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Spotlight on Vintners
Produced predominantly by family owned wineries, California wines have benefited from the unique and varied mix of cultures that have found new homes in the Golden State. From the Spanish missionaries who established the state’s first vineyards, to the German, Italian and other European immigrants who founded California’s first wineries, and to the farmers, researchers and entrepreneurs who helped create the modern California wine industry -- all have left their mark on California wine.
Please meet some of our vintners who have shared their personal thoughts below.
Margaret Duckhorn
Co-Founder and VP Industry Relations, Duckhorn Wine Company
How long have you been in the California wine business?
We founded the winery in 1976 and 1978 was our first harvest. I have been involved with the company for 30+ years.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
My profession was Public Health and School Nursing which I did for eight years in the upper Napa Valley.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
I believe that over the past 30+ years we have been able to establish strong brand recognition and have enjoyed expanding our brands. We consistently make every effort to provide the best in our products and service at every level of our organization.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Our company is never boring; there are always strategic plans, events, discussions about all phases of our industry that make my job interesting, challenging and exciting.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
My favorite wine is the one I am enjoying as I cook a meal for family or friends. To pick a favorite wine is like picking your favorite child; they all have wonderful attributes and some you enjoy more than others depending upon the time and place.
Thomas B. Klein
Proprietor. Rodney Strong Vineyards
How long have you been in the California wine business?
20 years?
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
Family business in California. Farming in California since early 1900’s.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
Makes consistently good wine at all levels, based in Sonoma County.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Making our Reserve & Symmetry wine blends with our winemaking team & walking our vineyards through the growing season.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
2005 Symmetry from Rodney Strong on the back porch at our home overlooking the Alexander Valley.
Ray Chadwick
President & Chief Executive Officer, Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines
How long have you been in the California wine business?
Since 1974.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
I was working on a Ph.D. in French Language and Literature and had the good fortune to spend a year in Bordeaux. I fell in love with wine that year, decided to make a career in the business, and have been passionate about it ever since.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
We have a total commitment to quality and making great wines.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Whether I am in our Napa office, at our winery facilities and vineyards or traveling, I love being around others who are equally passionate about wine.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
I travel extensively and like to celebrate the weekend over a glass of wine at home. A couple of my current favorites are Provenance Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc and Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
David B. Kent
Chief Executive Officer, The Wine Group
How long have you been in the California wine business?
17 years
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
The Wine Group is one of the world’s most cost- and carbon-efficient vintners.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Knowing that no two workdays are ever alike
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
Concannon Petite Sirah under the grape arbor at the winery’s historic Livermore Valley estate.
KATHLEEN HEITZ MYERS
President & COO Heitz Wine Cellars
How long have you been in the California wine business?
I grew up in the family business in the 1960s during the renaissance of California winemaking which was an exciting period. Beginning with my college education, I was encouraged to gain experience outside of the Napa Valley before jumping into a career at the family winery. I also took the opportunity to travel internationally which helped me to develop an appreciation of other cultures and perspectives. When I returned home in the mid-1970s, I had developed a lifelong respect for the scope and complexity of the wine industry, and I knew I wanted to be part of it.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
I taught high school biology.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
I think we have been particularly adept at balancing innovative technology and business practices with our time-honored traditions and legacy of winemaking in the Napa Valley. For three generations, our family has been committed to ensuring the quality and consistency of our wines, and I believe that is the basis for our loyal customer following today.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Even though there is a predictable work rhythm attached to each season, it’s a challenge to describe a typical day. Running a small family business means that you are still involved in every facet of the operation, and that’s what keeps things exciting for me along with the diversity. Our office and production facility is designed so that everyone can interact easily. I look forward to spending part of every workday with our incredible team and also with customers who call or stop in. This camaraderie always brings a fresh point of view to my work.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week, and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
I’ll answer part two of this question first. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to travel and meet with people around the world who love wine. However, I have to admit there is nothing better than ending up at home on a Friday night in time to cook dinner with my husband George and our friends. My favorite wine changes depending on the menu, but I guess if I had to describe a perfect meal, I would go with modern Asian cuisine. I love the eclectic flavors and spices along with fresh produce from our garden and a bottle of Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet --- our signature wine since 1966.
Jay Indelicato
Chief Operating Officer, Delicato Family Vineyards
How long have you been in the California wine business?
My earliest recollections of work go back to the second grade, about 40 years ago now, when our folks gave us a summer job of hoeing weeds in the vineyards around our house and winery. Looking back I think the job had more to do with keeping my cousins and me plenty tired and out of trouble for the summer than it did with taking a green approach to addressing weeds in the vineyards. Over the years the jobs changed as we grew more capable, and in the end there really wasn’t an area of the winery that we didn’t get to experience - at least for a summer or two. And although we still take a sustainable approach to ground cover in our vineyards today, it doesn’t require the same kind of effort from the next generation of family.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
One of our family’s rules for coming back to the family business is that after college we have to work somewhere else for three or four years. We could do anything we wanted, anywhere we wanted, but we had to be earning a living working for someone else. Part of the idea here was that in order to know what it’s like to work for someone else, you have actually spend some time working for someone else. I know this experience has had an big impact on my brother, cousins and me in how we try to create a work environment for our employees that is both balanced and rewarding. Anyway, for my part I got my degree in electrical engineering and so I ended up working in the Silicon Valley for a few years. The last job I held prior to coming back to the family business was working for IBM at their Magnetic Recording Institute near San Jose.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
Our family’s approach to winegrowing has always been to provide a style of wine that is great to sip, but also is meant to be enjoyed with food. Our Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel and our 337 Cabernet Sauvignon and our Irony Monterey Pinot Noir are all great wines to be enjoyed on their own, but they really shine when added to meals from simple and fresh to elaborate and complex. From the decisions we make in the vineyards, to the choices we have in the cellar, to the careful selections we make during blending, from start to finish our wines have been crafted to provide maximum enjoyment for every occasion.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
I really enjoy my interactions with all the people. We’re really spoiled in the California wine business in that it is fairly small and people typically stay in it for a long time, sometimes for generations. This tends to create relationships that you don’t always see in other industries. So you really get to know people and there’s a good level of respect and camaraderie between folks whether they’re a customer, supplier, employee, competitor or associate. My day usually starts by checking in with customers and associates in Europe, and I work my way west to the US east coast and then eventually people here in California. The next part of my day depends on the time of year. The wine business is a lot like school. While every year comes with the same seasons, every year is different too and we’re always learning something new. Depending on the time of year, the next part of my day may take me into vineyards to hear about how things are developing there, or later in the year out into the cellar to sample the fermenters that are happily bubbling away, or even later yet, into the lab where the wines are being blended in complementary ways to come up with the perfect wine. But the common theme in all of this is the same thing that I really look forward to each day and every day, and that is talking with lots of interesting and energetic people with great ideas and who are equally passionate about the wine business.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
Every year we put together a special blend of wine from our central coast vineyard, San Bernabe Vineyards, and bottle it under the Unison label. The name is intended to note that it takes many people working together in unison to create the quality wines we grow at our vineyards. Every year it’s a little bit different depending on what Mother Nature showed us for the vintage, and we do only a few hundred bottles of it. We don’t sell any of it, it’s just for our family and friends. To celebrate and just get away from it all at the end of the week my wife, Citrea, and I like to head for the coast. There’s a sleepy little town devoid of crowds and commercialism, and just sitting outside listening to the waves hit the beach while enjoying a glass of our Unison is the perfect ending to a busy week.
Please meet some of our vintners who have shared their personal thoughts below.
Margaret DuckhornCo-Founder and VP Industry Relations, Duckhorn Wine Company
How long have you been in the California wine business?
We founded the winery in 1976 and 1978 was our first harvest. I have been involved with the company for 30+ years.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
My profession was Public Health and School Nursing which I did for eight years in the upper Napa Valley.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
I believe that over the past 30+ years we have been able to establish strong brand recognition and have enjoyed expanding our brands. We consistently make every effort to provide the best in our products and service at every level of our organization.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Our company is never boring; there are always strategic plans, events, discussions about all phases of our industry that make my job interesting, challenging and exciting.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
My favorite wine is the one I am enjoying as I cook a meal for family or friends. To pick a favorite wine is like picking your favorite child; they all have wonderful attributes and some you enjoy more than others depending upon the time and place.
Thomas B. KleinProprietor. Rodney Strong Vineyards
How long have you been in the California wine business?
20 years?
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
Family business in California. Farming in California since early 1900’s.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
Makes consistently good wine at all levels, based in Sonoma County.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Making our Reserve & Symmetry wine blends with our winemaking team & walking our vineyards through the growing season.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
2005 Symmetry from Rodney Strong on the back porch at our home overlooking the Alexander Valley.
Ray ChadwickPresident & Chief Executive Officer, Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines
How long have you been in the California wine business?
Since 1974.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
I was working on a Ph.D. in French Language and Literature and had the good fortune to spend a year in Bordeaux. I fell in love with wine that year, decided to make a career in the business, and have been passionate about it ever since.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
We have a total commitment to quality and making great wines.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Whether I am in our Napa office, at our winery facilities and vineyards or traveling, I love being around others who are equally passionate about wine.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
I travel extensively and like to celebrate the weekend over a glass of wine at home. A couple of my current favorites are Provenance Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc and Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
David B. KentChief Executive Officer, The Wine Group
How long have you been in the California wine business?
17 years
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
The Wine Group is one of the world’s most cost- and carbon-efficient vintners.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Knowing that no two workdays are ever alike
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
Concannon Petite Sirah under the grape arbor at the winery’s historic Livermore Valley estate.
KATHLEEN HEITZ MYERSPresident & COO Heitz Wine Cellars
How long have you been in the California wine business?
I grew up in the family business in the 1960s during the renaissance of California winemaking which was an exciting period. Beginning with my college education, I was encouraged to gain experience outside of the Napa Valley before jumping into a career at the family winery. I also took the opportunity to travel internationally which helped me to develop an appreciation of other cultures and perspectives. When I returned home in the mid-1970s, I had developed a lifelong respect for the scope and complexity of the wine industry, and I knew I wanted to be part of it.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
I taught high school biology.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
I think we have been particularly adept at balancing innovative technology and business practices with our time-honored traditions and legacy of winemaking in the Napa Valley. For three generations, our family has been committed to ensuring the quality and consistency of our wines, and I believe that is the basis for our loyal customer following today.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
Even though there is a predictable work rhythm attached to each season, it’s a challenge to describe a typical day. Running a small family business means that you are still involved in every facet of the operation, and that’s what keeps things exciting for me along with the diversity. Our office and production facility is designed so that everyone can interact easily. I look forward to spending part of every workday with our incredible team and also with customers who call or stop in. This camaraderie always brings a fresh point of view to my work.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week, and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
I’ll answer part two of this question first. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to travel and meet with people around the world who love wine. However, I have to admit there is nothing better than ending up at home on a Friday night in time to cook dinner with my husband George and our friends. My favorite wine changes depending on the menu, but I guess if I had to describe a perfect meal, I would go with modern Asian cuisine. I love the eclectic flavors and spices along with fresh produce from our garden and a bottle of Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet --- our signature wine since 1966.
Jay IndelicatoChief Operating Officer, Delicato Family Vineyards
How long have you been in the California wine business?
My earliest recollections of work go back to the second grade, about 40 years ago now, when our folks gave us a summer job of hoeing weeds in the vineyards around our house and winery. Looking back I think the job had more to do with keeping my cousins and me plenty tired and out of trouble for the summer than it did with taking a green approach to addressing weeds in the vineyards. Over the years the jobs changed as we grew more capable, and in the end there really wasn’t an area of the winery that we didn’t get to experience - at least for a summer or two. And although we still take a sustainable approach to ground cover in our vineyards today, it doesn’t require the same kind of effort from the next generation of family.
What did you do before you got into the wine business?
One of our family’s rules for coming back to the family business is that after college we have to work somewhere else for three or four years. We could do anything we wanted, anywhere we wanted, but we had to be earning a living working for someone else. Part of the idea here was that in order to know what it’s like to work for someone else, you have actually spend some time working for someone else. I know this experience has had an big impact on my brother, cousins and me in how we try to create a work environment for our employees that is both balanced and rewarding. Anyway, for my part I got my degree in electrical engineering and so I ended up working in the Silicon Valley for a few years. The last job I held prior to coming back to the family business was working for IBM at their Magnetic Recording Institute near San Jose.
What do you believe your winery/company does especially well?
Our family’s approach to winegrowing has always been to provide a style of wine that is great to sip, but also is meant to be enjoyed with food. Our Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel and our 337 Cabernet Sauvignon and our Irony Monterey Pinot Noir are all great wines to be enjoyed on their own, but they really shine when added to meals from simple and fresh to elaborate and complex. From the decisions we make in the vineyards, to the choices we have in the cellar, to the careful selections we make during blending, from start to finish our wines have been crafted to provide maximum enjoyment for every occasion.
What do you most look forward to on a typical workday?
I really enjoy my interactions with all the people. We’re really spoiled in the California wine business in that it is fairly small and people typically stay in it for a long time, sometimes for generations. This tends to create relationships that you don’t always see in other industries. So you really get to know people and there’s a good level of respect and camaraderie between folks whether they’re a customer, supplier, employee, competitor or associate. My day usually starts by checking in with customers and associates in Europe, and I work my way west to the US east coast and then eventually people here in California. The next part of my day depends on the time of year. The wine business is a lot like school. While every year comes with the same seasons, every year is different too and we’re always learning something new. Depending on the time of year, the next part of my day may take me into vineyards to hear about how things are developing there, or later in the year out into the cellar to sample the fermenters that are happily bubbling away, or even later yet, into the lab where the wines are being blended in complementary ways to come up with the perfect wine. But the common theme in all of this is the same thing that I really look forward to each day and every day, and that is talking with lots of interesting and energetic people with great ideas and who are equally passionate about the wine business.
Name your favorite wine for celebrating the end of the week and the place you prefer to enjoy it.
Every year we put together a special blend of wine from our central coast vineyard, San Bernabe Vineyards, and bottle it under the Unison label. The name is intended to note that it takes many people working together in unison to create the quality wines we grow at our vineyards. Every year it’s a little bit different depending on what Mother Nature showed us for the vintage, and we do only a few hundred bottles of it. We don’t sell any of it, it’s just for our family and friends. To celebrate and just get away from it all at the end of the week my wife, Citrea, and I like to head for the coast. There’s a sleepy little town devoid of crowds and commercialism, and just sitting outside listening to the waves hit the beach while enjoying a glass of our Unison is the perfect ending to a busy week.