My advice to someone trying to get into the Napa Valley wine industry is to become as educated as possible, seek a role in a relatively small, preferably family winery where one can see and do all aspects of winemaking.

Cultivating excellence means obtaining the best ingredients (e.g., grapes), never “cutting corners,” and eliminating anything that is not up our high standard. How we cultivate excellence at Pellet Estate is by giving clear guidance and high praise to our cellar crew and never bottling a wine that has a flaw.

After graduating from UC Davis, I became an intern at Freemark Abbey in 1976.

Whenever I travel or entertain, I am certain to point out the great region we and our neighbors share.

The 2016 vintage marked my 41st Napa Valley harvest.

The marine influence on climate, the varied soils, the multitude of slopes, micro-climates and exposures all make Napa Valley unique.

I believe that the greatest challenge is maintaining consistency from vintage to vintage since no two vintages are ever the same.

Winemaking is in my blood. If I were not a Napa Valley vintner, I would probably be making wine somewhere else in the world. Anything else would be relatively miserable. I like to say I have met a lot of miserable doctors, and a lot of happy winemakers!

I was in the US Navy from 1967-1971, and during my duties as an air crewman on an EC-121 Super-Constellation, I flew into the eye of a typhoon more than 30 times. It was before satellites, and we were the early warning typhoon trackers. Fortunately, I never ever got air sick.

There are two Napa Valley vintners that have influenced me: Ric Forman and Phil Baxter. Both have inspired my personal confidence which is a crucial tool in any good winemaker.