Robert Foley, Jr.

Winemaker, JennaMarise Wines, Robert Foley Vineyards

I began my wine making career in the Napa Valley in 1977, working at a number of highly regarded Napa Valley wineries including Pride Mountain Vineyards, where I spent 15 years as founding wine maker. During this period I also created Switchback Ridge, Hourglass, Paloma, School House, and Engel Family wines. In 1998 my wife and I started Robert Foley Vineyards with the bottling of our flagship Claret, and have since expanded and diversified production.

Country born: United States

Education: UC Davis Enology and Viniculture degrees 1977

Years in the wine industry: 30+ years

Honors / Awards:
+ 2007 Wine & Food Magazine "Winemaker of the Year"
+ Called 'The God of Cabernet' by Executive Wine Seminars

Winemaking Philosophy:
I'm actually more interested in looking at vineyards and geology. It's about trying to envision how to get the best expression out of the land. The result of that has me making pretty powerful, extracted red wines like Claret and Charbono. The American palate likes power, and we try to get rich, extracted wine. We've realized how important it is that the wine feels good on the palate. But it shouldn't be so big that it's like trying to drink peanut butter.

Jenna and Mara York

Winemaker, JennaMarise Wines, Robert Foley Vineyards

Growing up surrounded by wine enthusiasts, particularly our maternal grandfather – a true wine connoisseur – we developed an early affection for wine that blossomed into a deep passion for winemaking. This lifelong dream of producing our own wines has finally come to fruition.
Wine was a constant at our family dinner table, and some of our fondest memories involve our grandfather sneaking us sips during Sunday dinners. We often laugh at how our dad would overhear us, even as children, discussing the nuances of the wine – what we liked and what we didn’t.
Throughout our college years, we spent summers immersed in all aspects of the wine industry, working in wineries both domestically and internationally. We learned the business from the ground up, gaining hands-on experience in everything from front-office operations and tasting rooms to production facilities and vineyards. To deepen our knowledge, we worked with renowned winemakers in California and Argentina and traveled extensively through the wine regions of France, Italy, and Australia.
After graduating, we made our home in Napa Valley, dedicating ourselves to honing our craft and pursuing our vision. Combining our names, Jenna Marie and Mara Denise, into JennaMarise, marked an exciting step in our shared dream.
Our mission is simple: to create wines we love and hope you will enjoy as much as we do. We are thrilled to have achieved our lifelong goal of crafting our own wines, and we are grateful to have you join us on this journey. We look forward to sharing a glass of JennaMarise with you soon!

Country born: United States

Years in the wine industry: 7 years