Dimitri Augenblick

A fervent entrepreneur, Dimitri Augenblick joined Domaines Reybier, the group founded by his father-in-law Michel Reybier, in 2006. As General Manager of La Réserve Paris-Apartments, he was responsible for the highly acclaimed opening of the luxury establishment located on the Place du Trocadéro in Paris.

Dimitri’s passion for wine and his ongoing pursuit of excellence drove him to work closely with a Senior Wine Lecturer in Oenology at the École Hôtelière de Lausanne, the world’s leading hotel management school. Since 2008, he has served as High-Image Account Director for Domaines Reybier, which includes Chateau Cos d’Estournel, a Second Growth in 1855 and the crown jewel of Saint-Estèphe.

As he travels around the globe to meet with wine connoisseurs, importers and the most distinguished chefs and sommeliers, Dimitri remains zealous about conveying the values of Domaines Reybier and guaranteeing the presence of the group’s wines in the finest dining establishments worldwide.

Jim Bailey

Jim Bailey grew up outside of Detroit, Michigan, on his family’s farm. He left Michigan to go to Harvard University, where he received his BA degree magna cum laude in 1969, and then in 1973 his MBA and JD degrees from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School, respectively. Upon graduation, Jim, along with co-founder Hunter Lewis, formed Cambridge Associates to provide investment and financial planning to nonprofit, endowed institutions. Today the firm serves more than 900 endowments, foundations, pensions and private clients in more than 40 countries from 11 offices around the world. The firm’s mission is to help their clients manage custom investment portfolios that generate outperformance, so they can maximize their impact on the world, not losing sight of the fact that the better the firm does for their clients, the deeper an impact their clients can have on their philanthropic endeavors, on their success in meeting pensioners’ obligations, and on their personal legacies.

Despite having established and raised a family in the urban environment of Boston, Jim always felt the draw to return to his farming roots. He thought to combine his passion for wine with farming, and started searching for a vineyard. In 2006, he came across the parcel of land in the Knights Valley AVA now known as Knights Bridge Vineyard, and along with his brother embarked on the journey that returned them to their agricultural roots. Having discovered an already producing vineyard, the creation of Knights Bridge Winery was an easy next step, and the first vintage of Knights Bridge wines came that very first year. Understanding that great wine starts in the vineyard, Jim, along with the other founding members of the winery, began to analyze the vineyard dedicating themselves to aligning each vineyard block with the correct varietal and clone, and adopting vineyard management techniques that would produce the best wines possible. The goal was to sustainably grow grapes and make wines from the noble varietals – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon – and surprisingly, all of these could be grown successfully on the Knights Bridge Vineyard.

The current vintage marks 10 years in the wine industry for Jim and Knights Bridge Winery. The winery continues to grow as many have enjoyed the wines and share them with family and friends. The vineyard remains at the heart of Jim’s focus and he works to support the community of Knights Valley and Sonoma both through philanthropic, monetary support and by being a participant in community rebuilding post the devastating fires of 2017.

Barbara Banke

One of the wine industry’s top executives and innovators, Jackson Family Wines Chairman & Proprietor Barbara R. Banke has spent the last two decades leading the company she co-founded with her late husband, wine icon Jess Jackson, while building and expanding some of the most beloved wineries in the nation.

The UCLA and Hastings Law School graduate is no stranger to juggling diverse workloads. A former land use and constitutional law attorney, Banke spent more than a decade arguing cases before the United States Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal, and raised three children with Jess (Katie, Julia and Christopher Jackson).

In addition to the flagship Kendall-Jackson winery, Banke and Jackson shaped nearly two dozen high-image wineries located across Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Mendocino counties, such as Arrowood, Byron, Cambria, Carmel Road, Freemark Abbey, La Crema, Matanzas Creek and Stonestreet. The Jackson family portfolio also includes the acclaimed Gran Moraine and Zena Crown Vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Internationally, the family properties include Chateau Lassègue in Bordeaux, Tenuta di Arceno and Arcanum in Tuscany, Alcance in Chile, Yangarra Estates and Hickinbotham Vineyard at Clarendon in Australia, and Capensis, from the Western Cape of South Africa.

Banke takes a hands-on role in the development and promotion of various Jackson Family wine estates, with a special focus on the company’s ultra-luxury wineries such as Lokoya, Cardinale, and Vérité, as well as new vineyard acquisitions, and a broad range of other business initiatives. In addition to the family’s wine holdings, Banke shares Jackson’s love of equestrian racing – their acclaimed stables, Stonestreet Farms, in Kentucky, produced Horses of the Year Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, as well as Eclipse Award Winner My Miss Aurelia.

A well-known philanthropist, Banke and the Jackson Family are passionate advocates for education. She co-founded the Sonoma Paradiso Foundation and helped build the Sonoma Country Day School in Santa Rosa, and serves as a founding board member for Sonoma Academy, an independent college-prep high school recognized for academic rigor. She and Jackson also committed nearly $4 million to found the Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building at UC-Davis (opened in 2013), a national center of excellence designed to train the next generation of winemakers in sustainability best practices. In addition, Banke and her family contributed $500,000 to help launch the Family Justice Center Sonoma County, providing help for victims of domestic violence, and she is a global ambassador for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Samantha and Patrice Breton

Vice Versa was born in 2003 after a few years Patrice spent working alongside the influential winemaker Paul Hobbs. The hands-on education and experience he got with him went beyond skills and methodology. Introductions were made, an organic network of friendships with the industry’s most respected players was formed, and knowledge is continuously traded, which enables Vice Versa to craft the kinds of wines that originally sparked this journey.

“I desperately wanted to make wines in Napa Valley because it felt alive with possibility and I loved Cabernet Sauvignon. Its New World location had already proven to be capable of producing world- class wines, but there was still a freedom to be creative, innovative, and to push boundaries. As a passionate entrepreneur with a deep love for creativity, science, art and culture, Napa seemed to be the perfect place for me.”

Things are kept simple and focused at every level. Balance, as the name suggests, is what guides the philosophy, which is founded on the essence of what’s inside, not the noise of what’s outside. Vice Versa has become a beacon for those who are masters of their craft, people who don’t burn out working at this level because they are provoked by passion.

A few years ago Vice Versa began selling its wines “en primeur” and allowed Paul Hobbs to complete his integral work as the team welcomed consulting winemaker Philippe Melka to the helm of the winemaking team which also includes Shawn Johnson and Maayan Koschitzky. More recently, Vice Versa celebrated the opening of a by-appointment private tasting lounge in St. Helena and secured access to an incredible vineyard site, the stories of which Patrice and his team are honored to be able to tell through the wines to come.

Roberta Ceretto

The excellence of the wines of Langhe is a complex equation, the product of the both the richness of the territory and the mastery of knowledgeable winemakers capable of shaping it, breathing life into a truly original creation.

The secret to success for our family depends on many diverse elements. First of all, the land and its exceptionality determine the value of the vineyards and of the grapes that hail from this fertile location. But this alone is not enough. One needs passion and wisdom to work with them.

Riccardo Ceretto had already sensed this in the 1930’s and began producing wines typical of the territory. However, it was his sons, Bruno and Marcello, who raised the stakes, purchasing vineyards in what are now the most celebrated zones of the Barolo and Barbaresco regions, thereby taking on the challenge of promoting the uniqueness of the Langhe and the quality of its wines.
Today Barolo and Barbaresco spearhead our production. But there are also great wagers that have proved successful over time, such as our Blangé Arneis and the choice to focus on quality instead of quantity in our production of Moscato.

The last pillar of our success is the continued dialogue between tradition and innovation. The advent of the third generation – Alessandro, Federico, Lisa, and Roberta – has brought awareness to the fact that organization, marketing, and the company’s image are just as important as the prestige of the product.

The year 2000 was a turning point, with our attention directed evermore so on the territory and our desire to return to more sustainable agricultural practices in all our vineyards, now all certified organic. At the same time, many projects began to take shape, which, although apparently very different, were aimed at achieving the same desire: promote the uniqueness of our Langhe. We began with Relanghe, a small confectionery company with the ambitious dream of controlling its entire production process of the Piedmontese Hazelnut, developed and guaranteed from the orchard to the final product. Then we added Terroirs, a careful selection of foreign wines that are both original and prized. Finally, we accepted the challenge of high gastronomy with the chef, Enrico Crippa (who in 2012 achieved the dream of three Michelin Stars for the Restaurant) Piazza Duomo and its adjoining restaurant, La Piola.

Continuously moving, unceasingly striving for excellence (not just in the with regards to the wine), we have always sought to combine our work with beauty, a goal made evident by projects that span from design to contemporary art. Again the list is long and rich. We can start with labels commissioned by great designers. The wineries dedicated to guest reception and tastings are true architectural treasures, such as the Cubo at Bricco Rocche and the winery of Monsordo Bernardina, home to the Acino, a panoramic bubble suspended over the slopes of the vineyard. We must also note the Cappella del Barolo, an antique chapel frescoed by Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett, as well as numerous contemporary art exhibits and permanent installations done by artists like Kiki Smith, Robert Indiana, Francesco Clemente, Anselm Kiefer, and John Baldessarri among others.

Wine is our vocation, art and beauty is our passion, 360˚ of innovation is our sign of distinction.

Jean-Charles Cazes

Born in Bordeaux in 1974, Jean-Charles Cazes manages all the family vineyards, both in France and abroad.

A graduate in economics and finance and holder of the DUAD (tasting diploma), he set out on his career in Brazil, as a financial controller. A wine enthusiast, in 2001 he became the sales manager for JM. CAZES Sélection in Scandinavia, the UK and in the USA.

In 2006, he naturally took over from his father Jean-Michel Cazes. At his instigation, the Domaine des Sénéchaux at Châteauneuf-du-Pape was acquired that same year. On a permanent quest for quality and excellence, he was awarded the Prix de l’Innovation in 2013 by the Revue des Vins de France for the VINIV concept

From his Médoc peninsula, he can satisfy a pleasure other than his love of wine: surfing. Each year he turns up without fail for the mascaret, that famous tidal bore on the River Gironde that is surfed upstream while the sun is still in the vineyards.

Naoka and Maya Dalla Valle

Dalla Valle Vineyards is recognized as one of Napa Valley’s preeminent family-run wineries. Founded in 1986 by Naoko and Gustav Dalla Valle, Dalla Valle Vineyards, on the famed eastern hillsides of Oakville, has earned acclaim as one of New World’s most celebrated wine estates, yielding wines of extraordinary character and complexity vintage after vintage.

Today, Dalla Valle is operated by the mother-and-daughter team of Naoko and Maya Dalla Valle, hands-on owners who work alongside an illustrious team that includes Vineyard Manager Edgar Alfaro, Winemaker Andy Erickson, as well as Consulting Winemaker Michel Rolland. With a shared desire that Dalla Valle thrive for generations to come, this passionate group stewards every aspect of the viticulture and winemaking with a level of meticulous care and detail often reserved for the great First Growths.

Naoko and her late husband acquired the first piece of land for Dalla Valle Vineyards in 1982. Drawn to the natural splendor and promise of Napa Valley from their native countries of Japan and Italy—where their families had long traditions as sake makers and winemakers—they originally planned to open a resort and restaurant. As they began to make their home on the land’s majestic westward-facing hillside, they quickly recognized the remarkable viticultural potential of the site.

Inspired to make their own wines, the Dalla Valles purchased ten more contiguous acres, began an ambitious program of planting Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and established Dalla Valle Vineyards. “We were already wine lovers, who appreciated the great wine estates of France and Italy,” says Naoko. “In terms of quality, those were the standards we were striving for, but in terms of the character of the wines themselves, we wanted to make wines that were true to the beauty and character
of our own Napa Valley vineyard.”

In preparation for their first harvest, the Dalla Valles built a new winery on the estate in 1986. The following year, they planted a special 5-acre Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, and named it after their
newborn daughter, Maya. In the years to follow, the Dalla Valle estate grew to encompass 26 acres, with 20 acres of vines planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in a mosaic of 18 small vineyard blocks. With the opportunity to work with this remarkable fruit, Dalla Valle also became a magnet for some of the world’s great winemakers, including Heidi Barrett, Tony Soter, Mia Klein, Philippe Melka, and for more than a decade, Andy Erickson and Consulting Winemaker Michel Rolland.

While each of these remarkably talented individuals has brought their own unique wisdom and experience to Dalla Valle and its wines, there have always been two constants: Naoko Dalla Valle and the vineyard itself. Since her husband’s passing in 1995, Naoko has quietly emerged as the guiding force behind Dalla Valle, and one of Napa Valley’s most respected vintners. In the vineyard every day, Naoko is the embodiment of a hands-on owner and farmer, adding her more than 30 years of winegrowing knowledge to every decision that shapes the vineyard. Naoko is equally active in the winery, where she tastes every lot of wine with the team.

In 2017, Dalla Valle became a true multigenerational winery, when Naoko’s daughter, Maya, joined the winery as its director. Committed to earning her place in the family business, Maya received a master’s degree in viticulture and enology from Cornell University, and later a master’s of business and science degree in vineyard and winery management from France’s prestigious Bordeaux Science Agro. Equally important, she gained invaluable hands-on winemaking experience at Ornellaia e Masseto, Bodegas Rolland, Pétrus and Château Latour, before returning home to Dalla Valle. Together, this accomplished mother-daughter team is dedicated to building on Dalla Valle’s legacy as one of the world’s most revered small, family-run wineries

Véronique Drouhin-Boss

The Drouhin family has been making wine in Burgundy since 1880, and the tradition now continues into the fourth generation. Véronique Drouhin-Boss, great-granddaughter of Joseph Drouhin, is winemaker for the Drouhins’ Oregon estate, Domaine Drouhin Oregon (DDO), and guiding palate at Maison Joseph Drouhin (MJD) in Burgundy.

Born in Beaune, France, Véronique is the second child of Robert and Françoise Drouhin. She grew up surrounded by wine, and in fact, learned to taste seriously from an early age. She was also fortunate to have MJD’s winemaker Laurence Jobard, the first woman winemaker at a major Burgundy house, as an early role model.

Véronique completed her oenology degree in 1985 from the University of Dijon, and then took her advanced year immediately thereafter. Upon graduation, she found internships at Chateau Fieuzal in Graves (Bordeaux) and then in Oregon, working at Adelsheim, Eyrie and Bethel Heights wineries. This latter stage, in 1986, foreshadowed what would soon become a major part of her life: in 1987, her father, Robert, purchased land in the Dundee Hills of Oregon, established Domaine Drouhin Oregon and named Véronique as winemaker. To this day, the wines that Véronique produces in Oregon are prized for their elegance, balance, finesse and longevity – all hallmarks of the Drouhin style.

Véronique’s primary residence is in Beaune, France, where she lives with her husband and three children (each of whom has an Oregon cuvée named in his or her honor).

Today, Véronique works with some of the greatest vineyards in the world, from Musigny, Montrachet, Clos des Mouches and her own Vosne-Romanée Petit Monts to the family’s
estate in the Dundee Hills of Oregon.

Working with her three brothers, Véronique proudly helps carry the Drouhin family tradition forward. Her charm, kindness and enormous talent have made her a beloved person in the world of wine.

David Duncan

President and CEO of Silver Oak & Twomey since 2002, David R. Duncan is best known for his commitment to quality and continuous improvement – from identifying new vineyard sites, to encouraging employee innovation, to developing a sustainability ethos that permeates the company’s culture.

From 2006-2008, David led the rebuild of Silver Oak’s Napa Valley winery, which became the first commercial winery in the world to achieve LEED Platinum status (Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance).

In 2015, David led the purchase The Oak Cooperage in Higbee, Missouri, making Silver Oak the first North American winery to own and operate an American oak barrel cooperage.  Most recently, David led the planning and construction of Silver Oak’s new flagship winery in the Alexander Valley, which opened in April 2018.  The new winery aims to be the first winery in the world to achieve net positive energy, net positive water status and is currently in the certification process for LEED Platinum certification (Building, Design and Construction) as well as the Living Building Challenge.

A Napa Valley Vintner (NVV) board member, David was Chairman of the NVV Board in 2015 and co-chaired Auction Napa Valley in 2014 – it’s highest-grossing year. David has held board or Chairman positions with the St. Helena Hospital Foundation, the St. Helena Montessori School, First Western Trust Bank, and is past Chapter Chairman of the Northern California Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization.

When not making wine, David plays guitar and sings with the Silverado Pickups, a band he co-founded with his friend and fellow vintner Jeff Gargiulo of Gargiulo Vineyards.  David lives in St. Helena with his wife Kary, an MD with a private dermatology practice, and their three children.

Grace and Ken Evenstad

A passion to produce exquisite Pinot Noir led Ken and Grace Evenstad to Oregon in 1989. When the time came to pursue their longtime dream of planting vineyards and producing world-class Pinot Noir, they invested in a 42-acre hilltop estate property that had just been logged in the Dundee Hills of Oregon. Today, Domaine Serene produces wines from six 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 2001, the Evenstads completed construction of their picturesque, state-of-the art, five-level, gravity flow winery that was built to over-vintage wines in barrel while also holding the previous vintage in bottle prior to release. Ken and Grace came full circle in their passion for great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay when they purchased the respected Côte d’Or Burgundy wine estate, Château de la Crée, in 2015.

Guided by an unwavering commitment to quality, philanthropy and multi-generational sustainability, the Evenstads have garnered global recognition as iconic producers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ken and Grace remain very active in the business and leadership in the winemaking process.

Salvatore Ferragamo

Salvatore Ferragamo is one of Ferruccio Ferragamo’s six children, twin of James, born on the 7th of November 1971, in Florence.

Prior to assuming responsibility for family’s agro-leisure business as CEO, Salvatore worked in the international division of KPMG Peat Marwick in Florence. He worked nationally and internationally in KPMG’s audit, finance, and consulting departments.

From 1990 he interned at Salvatore Ferragamo SpA in the marketing and production departments where he planned marketing strategies for the company in Italy and France. He then decided to further his professional training with an MBA degree at New York University’s Stern School of Business, specializing in Finance and International Business.

In 1993 he joined his father Ferruccio Ferragamo in the long and challenging restoration of the ancient medieval village of Il Borro and in the development of the wine business. His love for the Tuscan countryside and great wines drove him, step by step, to the creation of what Il Borro is today.

In 2012 Il Borro became part of Relais & Châteaux and Salvatore was made Ambassador with the responsibility of representing the excellence and prestige of the organization.

Valerie Boyd & Jeff Gargiulo

As a lifetime farmer, Jeff Gargiulo has always been passionate about the land and agriculture, 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.

Elisabetta Gnudi

Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini’s parents were from Bologna, but she was born in Rome and grew up there, and does not come from a family of wine producers. She worked in the film industry for many years as a producer and co-partner of Luca Barbareschi, and in the pharmaceutical sector. Fascinated by the countryside and wine, which she considers a world of strong deep-rooted values, different to those of the film industry, and excited about regaining contact with a genuineness that could not be found elsewhere, she developed such a passion for this work that she became entirely devoted to it.

She became interested, above all, in Tenuta di Caparzo in Montalcino, showing her desire to learn by starting to personally follow all production phases at the winery.

Today, the wineries she owns are the outcome of several purchases that gradually made her dream, of owning a property in Tuscany, come true.

The opportunity came in 1997, when she purchased Borgo Scopeto in the Chianti Classico area, between Siena and Vagliagli. Borgo Scopeto, which is now a luxury hotel, was refurbished – with an investment of about 30 million euros – and carefully restored. Elisabetta took care of this herself, choosing all the details, from materials to furnishings, turning it into a magnificent country relais hotel, chosen by the film director Gary Winick as the setting for scenes in his film “Letters to Juliet”, starring Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero.

The film, released in 2010, did surprisingly well at the U.S. box office. The appearance in the film of Brunello Caparzo wine led to a remarkable rise in sales of Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini’s Brunello in the United States. Borgo Scopeto is not only a charming relais hotel but also a major winery and farm business that produces Chianti Classico wine and extraordinary extra-virgin olive oil.

In 1998, Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini also purchased Caparzo, her “first love”, the historic winery in Montalcino founded in 1970, when there were only a dozen wine producers around the beautiful village to the south of Siena, and nobody could have imagined the success and sensation that Brunello would later create. Moreover, Caparzo can be credited with making one of the first Montalcino crus, a Brunello made from the grapes of a single vineyard, known as La Casa. Its soils are particularly suited to vine growing and it has excellent exposure. Since its first appearance in 1977, Brunello Vigna La Casa has established itself as one of the most prestigious wines of Montalcino, leading the way for many other crus that were created, above all, in the 1990s. Not by chance was Brunello Vigna La Casa chosen as one of the protagonist wines of the Japanese Manga series “The Drops of God”, a highly successful comic also exported abroad.

In 2002, Elisabetta purchased Altesino, also situated in Montalcino. It is a small prestigious winery that produces Brunello, with its vineyards partly bordering on those of Caparzo. Altesino is one of the small-medium sized wineries that have made their mark thanks to their excellent quality products. The pride of Altesino products is undoubtedly Montosoli: the first Brunello cru obtained in 1975 from the vineyard of the same name. Observing it from Palazzo Altesi, the 15th-century building that Elisabetta has chosen as her personal residence, the perfectly maintained Montosoli vineyard is an icon in the natural landscape of the area. Wine is made from carefully selected grapes from old vines, and is only sold in the best vintages.

It is such excellent wine that, in 2014, Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli 2008 di Altesino was chosen by Wine Spectator, the “Bible of wine” esteemed by the entire wine-producing sector, as one of the 100 top wines in the world, with a score of 95/100.

Then, 2003 was the first year of production of Morellino di Scansano, made from grapes from the vineyards planted in the Maremma area at the Doga delle Clavule winery (purchased in 2000).
The properties currently cover over 1,100 hectares, including 254 for vine growing, sub-divided as follows:
Caparzo: 83 hectares
Altesino: 44 hectares
Borgo Scopeto: 70 hectares
Doga delle Clavule 57 hectares

Borgo Scopeto also has 7,000 olive trees that cover about 40 hectares of land.
Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini has a son and a daughter, Igino and Alessandra, who both live in Rome but closely follow the family businesses.

Igino Angelini is an environmental engineer and thanks to his efforts Caparzo was the first winery in Montalcino to install solar panels to produce so-called clean energy. All the wineries produce their own energy and are partly autonomous. Caparzo has also implemented a system for the total recovery of water, and along with the other wineries owned by Elisabetta it has chosen the path of eco-sustainability.

In just a few years, Elisabetta’s relationship with wine has become successful and passionate while her complete involvement in her work (she is affectionately called the “vignaiola” or winemaker) has made her so enamored that every harvest and tasting period is an emotional experience. Elisabetta’s wines are renowned almost worldwide. The main markets are the U.S., Canada, all of Europe, China, Japan and Russia. Statistics show that exports predominate and are continuously increasing (since 2009 exports have more than doubled). Currently, 75% of the wine produced is sold abroad and 25% in Italy.

Ann and Dick Grace

Dick Grace’s personal values and commitments have shaped not only his own little life, but also the lives of countless other people worldwide.

First as a United States Marine Corps Officer, and then as a Senior Vice President for Smith Barney, Dick spent over thirty-five years cultivating his professional and financial success.  According to Dick however, the real story of his true success began when he turned his focus outward and embarked on the path of compassionate action.

In the late 1970’s, Dick and his wife Ann started a small winery in the Napa Valley of California.  Although the family began their venture with virtually no experience in wine making, the Insider’s Wine Line says “the Cabernet Sauvignons that have evolved from the original one-acre vineyard on the property have now become legend.”

It is charity and compassionate action that is at the heart of Dick’s personal transformation and the mission of Grace Family Vineyards.  Known as much for its mission statement, “Wine as a catalyst towards healing our planet” as for its prized wine, Grace Family Vineyards raises well over a million dollars annually for various charitable causes.  Among those who have benefited from the profits of the vineyard are organizations caring for children with cancer, pediatric AIDS, abused children, and organizations serving the children of China, Tibet, India, Nepal, Mexico, and of course, America.

Dick commits a significant portion of his time and resources to raising awareness about the need to act compassionately.  He uses every tour of his winery, every speaking engagement, and every possible encounter to share his stories and remind people that active participation in the lives of people in need can be as spiritually rewarding as inward-focused religious or meditative practice.  Although his own spiritual path is centered in Buddhism, Dick focuses his practice on the universal importance of caring and compassionate action that unites all religions and spiritual teachings.  He incents all whose lives he touches to participate in the opportunity, if not the obligation, of decreasing the suffering of sentient beings around the world.

Matt Hobbs

Matt Hobbs was raised on the Hobbs Family Farm in Newfane, New York; the second youngest of eleven children. The family farmed apples, peaches and pears, and as a result, Matt learned the relationship between meticulous farming and its effect on producing quality fruit with a sense of place. As a teenager, Matt experienced his brother’s work living with him in California, while Paul was a winemaker at Simi Winery in Healdsburg, CA.

After graduating from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University with a Master of Business Administration and working several years in finance and consulting, Matt turned his focus to helping his brother, international vineyard and winery visionary, Paul Hobbs, with creating something beautiful and meaningful at Paul Hobbs Winery. Since 2001, Matt has been involved in various strategic roles. Currently, Matt serves as the primary ambassador and educator on all wineries under Paul Hobbs Wines.

Matt’s affinity for the culinary and wine experience is long lived. He enjoys the dynamic nature of the world of wine, how it’s inextricably linked with history, culture and food while presenting an opportunity for lifelong learning and fulfillment. Like his brother Paul, Matt shares a passion for quality, exploration and attention to detail.

Matt resides in Jersey City, New Jersey with his two children.

Shahpar & Darioush Khaledi

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 immigrated to the United States seeking opportunity, reinventing his career by building what became at one point the largest family-owned grocery business in California through determination, experimentation and a commitment to pursue opportunities others overlook. Together with his wife, Shahpar, he founded Darioush in 1997, and set out to produce wines that celebrate individualism and craftsmanship. The winery is Darioush’s realization of his American dream.

Kevin Kinsella

Kevin Kinsella is the founder of Avalon Ventures. He has specialized in the formation, financing and development of more than 125 early-stage companies, including: Athena Neurosciences Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. [ONXX]; Sequana, Vertex Pharmaceuticals [VRTX], Synaptics [SYNA], Vocera Communications [VCRA], Amira Pharmaceuticals, AnaptysBio, JNANA and Eikonizo. Mr. Kinsella was the founding chairman of Athena Neurosciences, Aurora Biosciences, Landmark Graphics, NeoRx, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Synaptics, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, X-Ceptor and Sequana Therapeutics.

Prior to founding Avalon, Mr. Kinsella worked for Solar Turbines International (Caterpillar Tractor) where he directed all international joint ventures, barter and counter-trade. Previously, he was an advisor to the Peruvian government in National Nutrition Planning where he developed the first commercialization plan for Quinoa; ran a technology exchange program between the U.S. and Latin America based in Mexico City; and, taught algebra at the American High School in Beirut, Lebanon. He was also a guest op-ed columnist for the Boston Herald American.

Mr. Kinsella is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) with a Bachelor of Science degree in management, with minors in electrical engineering and political science. He holds a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (“SAIS”) and conducted post-graduate work in political economy on a Rotary International Fellowship at the University of Stockholm, Sweden. He is a member of the Circumnavigators Club, an elite group of explorers who have gone around the world in a continuous trip using multiple modes of transport.

Mr. Kinsella is a Life Sustaining Fellow at MIT. He won the 2006 Tony Award for producing the mega-hit Broadway musical, Jersey Boys, and partnered with Rhino Records (Time Warner) in producing the Grammy Award-winning Jersey Boys Original Cast Recording, which has gone Double Platinum (selling over 2 million copies). In 2012, Mr. Kinsella also received a second Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical for Jesus Christ Superstar. He is an investor in the London Production of Book of Mormon. Kinsella is a producer of Heirloom (a webseries) and the indie film Long Nights, Short Mornings, which premiered at SXSW (South by Southwest in Austin, TX) in 2016.

Mr. Kinsella is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Kinsella Estates Winery (Healdsburg, California), produces the highest rated premium Dry Creek Valley cabernet sauvignon, receiving 95 and 96 point ratings from The Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator. His collection of California Plein Air art, housed at the Kinsella Library in La Jolla, is among the best in the world.

Alma mater: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, BS

Johns Hopkins University SAIS, MA

Oliver Krug

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.

Cliff Lede

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 view point 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 to purchase, where he could start his own 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 recognized the opportunity and, after months of negotiations, founded Cliff Lede Vineyards. One year later, the southwest facing hillside just above the Silverado Trail became available. Cliff acquired the rare hillside property, naming 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 his winery and vineyards. In 2009, he expanded to include cooler-climate varieties from the Anderson Valley and subsequently purchased the Savoy Vineyard, creating a new brand, FEL, named for his mother, Florence Elsie Lede.

Lucas Löwi

Luca’s passion and immersion into the wine world has always been a family affair, born in Mendoza, at the foothills of the Andes Mountains, in Argentina, a region famous for its Malbec, planted an altitude vineyards.

Lucas obtained an MBA from IAE Business School in Bueno Aires, where he graduated with honors in 2014. He started his career in the wine industry in Argentina in the Peñaflor Group and in 2007 he joined The Moët Hennessy Wine Division, being responsible for the wines development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lucas moved to Spain in 2015 in order to face the great challenge of leading Bodega Numanthia, the Spanish jewel owned by LVMH in Toro.

As Estate Director of Bodega Numanthia, Lucas seeks to preserve its heritage, a unique legacy composed by century-old ungrafted vineyards: with the vision of offering wines recognized as the reference from the Toro DO, on pay with the best wines from Spain.

Lucas won the leadership award “Premio Jovenes Mendocinos Destacados 2017” from the CEM (Consejo Empresario Mendocino) due to his achievements abroad.

Giovanni Manetti

Giovanni Manetti is the co-owner and sole manager of Fontodi Winery. He was born in 1963 in Florence, Italy. Giovanni began working for the family business in 1979, where he learned all aspects of wine production. In 1981 he created Flaccianello, one of the most famous Super Tuscan wines.

Giovanni is the Vice-Chairman of the Consorzio deli Chianti Classico, which protects and oversees the protection of Chianti wine. Giovanni lives in Chianti with his wife, Letizia, and their three children. He is a Graduate of Università di Economia di Firenze (The University of Economy, Florence). Giovanni has traveled extensively to most major wine producing countries and his hobbies include cycling, skiing and boating.

Cinzia Merli

Le Macchiole was one of the first wineries established in the viticultural zone of Bolgheri located approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Florence along the Etruscan Coast in Tuscany. Leading down the middle of this zone is the strada San Guido, which is flanked left and right with majestic cypress trees celebrated by Giosuè Carducci in his poem Davanti San Guido, and then finishes into a tiny medieval village, situated on the base of the foothills.

Today, Bolgheri is among Italy’s famed wine producing regions, but this seemed far from a possibility in 1983, the year Le Macchiole was founded and a time when the area was known simply for a close proximity to the sea and having abundant fruit and grain agriculture. Yet, two native Bolgheresi, Eugenio Campolmi and Cinzia Merli were devoted to the idea of vine growing in their home even when it was not considered a viable way to start a living “My husband Eugenio and I started off with very limited, if almost no, resources” Cinzia recalls. “We gave up working his parents’ retail and restaurant business and bought a few hectares of land planted to wheat. We decided to plant vineyards starting with many varieties – sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, syrah, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and vermentino – so that we might see what grew best on our little property. That is how our life project began and, for me, our learning is still in progress. I believe that Bolgheri is in the early stage of development. It has just become aware of its potential and understanding of which grape varieties give their best to each part of the different soils; much is still yet to be accomplished here.”

While Cinzia’s perspective is undeniable, Bolgheri is moving through infancy by comparison to other renowned places for wine production in the world, great results have been realized for a number of wineries. Much of the initial attention and subsequent development should be attributed to the efforts of Tenuta San Guido. The Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta planted the first vineyards, produced the first commercial wine from the area and in its’ earliest years proved to the world market exceptional quality was possible from Bolgheri.

As they cultivated and learned the possibilities for their land the Le Macchiole strategy became single-variety wines beginning with the 1994 vintage. This was an unusual, perhaps daring, plan for a winery of the region to commit to at the time; much of the well-known, well-expressed wine from Bolgheri was a result of the strong belief in blending varieties. The idea took shape gradually over years of tireless experimentation by Eugenio and Cinzia and now going on with their 2 sons, Elia and Mattia. Ultimately, vinifying separate varieties has been extremely successful for the winery allowing the wines of Le Macchiole to demonstrate the potential of terroir in Bolgheri differently.

Massimo Merli, Cinzia’s’ brother, manages the agricultural work with meticulous and careful planning. The winery’s planting density is between 5,000 and 10,000 plants per hectare and vine growing is rooted in organic farming practices “first and foremost, out of respect for the people who work here”, says Cinzia. Manual harvesting is followed by the sorting of bunches and then berries on a double sorting table.

At Le Macchiole, the signature grape varieties are Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and work is always conducted with the priority being ‘the expression of the land.’ The winery continues to evolve in both the vineyards and in the cellar to allow the soil characteristics from this estate property to be the defining identity in the wines.

The Miller Family

In 1969, brothers Bob and Steve Miller came together with one vision – to develop a vineyard that would be acknowledged as among the elite vineyards of the world.

It was a goal that celebrated their family’s 100th year of California farming, which began in 1871, and meant to show the strength and quality of the Central Coast.

Bob & Steve Miller found a piece of land they instantly knew had potential.   Formerly used for grazing, it was part of one of​ the earliest Spanish land grants.  However, the shale soil and unique climate from the transverse mountain range provided a lens into its potential.

Four years of hard work and sweat equity led to the original vineyard plantings – 300 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.   They planted on the highest elevation of the vineyard and respectfully called that block the Captain, after their father, Captain Robert Miller.    ​

The vineyard was planted in 1973.  Bob and Steve called it Bien Nacido, meaning well born in Spanish, because of the passion and commitment they shared in bringing it to life.​

As a fourth-generation vintner, Carlo grew up in Napa Valley and absorbed so much from his grandfather Robert and his father Tim, spending time with them in the vineyards and cellars of Robert Mondavi Winery and Opus One.

To this day, the Mondavi name is most often associated with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. What many do not realize, is Carlo’s father Tim has a tremendous regard for the great wines of Burgundy, and in the 1970’s and 1980’s, he was making the Robert Mondavi Carneros Pinot Noir. Therefore, instilled within Carlo by his father from an early age, is a passion for the pinot noir varietal.

Carlo studied at the University of Aix-en-Provence in France and at the University of Milan in Italy. He followed his passion for Burgundy by working harvest at the renowned Domaine Dujac. There, he not only solidified his appreciation for whole cluster pinot noirs but also further developed the winemaking skills he uses in RAEN’s cellar today.

After his formal studies were complete, Carlo continued his educational work, returning to the winemaking team at Robert Mondavi Winery and Opus One. When Robert Mondavi Winery was sold in 2004, Carlo and his brother Dante joined their father Tim, Aunt-Marcia, and grandfather Robert in founding Continuum Estate on Pritchard Hill in 2005.

After many years of building the new family winery, which focuses on making one estate wine (a cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc blend), Carlo decided it was finally time to realize his passion for pinot noir with his own project.

In 2013, Carlo and his brother Dante realized this dream by founding RAEN winery, with the goal to produce world-class pinot noir from the western hills of the true Sonoma Coast.

Tim Mondavi

In 2005 Timothy Mondavi began Continuum with his sister Marcia, father Robert and their families. At age 53 he was the same age as his father when he founded Robert Mondavi Winery. For Tim, Continuum is the new beginning after over 30 years in winemaking the world over, and the continuation of 4 generations of bringing wine to the American table.

Armed with a degree from the University of California at Davis in enology and viticulture, Tim was at the helm of the winemaking team for Robert Mondavi Winery from 1974 until 2004. At Robert Mondavi Winery, Tim led with a strong emphasis on viticultural research programs, new developments in rootstocks, clones, and vine density making the winery the industry leader. Early on, he began using the term “winegrower” instead of winemaker, to identify his belief that the personality of great wine is a manifestation of the soil, climate and the people involved. Tim pioneered the concept of “natural winegrowing”, developing significant environmental programs in the vineyards that go beyond organic. Many of his innovations in the winery promoted gentle handling and natural elevation of the winemaking process. This time of great research and the many wine makers who Tim mentored through the years is how the winery came to be affectionately known as the Robert Mondavi University.

His first hand experience in the art of winegrowing extended to Italy, Chile, France and Australia where Tim was able to lead in the creation of very high end wines. Among them, he was involved in the development of the wine, vineyards and winery for Opus One. He sought out and was involved in the creation of the joint ventures Luce in Italy and Sena in Chile. And during that time guided improvements in the vineyards and wine production for Tenuta dell’ Ornellaia.

Tim has always been active in the wine industry. He has been a leader in developing, defining and promoting the appellation structure of the Napa Valley. Having an appreciation of local history as well as an understanding of the great wine appellations of the world, Tim helped guide the formation of the Napa Valley appellation, with a vision of embracing the further recognition of sub-appellations within it. A firm believer that great wine is a reflection of its origin, Tim is convinced that clear and logical definitions of appellations within the Napa Valley are critical to long-term education and understanding of this great region and its diverse and distinct wines.

Tim is a former member of the board of directors for the Carneros Quality Alliance and the Napa Valley Vintners. He was also a founding member of the Oakville Winegrowers Organization and the Stags Leap District Winegrowers. He is a member of the Campaign Cabinet of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation, and former Chairman of the Foundation Board.

Tim was born in 1951 and enjoys skiing, swimming, diving, biking and traveling saying “my interest in wine continues to take me to wine regions around the world.” Tim makes his home in the Napa Valley and has five children.

Beth Novak Milliken 

In 1987, Beth Novak Milliken joined her mother, Mary Novak, becoming the first second-generation family member to become actively involved in guiding Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery. In the more than three decades since, Beth has played a key role in establishing Spottswoode Estate Vineyard as one of the world’s great winegrowing sites, and Spottswoode as one of Napa Valley’s most iconic and respected wineries. She has also quietly built a reputation as a leader in the Napa Valley community, advocating on behalf of the wine industry, and the social and environmental causes she holds dear.

Moving to Napa Valley with her parents in 1972, Beth grew up surrounded by the vineyards. Like her four siblings, Beth’s chores included tasks like suckering the vines and cleaning out the emitters. While her youth in Napa Valley may have planted the seed for her future, ironically, it was a year spent studying abroad in Europe that made her begin thinking about a career in wine. After earning a degree in economics from UCLA, Beth joined a San Francisco-based wine brokerage representing clients like Caymus, Joseph Phelps and Pine Ridge.

When Mary asked Beth to help out “a little” at the winery, it didn’t take long for a few days a week to become a permanent way of life. “Back then, we were on our third release, and we were still in the red,” says Beth. “Two things became immediately obvious to me: this was a full time position, and I absolutely loved being a part of the winery!” One of Beth’s first major decisions was to acquire the historic adjacent Kraft property to expand the estate and establish a barrel room and offices in its beautiful buildings. Since then, Beth has played an integral role in the thoughtful evolution of Spottswoode. During her tenure, Beth has overseen the replanting of the estate in response to phylloxera, the vineyard’s pioneering CCOF organic certification in 1992, and the building of the Spottswoode Estate Winery in 1999.

In addition, Beth has been a strong and effective voice for the Napa Valley wine community. Reflecting the high regard she’s held in by her peers, in 1998, Beth was elected the youngest president of the Napa Valley Vintners, becoming the first woman to hold the position. A believer in leading by example, Beth and Mary worked with four women winemakers in a row at Spottswoode, before promoting current winemaker Aron Weinkauf. Beth also spearheaded the restoration of Spring Creek, which defines the southern boundary of the estate vineyard. In 2010, Beth and Mary were honorary chairs of Auction Napa Valley, a hugely successful event that raised more than $8,500,000 for Napa Valley nonprofits, and in 2007, Spottswoode joined 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of Spottswoode’s gross revenues each year to nonprofits that support a healthier world.

Above all else, Beth sees herself as a steward of her family’s winegrowing estate, carrying on the legacy begun by Mary, who passed away in 2016. “Our family has a four-decade relationship with this land that now spans three generations. I grew up here, along with my four siblings, and now the third generation is enjoying the property. When you own a family winery like ours, the cellar is like a photo album, each vintage of our Spottswoode Estate Cabernet is a picture of a year in our family’s life, and a testament for our love of this place. This is why it has always been so important to us that our wines reflect who we are, and what we believe in, both in terms of the way we farm our vineyard and in the beautiful, balanced style of our wines.”

David Pearson

David Pearson has served as the CEO of Opus One Winery since February, 2004. Opus One was formed in 1979 by the late Baron Philippe de Rothschild and the late Robert Mondavi. Opus One aspires to be recognized as one of the world’s finest wines. Prior to his position with Opus One, David served as president of Rancho Arroyo Grande Winery on the central coast of California. He has also served as vice president and general manager of Byron Vineyards & Winery (part of the Robert Mondavi Corporation).

Prior to that he was the general manager for Robert Mondavi’s project in Languedoc, France where he produced Vichon wines. He spent four years working with Baron Philippe de Rothschild as the US marketing manager for the Rothschild wines. With Heublein, Inc. in Connecticut, David worked in R&D focusing on the sensory analysis of wines and spirits. David began his career working as winemaker at San Pasqual Vineyards in Southern California.

David has recently served as an honorary director of the Grapes for Humanity Foundation, whose mission is to support global humanitarian efforts, particularly those focused on the victims and survivors of disasters and personal tragedies. He is a Board member for several organizations including UC Davis and the Napa Valley Vintners organization. David also serves as a Director on the Board of Festival del Solé, one of America’s premier music and lifestyle festivals held every year in Napa Valley. Opus One is a supporter of the Institute of Masters of Wine, which promotes excellence in the “art, science, and business of wine.”

David earned a B.S. degree in fermentation science from the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He went on to earn an M.B.A. in international business from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He and his wife, Linnea, have two daughters and a son.

Rotem and Mounir Saouma

Mounir learned and worked in a Trappist Monastery where he discovered Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He studied Viticulture and Oenology at the ENSAM Montpellier, than had a 6 years experience in different Wineries in Burgundy, other areas of France and California where he became fascinated by the “old way” of growing, vinificating and aging wines. One day he decided to push to the extreme everything he saw and experienced and created, with Rotem, a small cellar dedicated to the ideas of purity and typicity.

Rotem comes from a cheese making family. She learned Agriculture both at the Technion and the ENESAD in Dijon and oriented her studies towards wine. At the end of her title she won a national prize from the French Academy of Agriculture for a study on the Côte d’Or than she participated in many Harvests in Burgundy and California. She joined Mounir in 1999 and they Started Lucien Le Moine together.

Shari and Garen Staglin

Together Shari and Garen learned about wine, first through his parents at meals where they served good California or Italian wines, and then later when Garen went to Stanford Business School and Shari would go north to visit. 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 where their first child Brandon was born in 1971. He is currently the President of One Mind for brain health research, the non-profit the Staglins formed in 1995.

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 and 3 hours from Tahoe for skiing. 1979 proved to be a year of prosperity for the Staglins, with the arrival of their second child, Shannon, now the President of Staglin Family Vineyard. This year also marked their purchase of their first company. After many years of rapid growth, they were able to sell a portion of this business, creating capital to finally pursue their dream and become owners of a premier vineyard in the Napa Valley.

By the end of 1985, the dream came true with the purchase of the historic 50-acre vineyard in the heart of Napa’s Rutherford Bench, and since have added another 8 adjacent acres to bring the property to 70 acres. 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, environment and community, and a personal approach to selling and creating 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, Garen is Director of Public Relations, Shannon is President and Brandon is President of One Mind, the brain health/mental health research non-profit founded by the Staglins in 1995. They hope to cultivate these traditions for many generations to come.

Larry Stone

Within a few months of becoming the ninth Master Sommelier in the United States, Larry Stone became the first American to win the prestigious Grand Prix de Sopexa for the title of the Best International Sommelier in French Wines in Paris. He continued as a restaurateur and sommelier for the next 20 years. He opened the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. Then as General Manager and Sommelier of Charlie Trotter’s Restaurant from 1989 to 1993, Larry helped to bring it to world prominence at the side of its talented chef/owner.

In 1993 he opened Rubicon Restaurant with New York restaurateur Drew Nieporent and Chef Traci des Jardin. Partners with them were Robert De Niro, Robin Williams and Francis Ford Coppola.

Among the awards earned were a Michelin Star, the Restaurants and Institutions Ivy Award, Food and Wine Silver Spoon, James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who, Wine Spectator ‘s Grand Award for 12 years running, and two JBF Outstanding Wine Service Awards.

Larry became a board member of the Coppola Companies, and then in 2006 General Manager of historic Inglenook/Rubicon Estate, and President of the Rutherford Dust Society. In 1996, with Mark Tarlov, he conceived of Evening Land Seven Springs, which he ran 2010-2012.

In 2012 Larry bought a prime Eola-Amity Hills property next door to Seven Springs on Lone Star Road, then planned and planted the 66-acre Lingua Franca Estate. In 2016 Lingua Franca winery was completed with Dominique Lafon as the consulting winemaker and the brilliant young French winemaker, Thomas Savre.