Pas de Cheval. While living in New York, co-founder of Pas de Cheval and now Master of Wine Vanessa Conlin began applying for wine jobs in Napa Valley. She recalls her interviews were promising until the interviewees discovered that she was still living in New York. So, she and her husband moved to Napa Valley in 2010; she did not yet have a job lined up and … [Read more...]

Freedom Estate was founded by proprietors Connie and Shawn Guttersen, with their first vintage produced in 2009. Freedom is a fickle thing, and it can be taken away in a blink of an eye. Freedom is such a strong word that there are arguably no equally powerful synonyms to describe its presence. People continue to move around the planet in search of freedom, … [Read more...]

Paula Kornell Sparkling Wine began as a partnership between the brand's namesake, Paula Kornell and Vintage Wine Estates. Vintage Wine Estates declared bankruptcy in 2024 and their other assets were purchased by various buyers. In 2024 Paula Kornell Sparkling entered into a partnership with Calistoga based, Mike and Jenny Farmer (not to be confused with the … [Read more...]

Denali Estate was founded by Walt and Katherine Schlotfeldt with their first vintage in 2016. Katherine's mother lived in Sonoma for twenty years; Katherine would often visit her and during her trips, became familiar with both Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Walt would frequently fly both of them from Seattle to the Santa Rosa Airport; over the years they … [Read more...]

Neiman Cellars (pronounced nigh-man). Drew Neiman is originally from Akron, Ohio; his cousins Eli and Mildred Neiman operated Regency Wine Sellers in Fairlawn Ohio and it was through his relationship with them and exposure to wines in their store that he began to consider a career centered around wine. Some of the wines that initially captivated him were … [Read more...]

Fisch Family Wines. Founder and owner, Gary Fisch is from New Jersey; he began his career in wine after graduating from Rider College with a B.S. in Political Science as a sales associate at New Jersey based Fedway Associates, Inc. This is a wholesale wine and spirits supplier which was founded right after the repeal of Prohibition. They continue to serve … [Read more...]

Simon Family Estate. Sam Simon (Armenian but born in Iraq) immigrated from northern Iraq through Lebanon to Detroit, Michigan in 1973 at age 9 along with his parents and four siblings. They family brought only $200 with them and lived in a church (one of their sponsors) before they found their own housing. The story of his success over the past few decades … [Read more...]

Lanthanide Wines was founded by Diane Wu and Philippe Venghiattis with their inaugural vintage in 2018. While the focus of their production is on Napa Valley grown Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, they do produce several other bottlings including of Marsanne, Viognier, Tempranillo and Aglianico. Diane is the winemaker for Lanthanide; it is clear that she … [Read more...]

The Vice Wine. Founder Malek Amrani was born in Morocco and raised in Casablanca. His father was a pilot who was often routed on flights to and from various countries in Europe. The family conveniently lived 15 minutes from the airport. Malek remembers his father encouraging him at age 8 to smell wine for the first time. His father drank wine and it was … [Read more...]

Wolf's Head Wine is a partnership between winemaker Cameron Woodbridge and Shaun Mesher (a chemist involved in the oil industry). Both men are from Canada. Shaun has met several Napa Valley vintners whose relationships led to wine business opportunities including the founder of Essere Franco wines, Frank D'Ambrosio. Shaun was one of Essere Franco's wine club … [Read more...]