The 2011 vintage was a particularly difficult one with an unseasonably cool summer and rain during harvest. We persevered and made it though and the minute we finished crushing the last grape, my team and I stood out on the crush pad in the pouring rain and drank Champagne straight from the bottle. We were soaking wet and laughing until we almost cried. It was a great bonding moment and something I'll never forget.

I was a County Fair Queen in Texas when I was in high school.

Playdoh. I've encountered wines from certain regions that remind me of the smell of a freshly opened jar and it evokes a childhood memory. It is ot necessarily a positive thing, but it is interesting.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a zoologist, but now I dream of being a travel writer.

Every morning we wake up we must cultivate a sense of excellence to make wines of quality. Attention to every detail in the vineyard is required to grow amazing grapes. The harvest teams must have a sense of excellence to bring those great grapes to us in perfect condition to process at the winery and our cellar team must bring their best to every task to preserve and build on that perfection. We must strive for excellence while aging, blending and bottling to ensure our wines show all the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the process along the way.

Oysters and Champagne.

Chris Kajani was an incredible mentor in my early years. She taught me not only about wine production but also how to manage a team and navigate all the relationships critical in winemaking; from vineyard owners to the cellar and ownership. We wear many hats in our roles and she managed them so well and still does to this day!

I was working as a scientist on the East Coast and bartending at night to help pay rent. I fell in love with food and wine during that time and was starting to miss the outdoors and agriculture that I grew up with in Texas. After a particularly big blizzard and a hiccup in one of my research projects, I took a vacation out to Napa to recharge. I quickly realized how much science is involved in winemaking and thought it would be the perfect combination of all the things I loved. I applied to the graduate program at UC Davis, left my job in science and the rest is history.

It was 2008 at Saintsbury Winery. Pinot Noir is much more finicky than the Cabernets I make now so learning all the nuances of growing and fermenting it was really eye-opening. The team was amazing and taught me so much.

Many of us talk about balance in wines, but that's because it is so important. Everything from creating balance in the vineyard to harvesting at the right time to get a balance of ripeness, acidity and tannins, to creating a sense of balance with the cellar team to get the best wine into the bottle...all of it is of paramount importance every single day.

My grandfather, Gregory Porter, and Molly Ivins.