to around 8,000 cases. Reynolds has also been active in two other winery ventures, a fun brand called Naughty as well as an innovative brand called Fourteen that brings together grapes from Napa’s finest growing districts in one amazing bottle.

Through it all, Steve and Suzie Reynolds have truly enjoyed the experience and path that has lead them to where they are today. They have three beautiful children, dozens of accolades, medals and achievements for their wines, and most of all, each other. Steve is one of the most honest, giving and sought after wine makers in the Napa Valley; his passion for his craft is shown with each new release. Seeing the bustling tasting room, drinking the juice of his labors and knowing he followed his heart makes all of the rough times worth it.

Country born: United States

Education: All of my degrees are non-wine related.

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
There is no right or wrong, no "pure" or unpure" style, it’s about when one glass invites another. Ripness with balance, simply understated and not over the top; great with food and able to stand alone.

Steve Reynolds

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Steve Reynolds feels he was destined to be in the wine business since his youth. The Oklahoma native’s father was in the electrical business and the family moved numerous times during Reynolds’ youth, including a seven year stint in a small town just south of Munich in southern Germany.

“My father was almost fanatical about wine and was an avid wine collector,” Reynolds, recently recalled. “Most of our family outings centered around wine and wineries and we never had a meal where there wasn’t a bottle of wine on the table.”

Reynolds returned to the United States after high school and attended the University of Washington. He next went to the University of the Pacific where he graduated in dentistry in 1986. He eventually wound up in the Lodi-Stockton area where he practiced dentistry and where he was first introduced to his future wife, Suzie.

“Suzie was at St. Mary’s College in nearby Moraga, and we started dating. She had a best friend at the school that was dating a guy from Napa named Oscar Renteria,” Reynolds added. “We all started hanging out together during the late 1980’s and going to the Napa Valley on weekends and holidays where Renteria’s father was a vineyard manager.”

In 1993, the couple became engaged. A fifteen-minute conversation between the pair on a return trip from Napa persuaded Reynolds to sell his Central Valley practice and move to Napa.

“We decided we loved Napa and I wanted to be one of those gentlemen farmers making homemade wine on the side in my garage. I started a new practice and Suzie continued to work in her family’s insurance business.”

The Reynolds’ jump into the wine business began for real in 1995 when an old chicken farm on the Silverado Trail, south of the prestigious Stag’s Leap District, became available. Vineyards were planted and, in 1999, the first wines were made from a small portion of some very specific vines that had dropped fruit a few months earlier. The finished wines were well-received by friends and acquaintances and Reynolds decided it was time to get into the wine business on a larger scale.

The Reynolds Family Winery’s first release of around 2,000 cases came at the start of the new millennium amid a rash of personal problems for Reynolds. With a six month old baby and its needs to deal with, Reynolds lost his inspirational father (and winery investor) and was then forced to give up his dental practice when the running of the new winery operation proved too time consuming.

“I was really up against it,” Reynolds admitted. “It wasn’t the greatest time in my life, but I had no real choices. The winery demanded someone be there on a full time basis. I called on my friends and neighbors, and everyone pitched in and helped out.”

Basically self taught as a winemaker, Steve Reynolds took courses at UC Davis for two years to perfect his art. He credits South African winemaker Anthony Bell for seeing him through the hardest time in his winery’s evolution. The rest is practically a chapter from a romantic novel.

The first Reynolds Family wines were incredibly well received, as were the succeeding releases. Today, Reynolds Family Winery has grown to around 8,000 cases. Reynolds has also been active in two other winery ventures, a fun brand called Naughty as well as an innovative brand called Fourteen that brings together grapes from Napa’s finest growing districts in one amazing bottle.

Through it all, Steve and Suzie Reynolds have truly enjoyed the experience and path that has lead them to where they are today. They have three beautiful children, dozens of accolades, medals and achievements for their wines, and most of all, each other. Steve is one of the most honest, giving and sought after wine makers in the Napa Valley; his passion for his craft is shown with each new release. Seeing the bustling tasting room, drinking the juice of his labors and knowing he followed his heart makes all of the rough times worth it.

Country born: United States

Education: All my degrees are non-wine related.

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
There is no right or wrong, no "pure" or unpure" style, it’s about when one glass invites another. Ripness with balance, simply understated and not over the top; great with food and able to stand alone.

Elias Fernandez

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Elias Fernandez has been making wine at Shafer Vineyards for 40 years, forging a style of boldness, elegance, and balance that has been embraced by wine lovers throughout the world. Elias earned his success in part because he knows Napa Valley vineyards from the roots up. He knows first-hand what it’s like to work in 100-degree heat among dusty vine rows as well as the difficulties of pruning vines in the freezing winter pre-dawn light.

Elias’ father came to the U.S. from Michoacan, Mexico and worked in the San Joaquin Valley as a farm laborer. His mother was born in Napa Valley where her father was a laborer who helped build the rail line that runs through Yountville. Both parents picked prunes and walnuts in the days before wine grapes became the predominant crop in the Valley. Some of Elias’ earliest memories are in these orchards.

In junior high, Elias started working in vineyards with his father where he learned to drive tractors, train and prune grapevines and from both parents he learned the value of hard work and self reliance. "When I graduated from UC Davis, I knew I wanted to work for a smaller winery that would give me the chance to be a "hands-on" winemaker, getting involved in all aspects of running a cellar. I had a lot of excitement getting into this career and that excitement has stayed with me."

Country born: United States

Education: B.S. in Fermentation Science from U.C. Davis

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Honors / Awards:
"Winemaker of the Year" - Food & Wine magazine and Wine & Spirits magazine; inducted into the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Hispanic Hall of Fame at The White House

Winemaking Philosophy:
Coming into this 40 years ago, I thought that winemaking happened underneath the roof of the cellar. Today who I am as a winemaker has umbrellaed in a big way. Winemaking starts in January with pruning and continues throughout the year. I'm not just selecting the best fruit, I'm selecting the best corks, the right barrel staves, ensuring that the bottling line is working at top efficiency. What I've also learned is to let the land dictate the best grape variety and the style of the wine that ends up in the bottle.

Steve Sherwin

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Steve has created every aspect of Sherwin Family Vineyards from the ground up, including clearing the land and planting and trellising the vineyard, with mentoring from a fifth-generation Napa Valley grape-growing family; design and construction of our gravity-flow winery; and hands-on winemaking experience with assistance from consulting winemakers.

Steve Sherwin was in his element when he and his wife, Linda, bought property on Spring Mountain above Napa Valley in 1996. Their goals were straightforward, if daunting: remodel an old home, log a forest, till the earth and plant vines for their new vineyard. "I couldn't have been much happier."

Country born: U.S.A

Education: Hands-on, on-the-job experience with mentoring from long-time Napa Valley grape growers

Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Let the lushness and intensity of the mountain fruit speak for itself.

Michael Scholz

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

Michael was raised on a vineyard in Australia's Barossa Valley that his family settled six generations ago in 1845. While Michael's informal wine industry training began in childhood, his winemaking career formally began in the mid-1980s.

Over the course of the past thirty years, Michael has progressed from cellar hand to Vice President, Winemaker at St. Supéry, where he built a state-of-the-art winery, which employs techniques of double hand sorting with old world punch down maceration in small lot open top fermenters, along with the more recent technologies, including optical sorting. Michael first worked as St. Supéry's winemaker from 1996 to 2001 and returned as the winemaker again in 2009 after a sabbatical where he expanded his scope by building a winery and planting a mountain vineyard. During his tenure at St. Supéry, he has been instrumental in the continuous improvements to both the Dollarhide Estate Vineyard and the winemaking program. Michael created the distinctive style that made the winery a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, and developed our first Bordeaux varietal-based blends.

Michael's credentials include accolades from some of the most esteemed experts in the industry, including oenologist and consultant Michel Rolland, with whom he collaborated with to help develop St. Supéry's proprietary red and white Bordeaux varietal blends, Élu and Virtú. Rolland says, "Michael Scholz is on my list of great winemakers from around the world."

Country born: Australia

Education: Roseworthy College (now a part of the University of Adelaide)

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Winemaking Philosophy:
The winemaker's choice of oak is like a chef's choice of ingredients. The barrels give us an opportunity to enhance expression and encourage structure and maturity. The natural combination of the soil, the harvest season and the oak form the future of what you'll taste in two years, or many years later.

Kirk Venge

Winemaker, Napa Valley's 16 AVAs

As the primary winemaker at Venge Vineyards, Kirk Venge's solid foundation and passion for winemaking began at a very young age. He grew up in Rutherford, in the heart of the Napa Valley surrounded by some of the best wines and appellations in the world. His childhood memories are steeped in vineyard farming, winemaking and the fragrance of a wine cellar.

Some of Kirk's earliest memories of the winery were when he was four years old helping his father Nils with basket-pressing Cabernet from the family's Saddleback Vineyard and manning the pump switch on late night barrel racking projects. A game the two of them would play was for Kirk to smell and guess the varietal of wine in a glass when Nils would pal around amongst his peers.

Country born: USA

Education: After graduating from St. Helena High School, Kirk ventured off to University of California, Davis to pursue a degree in viticulture and oenology, the study of vineyard management and winemaking. While at Davis, he developed his craft interning with Mumm Napa Valley as experimental winemaker for 5 harvest seasons under the guidance of legendary sparkling winemaker, Gregory Fowler. The experience not only included yeast, malolactic and scion and rootstock trials but the making of premium Carneros Appellation Chardonnay and Pinot Noir table wines as well.

After college and his fourth season at Mumm, Kirk spent the 1999 harvest working with Rapaura Vintners in Marlborough, New Zealand on the South Island. He went back to work for one last harvest at Mumm. That November of the same year he left Mumm and decided to work alongside his father in developing a winery for the Venge Family Reserve wines. Two years later, Kirk shared his winemaking hat with a hard hat to supervise the entire restoration and building of Venge Vineyards at the historic Rossini Ranch property. Nine years later in May of 2008, the Venge family sold the winery and property which allowed Kirk to take the label and branch out on his own. Today he is pursuing the development of a winery situated on 12.5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon at the base of the Palisade Mountains in Calistoga.

Years in the wine industry: 15-20 years

Winemaking Philosophy:
Kirk's talent and skill as a winemaker is reflected in the well-balanced wines of Venge Vineyards. His philosophy of "making wine in the vineyard" is found in every bottle. "Understanding the terroir of a specific vineyard and the hidden potential of that site is imperative to the quality of wine that can be made." He strives to share ideas with the winery's growers and work with them to attentively develop the highest quality of fruit that each vineyard can produce. Kirk knows there is no substitute to absolute quality and that the best wines can only come from the best grapes. In addition to his duties as the winemaker for Venge Vineyards, Kirk is the consulting winemaker for: Beau Vigne, Hunnicutt, Macauley Vineyard, Bacio Divino, JAX, B Cellars, Trespass, 11:11 Wines, Entrepreneur Wines and Renteria Wines.