Laura Catena is a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, physician, and author. Catena’s great grandfather founded the Catena winery in Mendoza in 1902 after emigrating from Italy. Her father, Nicolás Catena Zapata, often referred to as “the Robert Mondavi of Argentina,” helped facilitate the ascent of Argentine Malbec onto the world stage.

Born in Mendoza, Argentina, Laura graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and has a Medical Doctor degree from Stanford University. Laura combines a strong science background with a passion for her family winery. She is currently managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata and her own Luca Wines in Mendoza. An Emergency Medicine physician for more than 30 years, Laura currently vaccinates the homeless as a volunteer in San Francisco.

Laura has been called the “face” of Argentine wine. She has traveled the globe to lecture about Argentine wines and viticulture and has been an invited speaker at the American Society of Wine Educators, Decanter Fine Wine Encounter, The Smithsonian and the Vancouver Playhouse among others. She appeared in Oprah Magazine as one of the World’s Top Women Vintners in 2010.

Laura was #1 Wine Star at the 2018 Wine Spectator New York Wine Experience, where she discussed the history of Malbec from its birth in France 2,000 years ago to its rebirth in Argentina.  In 2022 she received the Drinks Business “Woman of the Year” award for making outstanding strides in the promotion of Argentine Malbec.

In 2010 Laura Catena released her book Vino Argentino, An Insider’s Guide to the Wines and Wine Country of Argentina (Chronicle Books), the first book about Argentine wine by a U.S. publisher. Dave McIntyre of The Washington Post wrote: “Vino Argentino is a mouthwatering introduction to the wines and culture of Argentina.” Vino Argentino was also published in Argentina by Catapulta Editores in a Spanish/English and a Portuguese/English version.

Laura’s second book, published in 2017, Oro en los Viñedos (Gold in the Vineyards), is an illustrated narrative about the world´s most celebrated vineyards. It has been released in Spanish, Portuguese (2019) and English (2020). It was voted “Best in the World for Wine History” by the Gourmand Cookbook Awards, and received positive reviews in Forbes, The Washington Post, The Drinks Business, Decanter and The Wine Economist.

Laura’s third book with winemaker co-author Alejandro Vigil, Malbec Mon Amour, was released in January 2022. This illustrated book combines the art and science of wine in a way that has never been done before and takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the history and development of Malbec as well as the different terroirs of Mendoza where the grape has thrived so well. It has been released in Spanish, Portuguese and English. It is the first time a wine book is a best seller in Argentina. The book sold out in the very first month of release and was reviewed by The New York Times.

Grace and Ken Evenstad founded Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills of Oregon in 1989 with a mission to produce world class Pinot Noir. The Evenstads had faith and confidence in Oregon early on, before there was a national market for domestic Pinot Noir.

Today, Domaine Serene produces wines from seven individual vineyard estates, planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Each estate offers a diversity of soils, clones, rootstocks, microclimates, slopes, and elevations that add distinguishing complexity and elegance to the wines. In total, the Evenstads own over 1,000 acres of land in the hills of Yamhill County, with 360 acres planted to vines.

In 2001, the Evenstads completed construction of their current state-of-the art, five-level, gravity flow Pinot Noir winery. In 2015, Ken and Grace acquired Château de la Crée, the respected wine estate located in the birthplace of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the renowned Côte d’Or in Burgundy, France. They are the only Oregon-based vintners to own land and produce wines in Burgundy, France. Parcels are owned in 18 climats throughout the Côte de Beaune in Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay and Maranges, 40% of which are Premier Cru.

In 2021, Grace Evenstad expanded her Burgundian vineyard holdings by taking control of the renowned Domaine Christian Confuron et fils estate. This 15-acre expansion increased Evenstad Estates’ vineyard footprint in the Côte d’Or by roughly 60%, adding vineyards in the Côte de Nuits to her current holdings in the Côte de Beaune. The estate is located mainly in Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-Saint-Georges, including prestigious Grand Cru vineyard blocks in Bonnes Mares and Clos de Vougeot.

In 2017, Domaine Serene opened a new best-in-class hospitality center, the Clubhouse at Domaine Serene, that defined the landscape of fine wine hospitality in the Pacific Northwest.

In Spring 2018, they completed a new winery dedicated solely to the production of Chardonnay and Sparkling wine, the first of its kind in Oregon. The wineries are located on the beautiful Winery Hill Estate in the world-class Dundee Hills AVA.

Having achieved his goal of making the world’s finest Pinot Noir many times over, Ken Evenstad died at the age of 77 in October 2020. Under the guidance of Grace Evenstad, his legacy lives on as Domaine Serene remains focused on excellence in a never-ending quest to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Domaine Serene’s wines represent the achievement that is possible in Oregon, one of the finest regions in the world for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Recent Accolades:
• In 2018, Grace and Ken were recipients of the wine industry’s highest honor, Wine Spectator’s Distinguished Service Award. The award, given once a year, is a tribute to those that have made significant and long-lasting contributions to the wine industry. The Evenstads were the first and only couple to have ever received this honor together.
• Evenstad Estates wines were awarded an unprecedented 55 medals at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards, including 2 Platinum and 4 Gold Medals.
• Evenstad Estates wines secured 21 medals at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
• In 2020, Domaine Serene was the most awarded winery at the Decanter World Wine Awards, securing 23 medals including one platinum medal, five gold medals, 17 silver medals, and one bronze medal.
• In 2019, London’s renowned Decanter magazine awarded Domaine Serene five gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
• Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2016 named Domaine Serene’s 2014 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay the best white wine in the world.
• In 2016, London’s Decanter magazine named Domaine Serene’s 2012
Winery Hill Pinot Noir the top Pinot Noir in the world at the Decanter World Wine Awards. • Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2013 named Domaine Serene’s 2010 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir the #3 Ranked wine in the world, and #1 Pinot Noir of the year.

As a lifetime farmer, Jeff Gargiulo has always been passionate about the land and agricultural, and today that passion is focused on grape growing and fine wine making. Thirty years ago, he and his wife Valerie dreamed of one day building a premier wine estate. That dream took shape in the early 1980s when Jeff and Valerie and their young family traveled to Napa Valley to visit Valerie’s cousins, Barney and Belle Rhodes. Napa Valley icons, Barney and Belle Rhodes had been in the Napa Valley since the late 1960s growing grapes in Rutherford at Bella Oaks Vineyard. Jeff and Valerie were inspired by their cousin’s Napa Valley lifestyle and confident that with their help and Jeff’s agricultural knowledge they could achieve their dream and make some of the finest wines in the world. Twelve years later and with countless hours of coaching from Barney and Belle, Jeff and Valerie purchased their first vineyard in Oakville, Napa Valley, Money Road Ranch in 1992. Seven years later they purchased their second Oakville property, 575 OVX.

From the beginning, the Gargiulo’s were committed to creating a world class Cabernet Sauvignon wine estate. From his years spent farming, Jeff Gargiulo, knew that if he didn’t start with the very best land, he could never expect to grow the best grapes. For this reason, the Gargiulo’s chose Oakville to establish their namesake winery. Then, like today, Oakville was considered to be amongst the preeminent places to grow Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. The very first vintage of Gargiulo Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon was 2000, and since then Gargiulo Vineyards has quietly taken its place among the most highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon producers in Napa Valley. Not ones to rest on their laurels, Jeff, Valerie, daughter, April and the entire Gargiulo Vineyards’ team continue to strive to make Gargiulo wines the most pure and breathtaking expressions of their two esteemed Oakville vineyards.

Violet’s passion for wine began at an early age, as she literally grew up accompanying her father in the vineyards and cellar. She spent her summers at the winery, doing everything from bottling line work to laboratory analysis and working in the tasting room.

Attending the University of California, Davis, Violet earned a BA in music while taking classes in biology, chemistry, and enology. After graduation, she returned home to Grgich Hills to continue her education in the wine business, learning about daily operations of the winery from Mike. She received her Master of Music in harpsichord at Indiana University, and then joined the winery full-time in 1988. She’s now responsible for daily management of the winery, as well as sales and marketing. She says that she has the ideal job: “I believe that wine is part of a healthy, happy and long life. Wine brings people together and makes them happy, which makes my job extraordinarily fulfilling”.

Involved with every aspect of the wine business, Violet enjoys wearing many different hats, often at the same time. She explains, “My dad insisted that in order to lead the winery I needed to work at every single position, starting at the bottom”. Violet continues to enjoy learning something new each day and following her grandfather’s and father’s philosophy of “every day do something just a little better”.

Growing up in the hills of Berkeley, California, Deborah immersed herself in theater and music, pursuits that led to further studies at the University of California Los Angeles and an enduring passion for the arts. Concurrently, Deborah performed with the Young Americans, a non-profit group based in Southern California that was credited with being the first show choir in America, mixing choreography with choral singing. The group toured extensively throughout the United States, Far East, and Australia.

Deborah continued on to a highly successful modeling and commercial-acting career in New York City before marrying Bill Harlan in 1986. Shortly thereafter, their two children, Will and Amanda, were born, and the first harvests at Harlan Estate were brought into the winery. Deborah now focuses much of her time and energy developing and nurturing relationships globally for the Harlan family domain (which comprises Harlan Estate, BOND, Promontory, and The Mascot), sharing the story of the family’s 200-year vision and deepening the understanding among curious individuals around the world of this vision’s underlying philosophy.

Tim Irwin is an experienced, dynamic wine specialist who began his career in Australia over 15 years ago. An accomplished media personality and public speaker, Tim relishes the opportunity to speak about his passion for wine, particularly in his adopted country of the United States.

Having worked on multiple luxury wineries in the past, his most notable time was launching the most expensive wine in the world; the Penfolds limited edition Ampoule, that retailed for $168,000.

Tim has appeared on numerous broadcast networks, including Fox Business and E! News, discussing trends on luxury and innovation.

In his current role as General Manager of Penfolds, Americas, he travels across the US hosting luxury events and speaking engagements to private collectors, celebrities and personalities.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking degree as well as formal credentials from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust of London.

The only son of Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, Christopher was raised in the world of wine, working his first harvest at the age of 12 at Stonestreet Winery in Alexander Valley. He earned his undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University, spent a year working in Washington D.C. for the Speaker of the House, then went back to school for his J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law. He is currently involved in domestic and international sales and strategic planning for Jackson Family Wines. Christopher also founded and built Seismic Brewing Company, a craft brewery based in Santa Rosa, California. Christopher’s wife Ariel attended UC Davis and subsequently earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan. Ariel left the legal profession to work with Christopher in the wine business and is currently Director of Real Estate Development for Jackson Family Wines. Christopher and Ariel live in Sonoma County with their four young sons.

EARLY ADVENTURES to legendary vineyards and wineries around the world with his father, photographer Andy Katz, gave Colorado-native Jesse Katz a profound respect for the creative art of winemaking. Jesse creates distinct, nuanced wines for his brands Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof Vineyards; while serving as a consulting winemaker for some of the world’s most prestigious wines. Inspired from an early age, Jesse dived into the wine industry and has since became one of the most exciting — and accomplished — winemakers in the world.

Jesse’s diverse experience spanning 21 harvests at wineries, along with his desire to travel, fed his aspiration to learn from the best in the industry including Pétrus in Bordeaux, as well as time on the winemaking teams at Screaming Eagle Winery and Robert Foley Winery in Napa Valley, and Viña Cobos and Bodega Noemia in Argentina.

In 2010, Jesse was the youngest-hired head winemaker in the U.S. at Lancaster Estate where, during his five-year tenure, he orchestrated the building of the new Roth winery, production facility, and tasting room, and received 90+ scores on every wine scored by the Wine Advocate, and garnered Lancaster Estate’s inclusion on the list of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines. In 2013, Wine Enthusiast named Jesse one of its 40 Under 40 Tastemakers and he was also the first winemaker on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2014. As a consulting winemaker for some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Von Miller, Tony Hawk and Justin Timberlake, in 2017 , Jesse’s wine collaboration with Shep Gordon, The Setting, earned acclaim as the most expensive wine in the world. He then broke his own record in 2021, when a 3L of his Cabernet Sauvignon sold for $1M. Also in 2021, the Devil Proof Farrow Ranch vineyard joined the elite group of 100 point perfect score recipients, receiving 100-points for both Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate and Jeb Dunnuck.

Jesse enjoys putting his craft to work raising funds for good causes, non-profits, and charity events. Devil Proof and Aperture actively donate and participate in a large variety of charitable auctions, with numerous cases of wine and custom winery experiences donated to causes the brands believe strongly in, each year.

Through travels with his photographer father, winemaker Jesse Katz developed a profound passion for wine and winemaking that has shaped his career. As a child and young adult, it was through his father’s work that Jesse was first introduced to the art of winemaking, where he quickly recognized the importance of terroir and balance of the winemaker’s influence, landing him on a path he has followed ever since.

Jesse’s winemaking philosophy is a combination of diverse hands-on experience and knowledge passed on to him from some of the greatest winemaking legends while working at some of the most renowned wineries around the world. One core ethos has always prevailed though: evolution. Jesse is always learning, always evolving and constantly trying new things to achieve greater excellence. When it comes to the production methods, Jesse and his team are constantly modifying their fermentation applications based on different vineyards and fruit quality year to year. Each vintage calls for a tailored barrel fermentation approach on both Aperture reds and whites. Early extraction brings fleshy, ripe characteristics; while extended maturation ensures structure and length from each grape variety. A combination of warm and cool fermentation is completed on all varietals.

Darioush Khaledi’s life story has inspired the creation of Darioush and continues to shape it today. Darioush is a man dedicated to wine and the ideals of the American dream – a deeply rooted belief in individualism and opportunity. Born and raised in Iran, trained as a civil engineer, and a lifelong entrepreneur, his fascination with wine was instilled at an early age by his father’s winemaking efforts and the cultural history of winemaking in Shiraz.

Darioush emigrated to the United States seeking opportunity, reinventing his career by building what became at one point the largest family-owned grocery business in California. Together with his wife Shahpar, he founded Darioush in 1997.

Darioush was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by USA Today in 1995 and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2008. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Food Marketing Institute and Unified Grocers, and is a past Chairman of the California Grocer’s Association. Actively involved in supporting programs in both communities that he resides, Darioush currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Festival Napa Valley, Napa Valley Vintners, Ole Health and Saint Helena Hospital Foundation.

Kashy Khaledi is a creative executive in multimedia and advertising, noted for his achievements bridging culture and branding in campaigns for clients such as Intel, Google, Microsoft, Virgin Mobile, Universal Music Group, Viacom, Live Nation and Mazda, among others. His projects have found wide acclaim: Khaledi has been nominated for a Webby award, and won “Video of The Year” in MTV’s Woodie Awards for his brand-based music video series, Supervideo . Khaledi began his media career while still a teenager, as an editorial assistant for the Beastie Boys’ generation-defining music magazine, Grand Royal . He went on to write for Larry Flynt Publications, became associate publisher of Filter Magazine , and founded his own periodical, MEAN (Music. Entertainment. Art. News). MEAN , fondly recalled as a potent pop-culture influencer, grew to a circulation of 20,000, and covered wide-ranging topics, from author Thomas Pynchon’s whereabouts to a 30-plus-page think piece on Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, with contributions from contemporary indie artists such as David Byrne (Talking Heads), Flea and John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat) and Bootsy Collins. The common thread of Khaledi’s work has been to bring together brilliant personalities from eclectic backgrounds to collaborate on new and exciting cultural experiences, be it in advertising, editorial or now, wines.

Observing a new wave of California winemakers with purist practices in organic and biodynamic farming, contemporaneously with discovering classic, elegant mid-century wines from the ‘60s and ‘70s for his own cellar, Khaledi began Ashes & Diamonds as a quest to create the modern-day version of those wines. He began by connecting with rising wine stars Steve Matthiasson, Dan Petroski and Diana Snowden Seysses, but that was only the first step in Khaledi’s creative process: in order to truly capture the experience of the wines of that era, designing an immersive mid-century environment would need to follow.

The next key collaborator brought on board was Bestor Architecture, which came to Khaledi’s attention for its work on an installation with a colleague of Charles and Ray Eames, Deborah Sussman. After cold-calling the firm, it turned out that principal Barbara Bestor had designed the very office that Khaledi worked in as a teenager for Grand Royal. They took as their inspiration a re-imagination of California’s foundational Case Study Houses; even deeper, a new frontier for experimentation in the collaborative process was forged.

The original project of the Case Study Houses, in which the era’s great architects chose to create new ways of living for a new, exciting modern world, is a case study in itself for Khaledi. The lush, meticulously designed grounds, inspired by mid-century landscape architect Garrett Eckbo, serve a functional purpose of unifying people from different backgrounds in a communal environment. A native of California, Kashy Khaledi grew up in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, where he met his wife, Laura. The Khaledis enjoy seeing revival movies at the New Beverly Cinema with their daughter, Vivienne—and then fiercely debating them over pizza, juice boxes and Trousseau.

The eldest of Henri Krug’s five children, Olivier Krug grew up right beside the Krug cellars in Reims. He then went on to study economics and finance in Paris, the city where he was born. In 1989, as he was about to accept his first job in a Paris-based company, his father proposed that he join the family business. At that moment, Olivier became the sixth generation of the Krug family to perpetuate Joseph Krug’s vision when he founded the House of Krug in 1843.

Krug was practically unknown in Japan when Olivier decided to travel there. He would stay for two years and quickly came to understand the culture and mindset of the Japanese nation. One after the other Olivier met Krug’s main distributors, sommeliers, journalists and of course, Krug Lovers. He won them over with his charming personality. He succeeded in opening the way for Krug’s thriving expansion in Japan.

Over the years, the Land of the Rising Sun went on to become Krug’s prime market.

Olivier has since then occupied several positions, while continuing to work in close cooperation with the winemaking team and with his father, who passed on his tasting expertise to him. Today, as Director of Krug, Olivier is part of the tasting committee and continues to foster very special relations between Krug and the winegrowers, when he is not travelling all over the world, spreading the Krug message.

Since founding his namesake winery in 2002, Cliff Lede (pronounced lay-dee) has put every emphasis towards creating a modern and diversified world-class estate. A strategic thinker and visionary, Lede is the driving force of a company that at once holds the values of the great Old World winemaking properties, with the energy, youth, and spark of the New World. His wines are intrinsically connected to the land, yet his viewpoint is forward-thinking and entirely fresh. One visit to the Cliff Lede Vineyards property, which is full of contemporary art and is juxtaposed with vineyard blocks named for classic rock songs, and it is clear that to him, wine—like music and art—is a source of great beauty.

Lede grew up involved with his family’s successful construction business in Canada, and first discovered the splendor of the Napa Valley while on a business retreat in the 1990s. An avid long-distance runner, he explored the back roads of Napa Valley throughout his trip. The area resonated a great deal with him, as he had collected Bordeaux wines since his late 20s. Frequent return visits ensued, and he was soon exposed to everything Napa Valley has to offer: beautiful land, some of the world’s greatest restaurants, and a core of friendly, passionate, and hardworking people that reminded him of his own community.

Lede soon began searching for a property in Napa where he could start a winery. Determined to plant his roots in the Stags Leap District for its complex and age-worthy wines, he remained patient and focused. Upon learning that a Stags Leap District estate was for sale, Cliff seized the opportunity and established Cliff Lede Vineyards. One year later, the southwest facing hillside just above the Silverado Trail became available. Following the acquisition of the rare hillside property, Cliff named it the Poetry Vineyard. In 2005, he opened Poetry Inn, one of Napa’s most secluded luxury boutique hotels, perched high above the valley floor overlooking the winery and vineyards. In 2009, he expanded to include cooler-climate varieties from the Anderson Valley as his love for creating things led to the purchase of the Savoy Vineyard and the creation of a new brand, FEL, named for his mother, Florence Elsie Lede.

Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, it wasn’t until a business trip in 1970 that Hi Sang Lee had his first glass of wine. From that sip a passion was ignited, which led him to start importing fines wines into South Korea; thereafter spurring him to put down roots in his most beloved wine region in the world, Napa Valley. Dedicated to building a world-renowned winery, Hi Sang Lee built Dana Estates with the vision of expressing appreciation to those who have worked the land before while laying a new foundation for the next generation. His goal was to share the vineyard’s stories by crafting single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from estate vineyards around Napa Valley. After working with Howard Backen to construct Dana Estates, Hi Sang Lee hired Phillipe Melka as the winemaker and produced the first vintage in 2005. Seventeen years later, Dana Estates now produces world class Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc under Vaso Cellars, Onda, and Dana Estates.

Lucas Löwi, CEO at Bodega Numanthia, holds an Executive MBA, with honors (Magna Cum Laude) from IAE Business School.

Lucas’s passion and immersion into the wine world has always been a family affair, born in Mendoza, Argentina, a region famous for its altitude vineyards.

Lucas has worked for the last 15 years at the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy group.

He joined LVMH in year 2007, being responsible for the wine’s development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Lucas arrived in Spain in year 2015 with the great challenge to manage Bodega Numanthia, an LVMH Estate located in the Toro region.

As CEO of Bodega Numanthia, Lucas seeks to preserve its heritage, a unique legacy composed by century-old ungrafted vineyards from the autochthonous grape Tinta de Toro, some as old as 200 years old, planted in the XIX century, with the vision of offering wines recognized as the reference from the Toro DO, on par with the best wines from Spain.

It is remarkable the business sustained growth during Lucas management and the Estate Iconic positioning achieved, including a new milestone: 100 points by the internationally recognized wine critic James Suckling. Lucas won the leadership award “Premio Jovenes Mendocinos Destacados 2017” from the CEM (Consejo Empresario Mendocino) due to his achievements abroad.

Europpean Leadership and Business Success award received in 2022 by Sociedad Europea de Fomento Social y Cultural.

Lucas teachs Strategy at the Global MBA – IME Business School (Universidad de Salamanca), since 2018.

Paul graduated from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in 1990 and enjoyed an early career in hospitality taking in London, Switzerland, Paris and Dubai as well as a stint as a Bafta award winning Executive Producer. In 1994 he completed an MBA and joined the family hospitality and investment business. Emily built an early career in events management, culminating in running a series of charitable concerts on behalf of Diana, Princess of Wales and working with a range of performers from George Michael (no relation) to Luciano Pavarotti. Today, Paul & Emily oversee the family investments including The Vineyard Hotel, a luxury five-star Relais & Chateaux hotel where one “Eats, Sleeps and Drinks Wine”. Paul also oversees a portfolio of investment holdings, provides funding to early-stage companies, and travels widely to represent the winery.

Donald Patz began his wine career in 1982 as a wine salesman for a small wine distributor in Oregon. Moving to California in 1983 he set out on a course that led him to become an important member of the wine community and advocate of California wines. In a period of 36 years in the wine business he’s been a marketer, a salesman, a story-teller, a winemaker and a director, multiple times.

His first job working in Napa Valley was in 1985 at Flora Springs Winery as the director of sales and marketing where he met his future business partner, James Hall. He and James started Patz & Hall in 1988 and while it was still in its infancy Donald worked for Flora Springs and then Girard Winery. In 1995 it was time to make the Patz & Hall project a permanent full-time gig.

From 1995 until 2016 Donald Patz was involved exclusively with every aspect of the Patz & Hall winery. That Patz & Hall experience ended with the sale of the company to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2016. Another year passed with Donald under contract to help transition the winery and then he was released to pursue other new ventures. So, he did.

Donald Patz Wine Group was born May 1, 2017 with the idea to take everything he had learned for the previous 36 years in the wine business and create something new and exciting and very personal. Each one of the visions Donald has was given a different name and a different mission. SECRET DOOR for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; MARITANA VINEYARDS for Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; and the
smallest project is a collaboration with François Villard from the northern Rhone Valley of France called TERMINIM doing Marsanne/Roussanne and Syrah from Mendocino County.

Donald is currently a member of the Sonoma County Vintners as well as a board member of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers in Sonoma County. Previously, he has been a board member for the California Wine Institute and Family Winemakers of California. He lives in the City of Napa and spends a great deal of time in both Sonoma and Napa looking at vineyards. His Korean wife – Jung Min Lee – is the inspiration for
the SECRET DOOR WINERY – preferring Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. Jung Min and Donald visit the Hawaiian Islands frequently and have many friends scattered all over the world.

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“Vintner Manuel Pires was Founder and President of Morse Watchmans, a global technology leader in guard tour and key management systems. Founded over a century ago, the company emerged as the industry’s most recognizable name in security management products through innovations and advances in key security technology. Manuel spent his childhood summers working the land of his grandfather’s quinta (farm) in Portugal. Ever since, with farming in his blood, he’s had a dream of returning to work the land, and in particular, to grow grapes and make wine. His dream came true when he and his wife Cristina established Gandona Estate in Napa Valley in 2006. They named the estate Gandona (humble man) in honor of Manuel’s grandfather, whose kindness and compassion earned him this beloved nickname.”

Jean-Guillaume Prats has managed previously the famed Chateau COS d’Estournel in Saint-Estèphe and its other vineyards and hotels. In 2011, he joined the Louis-Vuitton Moët-Hennessy group (LVMH) to become the President/CEO of the worldwide Wine Division of the Group. In 2017, he was hired by the Rothschild Family and became the President/CEO of their various chateaux and vineyards around the world, including the historical Chateau Lafite Rothschild.

Since 2022 he has become an entrepreneur with the purchase of Chateau d’Estoublon in Provence, together with his friends Stephane Courbit and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni. He also joined the Frey family Executive Comity and therefore is involved as such in Maison Paul Jaboulet and their historical wine, Hermitage La Chapelle. Being a bordelais by
birth and passion, he is also the vice chairman of Chateau Léoville Las Cases in Saint Julien.

Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, born in 1963, is the son of Baroness Philippine de Rothschild (1933-2014) and the famous actor Jacques Sereys. After succeeding his mother on her death as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, he was appointed Chairman and CEO in 2018. The leading exporter of Bordeaux AOC wines, the family company notably produces and markets the renowned Mouton Cadet. Philippe Sereys de Rothschild is also the owner, with his siblings Camille Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, of three classified growths at Pauillac in the Médoc – Château Mouton Rothschild, Château d’Armailhac and Château Clerc Milon – and of Domaine de Baronarques.

He received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1991 after graduating from Bordeaux Business School.

After spending two years as an analyst in the M&A department of Banque Lazard in New York, during which he worked on major transactions such as the RJR Nabisco LBO, he joined the management team at Compagnie Générale des Eaux (CGE, now Vivendi) as a project coordinator reporting to senior management, working on environmental protection projects in the UK, Italy and Taiwan.

From 1995 to 1998 he served as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of one of the group’s main Italian subsidiaries, specializing in energy management and the environment.

He left CGE/Vivendi in 1998 to become CFAO then CEO of SLP Infoware, a French company producing market analysis/CRM software, a position he held until 2003. After selling the company to Gemplus, from 2004 to 2010 he held senior executive positions at Natixis Investissement then NEM Partners, two Natixis private equity funds. During this time he made investments in several companies including Newrest (airline catering) and Saverglass (luxury bottle producer).

He played a leading role in the creation of Barons de Rothschild champagnes, from the first harvest in 2005 to its international launch in 2010, and is now chairman of the company which runs the business, representing the family shareholders.

In 2011, he became co-founder, shareholder and member of the Supervisory Board of Alma Learning, a group specializing in private education, distance learning and training. Alma Learning has majority interests in the private school Cours Hattemer, Hattemer Academy, Cours Legendre, Cours Saint Anne and Euro Formadis. He created Jolt Capital, an investment fund focusing on new technologies, in the same year.

In 2015, with his sister and brother, he founded the Philippine de Rothschild Corporate Foundation to honour the memory of their mother. He has been President of the Foundation since January 2017. Philippe Sereys de Rothschild has been Chairman and CEO of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA since 2018.

He has three children, Léonore, Mathilde and Nathan.

Together Shari and Garen learned about wine, first at meals with his parents where California or Italian wines were served, (his dad was born in Italy) and later when Garen went to Stanford Business School.  When Shari would occasionally fly up from L.A. to visit him, they would often spend a day in Napa Valley, where their dream began to one day have a vineyard and make wines of great quality. In 1968 they married, went to Vietnam, Japan, Washington, D.C., then New York City where their first child Brandon was born in 1971.

When it was time to move back to California in 1975, one of the key criteria for where to live was proximity to wine country, so they chose Lafayette, CA, only one hour from Napa Valley and 3 hours from ski country. 1979 proved to be an auspicious year for the Staglins, with the birth of their second child, Shannon. This year also marked the purchase of their first tech company, run by Garen. After many years of rapid growth, they were able to sell a portion of this business, creating capital to finally pursue their dream to purchase an ultra-premium vineyard in the Napa Valley.

By the end of 1985, the dream came true with their purchase of the historic 50-acre vineyard planted by Andre Tchelistcheff in 1964, who had come from Bordeaux with the first Cabernet clones.  They have since purchased adjacent acreage, bringing the total acreage to 70. Using their contacts and background, Shari and Garen built a business and marketing plan that remains the foundation of Staglin Family Vineyard: family ownership, commitment to quality, a personal approach to selling direct to consumer and encouraging memorable experiences. Brandon and Shannon grew up on the property, pursued their education and have both returned with new perspectives and experiences to rejoin the family business and non-profit. Shari remains as CEO since 1985, Shannon is President and Brandon assists with IT and presides over One Mind, their non-profit for mental health, while Garen assists with financial aspects and public relations and also chairs One Mind.  They hope to cultivate these traditions for many generations to come.

Shari and Garen both earned their bachelor’s degrees from UCLA in 1966.  Garen later earned his MBA at Stanford in 1968 and Shari her MPA at NYU in 1975.

Dominic is the fourth generation of direct family to be actively involved in all aspects of the business from vineyard management to sales & marketing. The company is currently managed by five members of the 4^th generation. Dominic, his brother Paul and cousins Johnny, Rupert & Charles plus Clare, who manages a UK based company for the family.

He and his family currently have their own US and UK importing companies, a Portuguese distributor & wholesaler and two Regional Managers based in Hong Kong & Brazil.

His Great Grandfather Andrew James Symington emigrated from Scotland to Portugal in 1882 to work for the Graham family in their Cotton Milling business. A short time after arriving he met & married Beatrice Atkinson from an old Anglo-Portuguese family who had been Port Shippers since 1652. Through his maternal Great Grandmother he is one of the 13^th generation of the family involved in the Port Trade.

Andrew James became a Partner in Warre’s in 1905 and took full ownership in 1908. In 1912 Andrew James Symington and George A Warre proprietor of Dow’s Port, arranged a share swop whereby each became a joint partner in the other company thereby enabling George Warre to become associated with his original family business which had originally been founded in 1670.

At the same time George Warre’s sons decided to leave Portugal and manage the sales office in London, England while Andrew James Symington’s sons managed the winemaking and shipping side in Portugal.

Eventually in the early 1960s the Warre family sold out their partnership share and the joint companies of Warre’s and Dow’s became solely owned by the Symington family.

In 1970 his father and uncles acquired Graham’s Port. In 1989 they bought Quinta do Vesuvio and in 2006 they acquired the Cockburn’s Port assets and took full control of the company and brand in 2011.

He and his family currently farm 965 hectares (2.384,57 acres) across 26 separate properties all under the Sustainable Agriculture principle of minimum intervention, of which 132 hectares (326,17 acres) are of fully certified Organic Vineyards.

The next generation of the family are beginning their involvement in the business, initially working as assistant winemakers at harvest time while at the same time following independent careers elsewhere before returning full time to the family business. For the 2013 harvest 3 younger family members worked, his son already for his second harvest while for the other two it was their first. Two other nephews have already worked previous harvests.