Probably something much less rewarding.

Do this only if you’re wildly passionate about it, and then go all in.

We are only the latest in a long line of stewards of our own property in particular and Napa Valley more generally. We are Napa Green certified in both the vineyard and winery, but it’s the attitude that we’re going to leave things substantially better and more sustainable for our children that drives us.

I worked for a human rights group in Romania before, lived out of a van and traveled around the country for a year.

The vineyard is our most rewarding and most challenging aspect of our business because it is so critical to everything we do, and Mother Nature often has her own plans as to how things should go.

I like the small team of hard-working people that we have in place and what we can accomplish with so few people. There aren’t many industries where a very small producer can control the entire value chain, from growing the raw materials all the way to self-distributing the finished product.

I think it’s the combination of Old World tradition and New World approach that leads to a consistent quality of wine that just isn’t found many places. Once you’ve had a great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, you don’t ask this question anymore.

I started on the vineyard side, working for a vineyard management company that managed about 45 vineyards up and down the Valley. I loved it, despite having no farming background, and that convinced me to go back to UC Davis. Everything wine-related picked up speed after that.

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