As Chateau Montelena’s Chief Executive Officer, Bo Barrett oversees strategic planning for the winery and vineyard operations. His commitment, however, extends beyond the wine, to the people, the creative spirit and the story behind it all.

Bo has been involved in every vintage at Montelena since his family assumed ownership in 1972. While completing his degree in Viticulture and Enology at Fresno State, Bo spent each fall at Chateau Montelena working harvest. The work proved to be difficult yet rewarding, and motivated him to take on more responsibility. In 1982, Bo earned the appointment to winemaker, and was subsequently appointed to Chief Executive Officer in 2013. He credits his father, and winery founder, Jim Barrett for his work ethic and unrelenting persistence. “When my father started this winery, his goal was to take the incredible fruit from this historic piece of land and make the best wine we possibly can.”

Bo continues to honor his father’s mission by creating wines that transcend ratings or trends, and remain true to the origins of Montelena. This foundational philosophy extends to the team of employees he has built. “We hire the very best people we can, communicate our expectations, and give them the freedom to do their jobs well.” Bo continues to propel Montelena forward with the same commitment to excellence it was founded upon.

Roger Bower, an entrepreneur and rancher from Texas, is the owner and visionary behind Crown Point Vineyards. In 2012, Roger encountered this site with a distinct southern-facing slope planted to a multitude of varieties planted decades ago. Enticed by the vineyard aspect buoyed by coastal proximity, he replanted the site to feature Cabernet Sauvignon selections that thrive within the warm climate on the eastern edge of Santa Barbara County.

Roger’s entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to quality have made Crown Point Vineyards one of the most respected wineries in Santa Barbara Wine Country.

Ann Colgin
Founder & Chairwoman
As a vintner, an art collector, and an avid philanthropist, Ann Colgin is truly a renaissance woman with a discriminating yet playful personality. A Texas native, Ann completed her undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University, proceeded by an M.A. at New York University. Following her completion of the Sotheby’s Decorative Arts Course in London, she began her career in the auction world in New York, later becoming the Director of the Sotheby’s West Coast Wine Department in Los Angeles.

In 1988, Ann attended the Napa Valley Wine Auction, igniting a fascination with the flourishing region. With an understanding and appreciation of the world’s great wines hailing from distinctive hillsides, she located a prime hillside vineyard that became the genesis of Colgin Cellars in 1992.

Colgin is a fervent supporter of modern art, serving on the boards of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Les Amis Americans de Centre Pompidou, in Paris, for more than twenty-five years. Since 2009, Ann has chaired LACMA’s Collectors Committee Weekend, assisting in the addition of over $30 million of art to the Museum’s permanent collection.

She is a founding vintner and Honorary Trustee of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, where she served as Auctioneer for the event’s first twelve years, helping to bring in more than $191 million for at-risk and underprivileged children.

Ann and her husband, Joe Wender, are lead investors in Camille Giroud, a negociant in Beaune, France. They have two feisty Coton de Tulear dogs, Gevrey and Mazis, named for vineyards in Burgundy.

Joe Wender
CEO
Joe grew up in Norman, Oklahoma as the son of two OU professors. His love for academics led him to graduate from Northwestern University, Yale Law School, and Harvard Business School.

He began work at Goldman Sachs in 1971 and was a founder of the Financial Institutions Group. During his time at Goldman Sachs, he was instrumental in some of the largest bank mergers in the United States. It was during his time in New York City where his love of wine began.

Joe met Ann Colgin at a dinner in 1997 celebrating the legendary vintner Henri Jayer, and they were married in 2000 on the IX Estate property.

Joe is actively involved with Colgin Cellars while working as an Advisory Director at Goldman Sachs and serving on various corporate boards, including Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Outfront Media, and the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation and is a director of the Actor’s Fund.

It’s a rare day that you find David Duncan, family owner of Silver Oak, Twomey, OVID Napa Valley and Timeless Napa Valley, sitting in his office.

Instead, you’ll likely spot him between vineyard rows, sporting a hard hat at a winery construction site, or chatting with customers at the tasting room bar. “I’d rather drive a forklift than write emails,” he laughs. Coupled with his characteristic approachability and good humor, David’s hands-on commitment to continuous improvement has fueled the evolution of the Family of Silver Oak for more than two decades.

In 1972, his father, Ray Duncan, co-founded Silver Oak Cellars with Justin Meyer and introduced David to the family business. With a first taste, David would complete his MBA at the University of Denver (’94), where he built a financial model for the company. Soon after, in 1999, Ray, David, and David’s brother Tim Duncan founded Twomey Cellars, a new brand from the Duncan family and producer of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. In 2002, David officially joined Silver Oak and today leads the Family of Silver Oak as Chairman & CEO. Along with Tim, who oversees domestic and international sales as Chief Revenue Officer, David has advanced the company to become one of Napa Valley’s most recognized and renowned producers.

In 2006, a fire destroyed the Silver Oak Napa Valley Winery in Oakville, leaving the family with the decision to either salvage the facility or rebuild from scratch. David saw the silver lining: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a space ideally suited for the production of Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon and the enjoyment of visitors. Recognized as the first commercial production winery in the world to be LEED Platinum certified, the new winery crystallized the pillars of David’s leadership approach and set the stage for Silver Oak’s culture of industry leadership and firsts.

From the fire also rose David’s unwavering focus on quality and continuous improvement: “We’re not in pursuit of more, we’re in pursuit of better,” he says. David continuously seeks out prime vineyard sites to add to the portfolio and encourages employee innovation—like the development of Berry Sensory Analysis, a pioneering and rigorous approach used to determine when grapes are at peak ripeness. The same attention to producing exceptional wines also applies to sustainability. All Silver Oak and Twomey vineyards are certified under Fish Friendly Farming and California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, criterion viewed as central to both land stewardship and wine quality.

In 2015, David’s commitment to excellence was a leading factor in the company’s decision to purchase The Oak Cooperage in Higbee, Missouri, making Silver Oak the first North American winery to own and operate an American oak barrel cooperage. Owning a cooperage provides complete control over the quality and supply of the American oak barrels that are a key factor in the style—aroma, flavor and texture—of Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon.

Never resting on his laurels, David set his eyes on the company’s future, most notably building the Silver Oak Alexander Valley Winery, which opened in 2017. Inspired by the rebuild of the Oakville winery, David and Tim set out to find the perfect site to grow exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and provide a first-rate, unrivaled customer experience. Like Oakville, this winery in Healdsburg uses state-of-the-art technologies and is LEED Platinum certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. In April 2020, the facility also became the largest, certified Living Building in the world—and the first winery to ever receive Living Building Challenge certification in all seven performance areas from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).

Even with his hands-on commitment to the Family of Silver Oak, David finds time to be a community leader. A member of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) Board of Directors from 2014 to 2022, David was also Chairman in 2015 and co-chaired Auction Napa Valley in 2014—its highest-grossing year. In 2008, David and Tim also co-chaired the NVV’s Premiere Napa Valley, a wine auction for the trade. He served as a board member and past Chairman of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation; in 2016, his fundraising efforts led to a banner year for the St. Helena Hospital Gala. David was co-chair of the Capital Campaign for the St. Helena Montessori School, is a board member of the First Western Trust Bank in Colorado, and is past Chapter Chairman and member of the Northern California Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization. When not making wine, David plays guitar and sings with the Silverado Pickups, a band he co-founded with his friend and fellow vintner Jeff Gargiulo of Gargiulo Vineyards.

An industry spokesman, David appears on behalf of the Family of Silver Oak and the California wine industry on CBS This Morning, CNBC, Bloomberg News, FOX News; his quotes appear in national publications including Entrepreneur, Associated Press and Wine Spectator.

David lives in St. Helena with his wife Kary, an MD with a private dermatology practice. They have three children.

Grace and Ken Evenstad founded Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills of Oregon in 1989 with a mission to produce world class Pinot Noir. The Evenstads had faith and confidence in Oregon early on, before there was a national market for domestic Pinot Noir.

Today, Domaine Serene produces wines from seven individual vineyard estates, planted exclusively to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Each estate offers a diversity of soils, clones, rootstocks, microclimates, slopes, and elevations that add distinguishing complexity and elegance to the wines. In total, the Evenstads own over 1,000 acres of land in the hills of Yamhill County, with 360 acres planted to vines.

In 2001, the Evenstads completed construction of their current state-of-the art, five-level, gravity flow Pinot Noir winery. In 2015, Ken and Grace acquired Château de la Crée, the respected wine estate located in the birthplace of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the renowned Côte d’Or in Burgundy, France. They are the only Oregon-based vintners to own land and produce wines in Burgundy, France. Parcels are owned in 18 climats throughout the Côte de Beaune in Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay and Maranges, 40% of which are Premier Cru.

In 2021, Grace Evenstad expanded her Burgundian vineyard holdings by taking control of the renowned Domaine Christian Confuron et fils estate. This 15-acre expansion increased Evenstad Estates’ vineyard footprint in the Côte d’Or by roughly 60%, adding vineyards in the Côte de Nuits to her current holdings in the Côte de Beaune. The estate is located mainly in Chambolle-Musigny and Nuits-Saint-Georges, including prestigious Grand Cru vineyard blocks in Bonnes Mares and Clos de Vougeot.

In 2017, Domaine Serene opened a new best-in-class hospitality center, the Clubhouse at Domaine Serene, that defined the landscape of fine wine hospitality in the Pacific Northwest.
In Spring 2018, they completed a new winery dedicated solely to the production of Chardonnay and Sparkling wine, the first of its kind in Oregon. The wineries are located on the beautiful Winery Hill Estate in the world-class Dundee Hills AVA.

Having achieved his goal of making the world’s finest Pinot Noir many times over, Ken Evenstad died at the age of 77 in October 2020. Under the guidance of Grace Evenstad, his legacy lives on as Domaine Serene remains focused on excellence in a never-ending quest to produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Domaine Serene’s wines represent the achievement that is possible in Oregon, one of the finest regions in the world for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Recent Accolades:
• In 2018, Grace and Ken were recipients of the wine industry’s highest honor, Wine Spectator’s Distinguished Service Award. The award, given once a year, is a tribute to those that have made significant and long-lasting contributions to the wine industry. The Evenstads were the first and only couple to have ever received this honor together.
• Evenstad Estates wines were awarded an unprecedented 55 medals at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards, including 2 Platinum and 4 Gold Medals.
• Evenstad Estates wines secured 21 medals at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
• In 2020, Domaine Serene was the most awarded winery at the Decanter World Wine Awards, securing 23 medals including one platinum medal, five gold medals, 17 silver medals, and one bronze medal.
• In 2019, London’s renowned Decanter magazine awarded Domaine Serene five gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
• Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2016 named Domaine Serene’s 2014 Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay the best white wine in the world.
• In 2016, London’s Decanter magazine named Domaine Serene’s 2012
Winery Hill Pinot Noir the top Pinot Noir in the world at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
• Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2013 named Domaine Serene’s 2010 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir the #3 Ranked wine in the world, and #1 Pinot Noir of the year.

Bordeaux veteran Florent Fresse hails from Nancy in the northeast of France. After graduating from Grenoble Business School in 2012, Florent joined Brindco International in India, a leading alcohol beverage distribution company, After this introduction to the wine world, he worked for Baron Philippe de Rothschild from 2013 to 2022, first spending three years as the sales manager of Domaine de Baronarques, the Rothschild estate in Southern Franc’s Languedoc. In 2017 he became sales manager of the Pauillac estates of Domaines Barons de Rothschild: Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Clerc Milon and Château d’Armailhac. Florent was in daily contact with the Place de Bordeaux and travelled frequently to promote the three classified growths.

In 2023, he was fortunate to join Domaines Delon as sales director in charge of four iconic estates in Bordeaux: Château Léoville Las Cases, Clos du Marquis, Château Nénin and Château Potensac. In that capacity, he travels frequently to wine markets around the globe and helps explain how the legacy of these illustrious properties carries over to the present day.

The 1992 vintage in Langhe was not a good one: “A disaster,” in the words of Angelo Gaja. “We declassified completely.” However, on the heels of the disaster came a blessing. In February 1993, the family welcomed a son, Giovanni.
The younger of Giovanni’s two sisters is 12 years older than him, and he jokes that as a child, it was like he had three mothers.

Building on a degree in economics and management earned at Milan’s Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in 2015, Giovanni initially spent six months in London and a year in New York, where he learned about the importing and distribution side of the wine industry.
Upon returning home, he began traveling the globe to promote his family’s wines, expanding their markets.

With his parents and sisters, Giovanni is actively involved in the vineyard management across all the wineries and the decisions on the final blends for the portfolio of wines.
A member of the fifth generation, he will help guide the family winery—founded a century and a half ago by his great-great-grandfather Giovanni Gaja—into the future.

As a lifetime farmer, Jeff Gargiulo has always been passionate about the land and agricultural, and today that passion is focused on grape growing and fine wine making. Thirty years ago, he and his wife Valerie dreamed of one day building a premier wine estate. That dream took shape in the early 1980s when Jeff and Valerie and their young family traveled to Napa Valley to visit Valerie’s cousins, Barney and Belle Rhodes. Napa Valley icons, Barney and Belle Rhodes had been in the Napa Valley since the late 1960s growing grapes in Rutherford at Bella Oaks Vineyard. Jeff and Valerie were inspired by their cousin’s Napa Valley lifestyle and confident that with their help and Jeff’s agricultural knowledge they could achieve their dream and make some of the finest wines in the world. Twelve years later and with countless hours of coaching from Barney and Belle, Jeff and Valerie purchased their first vineyard in Oakville, Napa Valley, Money Road Ranch in 1992. Seven years later they purchased their second Oakville property, 575 OVX.

From the beginning, the Gargiulo’s were committed to creating a world class Cabernet Sauvignon wine estate. From his years spent farming, Jeff Gargiulo, knew that if he didn’t start with the very best land, he could never expect to grow the best grapes. For this reason, the Gargiulo’s chose Oakville to establish their namesake winery. Then, like today, Oakville was considered to be amongst the preeminent places to grow Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. The very first vintage of Gargiulo Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon was 2000, and since then Gargiulo Vineyards has quietly taken its place among the most highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon producers in Napa Valley. Not ones to rest on their laurels, Jeff, Valerie, daughter, April and the entire Gargiulo Vineyards’ team continue to strive to make Gargiulo wines the most pure and breathtaking expressions of their two esteemed Oakville vineyards.

Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini’s parents were from Bologna, but she was born in Rome and grew up there, and does not come from a family of wine producers. She worked in the film industry for many years as a producer and co-partner of Luca Barbareschi, and in the pharmaceutical sector.

Fascinated by the countryside and wine, which she considers a world of strong deep-rooted values, different to those of the film industry, and excited about regaining contact with a genuineness that could not be found elsewhere, she developed such a passion for this work that she became entirely devoted to it.

She became interested, above all, in Tenuta di Caparzo in Montalcino, showing her desire to learn by starting to personally follow all production phases at the winery.

Today, the wineries she owns are the outcome of several purchases that gradually made her dream, of owning a property in Tuscany, come true.

The opportunity came in 1997, when she purchased Borgo Scopeto in the Chianti Classico area, between Siena and Vagliagli. Borgo Scopeto, which is now a luxury hotel, was refurbished – with an investment of about 30 million euros – and carefully restored. Elisabetta took care of this herself, choosing all the details, from materials to furnishings, turning it into a magnificent country relais hotel, chosen by the film director Gary Winick as the setting for scenes in his film “Letters to Juliet”, starring Amanda Seyfried, Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero.

The film, released in 2010, did surprisingly well at the U.S. box office. The appearance in the film of Brunello Caparzo wine led to a remarkable rise in sales of Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini’s Brunello in the United States. Borgo Scopeto is not only a charming relais hotel but also a major winery and farm business that produces Chianti Classico wine and extraordinary extra-virgin olive oil.

In 1998, Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini also purchased Caparzo, her “first love”, the historic winery in Montalcino founded in 1970, when there were only a dozen wine producers around the beautiful village to the south of Siena, and nobody could have imagined the success and sensation that Brunello would later create. Moreover, Caparzo can be credited with making one of the first Montalcino crus, a Brunello made from the grapes of a single vineyard, known as La Casa. Its soils are particularly suited to vine growing and it has excellent exposure. Since its first appearance in 1977, Brunello Vigna La Casa has established itself as one of the most prestigious wines of Montalcino, leading the way for many other crus that were created, above all, in the 1990s. Not by chance was Brunello Vigna La Casa chosen as one of the protagonist wines of the Japanese Manga series “The Drops of God”, a highly successful comic also exported abroad.

In 2002, Elisabetta purchased Altesino, also situated in Montalcino. It is a small prestigious winery that produces Brunello, with its vineyards partly bordering on those of Caparzo. Altesino is one of the small-medium sized wineries that have made their mark thanks to their excellent quality products. The pride of Altesino products is undoubtedly Montosoli: the first Brunello cru obtained in 1975 from the vineyard of the same name. Observing it from Palazzo Altesi, the 15th-century building that Elisabetta has chosen as her personal residence, the perfectly maintained Montosoli vineyard is an icon in the natural landscape of the area. Wine is made from carefully selected grapes from old vines, and is only sold in the best vintages.

It is such excellent wine that, in 2014, Brunello di Montalcino Montosoli 2008 di Altesino was chosen by Wine Spectator, the “Bible of wine” esteemed by the entire wine-producing sector, as one of the 100 top wines in the world, with a score of 95/100.

Then, 2003 was the first year of production of Morellino di Scansano, made from grapes from the vineyards planted in the Maremma area at the Doga delle Clavule winery (purchased in 2000).

The properties currently cover over 1,100 hectares, including 254 for vine growing, sub-divided as follows:
Caparzo: 83 hectares
Altesino: 44 hectares
Borgo Scopeto: 70 hectares
Doga delle Clavule 57 hectares

Borgo Scopeto also has 7,000 olive trees that cover about 40 hectares of land.

Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini has a son and a daughter, Igino and Alessandra, who both live in Rome but closely follow the family businesses.

Igino Angelini is an environmental engineer and thanks to his efforts Caparzo was the first winery in Montalcino to install solar panels to produce so-called clean energy. All the wineries produce their own energy and are partly autonomous. Caparzo has also implemented a system for the total recovery of water, and along with the other wineries owned by Elisabetta it has chosen the path of eco-sustainability.

In just a few years, Elisabetta’s relationship with wine has become successful and passionate while her complete involvement in her work (she is affectionately called the “vignaiola” or winemaker) has made her so enamoured that every harvest and tasting period is an emotional experience. Elisabetta’s wines are renowned almost worldwide. The main markets are the U.S., Canada, all of Europe, China, Japan and Russia. Statistics show that exports predominate and are continuously increasing (since 2009 exports have more than doubled). Currently, 75% of the wine produced is sold abroad and 25% in Italy.

Tim Irwin is an experienced, dynamic wine specialist who began his career in Australia over 15 years ago. An accomplished media personality and public speaker, Tim relishes the opportunity to speak about his passion for wine, particularly in his adopted country of the United States.

Having worked on multiple luxury wineries in the past, his most notable time was launching the most expensive wine in the world; the Penfolds limited edition Ampoule, that retailed for $168,000.

Tim has appeared on numerous broadcast networks, including Fox Business and E! News, discussing trends on luxury and innovation.

In his current role as General Manager of Penfolds, Americas, he travels across the US hosting luxury events and speaking engagements to private collectors, celebrities and personalities.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking degree as well as formal credentials from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust of London.

The only son of Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, Christopher was raised in the world of wine, working his first harvest at the age of 12 at Stonestreet Winery in Alexander Valley. He earned his undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University, spent a year working in Washington D.C. for the Speaker of the House, then went back to school for his J.D. from the University of California Berkeley School of Law. He is currently involved in domestic and international sales and strategic planning for Jackson Family Wines. Christopher and his wife Ariel also own Sonoma County-based Golden State Cider and Seismic Brewing Company.

Christopher’s wife Ariel attended UC Davis and subsequently earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan. Ariel left the legal profession to work with Christopher in the wine business and is currently Director of Real Estate Development for Jackson Family Wines. Christopher and Ariel live in Sonoma County with their four young sons.

Having been brought up in viticulture, I was tying vines and pruning at the age of five years old.  Farming is in my blood and I put in the hard work required through my formative years to the point where I was ready to explore what else the world had to offer.  I left the area as quickly as I could after my high school graduation to see the country and gain perspective. Fifteen years later, I was a department store executive with a bad case of retail burnout.  I came back home to the Napa Valley and realized everything I was looking for was right here all along. Returning to the wine industry has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. Getting to work with my family has been the biggest privilege of it all.

The Laird family grew when I had my daughter Jillian in 2005.  We designed a blend bearing her name and now she has expressed interest in carrying on the family legacy.  It has been beyond valuable having my father, Ken Laird, blaze the trail farming the Napa Valley for 54 years and creating the scaffolding for our family to thrive.  We run Laird Family Estate together, as a family, with my father and brother managing the vineyards and myself handling the winery operations. We all live minutes from our winery in Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley – it is our home, our office, and our family ranch. When I’m not working, you will find my husband, Chris, and I spending time in Texas visiting Jillian at Texas A&M and attending livestock jackpots.  My favorite Laird wines are our Blanc de Blanc and Suscol Ranch Merlot.

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair is a very recent wine estate since created at the beginning of the year 2000 by Count Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, agricultural engineer and oenologist, with the aim of taking over the running of those few parcels of vineyards remaining in the hands of the family. But it is in fact a very old estate as it has over 200 years of family tradition at the service of the vines and wines of Burgundy in general and Vosne-Romanée in particular.

INDEED, THE COUNTS LIGER-BELAIR SETTLED IN VOSNE-ROMANÉE WHEN LOUIS LIGER-BELAIR, A NAPOLEONIC GENERAL, ACQUIRED THE CHÂTEAU DE VOSNE IN 1815.

The Domaine thereafter grew considerably under the direction of the general and then his adopted son, the son of his sister, the Count Louis-Charles. He married Ludovie Marey and thus became part of the history of this family, owners and wine merchants in Burgundy since 1720.

At the death of Count Edgar, son of Count Louis-Charles, the wine estate, family ownership, extended over more than 60 ha (approximately 150 acres), mainly in the Côte de Nuits, gathering some of the most prestigious “climats” of Burgundy. It included the “monopoles” of La Romanée, la Tâche, la Grande Rue, a large part of Malconsorts, Chaumes, Reignots, Brûlées, Suchots in Vosne-Romanée, Vaucrains in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Clos Vougeot and Cras in Vougeot, Chambolle, Morey as well as Chambertin.

Grandson of Count Louis-Charles, the Count Henri Liger-Belair, elder of the family and great-grandfather of Louis-Michel, died in 1924, leaving a widow and 10 children at the head of 24 hectares (59.3053 acres) of vines and the Château de Vosne-Romanée. Everything continued until his wife’s death in 1931. The ten children were still there but two were minors. The law of that time required that all children reach legal adulthood to deal with the inheritance, failing which the estate must be sold. In our case, three family members did not wish to wait for the majority of the 2 minors, and therefore imposed the sale of the whole wine property.

It was a sad day on 31st August 1933 at the Town hall of Vosne-Romanée when all the vines were sold by judicial auction. The children thus witnessed the departure from their heritage of La Tâche, les Malconsorts, les Brûlées… Two of the children, Just, priest, and his brother Count Michel, grandfather of Louis-Michel, joined together to buy back La Romanée, les Reignots and les Chaumes, whose management was then entrusted to local winegrowers.

Count Michel died in 1941 during the war, before he could redevelop the estate. His son, Count Henry, Louis-Michel’s father, joined the army in 1947 and pursued a brilliant career that led to the rank of general, as his ancestor six generations earlier. He did not directly run the vineyard, leaving the work of the vine to share-croppers in the village and marketing to Burgundian merchants, but maintained and developed the Domaine as much as he could.

When he was eight years old, Louis-Michel told his parents of his intention to settle later in Vosne. His father informed him that he could only take over the Domaine if he became an engineer. Louis-Michel then pursued scientific studies, graduated as an Agricultural Engineering, held a Master’s Degree in wine business and a degree in oenology from the University of Dijon.

In 2000, Count Louis-Michel, engineer and oenologist took over control of all aspects of production, from the vine to the bottle, bringing to all the vines and wines the same care, from Villages to Grands Crus appellations. Since, priority is given to the working of the soil. The vines are managed in certified organic and biodynamic viticultural methods and human intervention, if it is developed to its maximum in the vines, is reduced as much as possible both in the vat house and in the cellar.

In 2000, 1.5 hectares (3.7066 acres) of family vines (Vosne-Romanée La Colombière, Clos du Château, Premier Cru Les Chaumes) were taken over and in 2002, 1.6 hectares (3.9537 acres) were added (Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru aux Reignots, La Romanée Monopole).

In 2006, he had the opportunity to rent 5.5 hectares (13.5908 acres) from the family of one of their former sharecroppers, the Lamadon of Vosne-Romanée. This included a large parcel of Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots, Les Petits Monts and Les Brûlées, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Aux Cras, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint Georges.

In 2008, the entire Domaine was converted to biodynamic growing and has been certified biodynamic by Ecocert since 2012 under the Biodyvin label.

In 2012, he bought a Clos in Premier Cru in Nuits-Saint-Georges, the “monopole” of Clos des Grandes Vignes.

In 2015, the Domaine celebrated its 200th anniversary. On this occasion, a vertical tasting of 68 vintages of La Romanée was organized and a dinner prepared by Pascal Barbot, Chef of l’Astrance in Paris, and his whole brigade. A book « les Comtes Liger-Belair, 200 ans au service de La Romanée » was also published.

Still in 2015, he took over the family historic brand, C. Marey & Cte Liger-Belair, which had left the family fold at the end of the 1970s. This brand is currently quite exclusively used on the Grands Crus des Hospices de Beaune that the Count Louis-Michel ages for selected customers, as well as for the distribution of regional appellations of the Domaine.

In 2022, two major stages in the Domaine’s development.

The first one marks a new stage in the Liger-Belair family’s dedication to the village of Vosne-Romanée. La Cuverie by Comte Liger-Belair will see the light of day in November 2022, after months of reflection. The aim of this long-awaited project is to combine an organic and local grocery shop, a café, a wine bar (with a list of 2000 references including the wines of the Domaine) and four guest rooms, each with its own atmosphere and each reminiscent of the world of a family member.

Comte Liger-Belair Louis-Michel likes to say that, through this place, the family wanted to give back to the village what the village had given to them.

The second, and by no means the least, saw the Domaine expand by 3.8 ha of vines with 4 new parcels were added: Vosne-Romanée “Aux Réas”, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru “La Croix Rameau”, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru “Les Malconsorts” and the famous Grand Cru “Grands-Echezeaux”.

WITH HIS WIFE, CONSTANCE, AND THEIR THREE CHILDREN, HENRY (2002), BRUNE (2003) AND PIA (2006), COMTE LOUIS-MICHEL NOW GROWS 14.5 HECTARES (25.9461 ACRES) OF VINES IN VOSNE-ROMANÉE, NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES, FLAGEY-ECHEZEAUX AND VOUGEOT THIS MORE THAN BICENTENNIAL DOMAINE PRODUCES 19 CUVEES FROM THESE VILLAGES.

Born and raised surrounded by Mendoza’s beautiful vineyards, Lucas Löwi knew from an early age that he wanted to explore opportunities in the wine industry and that Mendoza was where he wanted to live and raise a family. “I cannot think of a better place to live, for my daughters to grow up,” he says. “I love this place. For me it’s the best place in the world. My dream has always been to take Mendoza to the world, to make it well known for what we do best: the wines, the mountains, the nature.”

To achieve that dream, Lucas attended the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, graduating in 2003. He didn’t immediately leap into wine: “I knew I wanted to devote my life to the wine industry but my view was that it was not a yet a highly developed industry and I wanted to learn strategic marketing from big companies first.” Joining Coca-Cola, he immersed himself in a young professionals program that allowed him to work in every department of the company. His first entry into the wine industry was in 2006, as Area Manager, Latin America & Caribbean at Grupo Peñaflor.

In 2007, the opportunity arrived to come to Moët Hennessy and work with brands he had long admired. “I remember my first interview, it was here at the guest house of Terrazas. Maggie Henriquez, who was CEO at the time, told me that to do your job well you need to feel that you are at home and to welcome guests and customers like it’s at home. It was great advice that still means a lot to me.”

Starting in a junior position, Lucas spent the ensuing years at Moët Hennessy working hard and growing professionally. He earned an Executive MBA Magna Cum Laude at IAE Business School in Buenos Aires in 2104 and also attended the Harvard Business School Global Immersion Program that year.

In 2015, Lucas was chosen by Moët Hennessy to become the Estate Director at Bodega Numanthia in Spain, a position he held for the next eight years (and nine harvests). Lucas takes pride in having crafted a clear vision forward and strategy for Numanthia—one that achieved a beautiful wine style evolution that elevated the winery’s reputation—and in having built an amazing team that reached many important milestones.

During his years in Spain, Lucas was often a lecturer for the Global MBA program at the Universidad de Salamanca, the oldest university in Spain. “It’s important to me to find ways to pay back part of what I’ve been trained in and to share my knowledge with students,” he says. “Before I went to Spain, I used to teach topics related to the wine business as a way to give back at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo.”

In December 2023, Lucas came full circle, returning to Terrazas de los Andes as Estate Director. It is both familiar and unfamiliar territory: “I feel like it’s being back home, working again with former colleagues and with the winery where I started,” he explains. “And yet I feel I’m still rediscovering a place I know. I think that red wines begin in the vineyard, that they are grown, not made. So, our work is to understand and translate this terroir into a bottle of fine wine. My dream with Terrazas is to express the terroir together with the elegance and the pure nature that the Andes gives us.”

But that pure nature needs protection and respect, a way of life that comes easily to Lucas. “Those who are born in Mendoza, we know how delicate the system is because Mendoza is a desert. Mendoza is a center of excellence and we know how important it is to keep it alive. I was raised looking to the mountain. It’s part of the purpose of people who are from here to take care of the mountain.”

The journey of Terrazas started in the 1990s in Las Compuertas, with ungrafted Malbec vines. “This is the deep roots of Terrazas,” says Lucas. “But then we went forward to new heights to the Uco Valley, starting with Paraje Altamira. And then higher to Los Chacayes and even higher to Gualtallery. My goal is to express this journey in our wines. And I feel proud and responsible to keep these original, ungrafted vines at Las Compuertas alive and healthy because we cannot repeat what we have here. I would like to pass this heritage on to the next generation.”

When not busy with the winery, Lucas thinks the best place to be is outside. He enjoys playing basketball with his former club and teammates. And he is thrilled to be introducing his two daughters, who were born in Spain, to the magnificent mountains of Argentina.

Since founding his namesake winery in 2002, Cliff Lede (pronounced lay-dee) has put every emphasis towards creating a modern and diversified world-class estate. A strategic thinker and visionary, Cliff is the driving force of a company that balances the traditions of Old-World winemaking with the energy, youth, and spark of the New World. His wines are intrinsically connected to the land, yet his viewpoint is forward-thinking and entirely fresh. One visit to the Cliff Lede Vineyards property, which is filled with contemporary art and features vineyard blocks named for classic rock songs, and it is clear he perceives wine—like music and art—as a source of great beauty.

Cliff grew up involved with his family’s successful construction business in Canada and first discovered the splendor of the Napa Valley while on a business retreat in the 1990s. An avid long-distance runner, he explored the back roads of Napa Valley throughout his trip. The area resonated a great deal with him, as he had collected Bordeaux wines since his late 20s. Frequent return visits ensued and he was soon exposed to everything Napa Valley has to offer: beautiful landscapes, some of the world’s greatest restaurants, and a core of friendly, passionate, and hardworking people that reminded him of his own community.

In the early 2000s, Cliff began searching for a property in Napa Valley where he could start a winery. Determined to plant his roots in an iconic appellation, he remained patient and focused. Upon learning that a Stags Leap District estate was for sale, he recognized the opportunity and after months of negotiations established Cliff Lede Vineyards. The following year, Cliff acquired a rare hillside vineyard nearby and named it the Poetry Vineyard. In 2005, he opened Poetry Inn, one of Napa Valley’s most secluded luxury boutique hotels perched high above the Poetry Vineyard with a view of the Cliff Lede Vineyards estate below.

Cliff’s unwavering focus on excellence has led to multiple perfect 100-point scores from top wine critics and recognition from prominent media outlets for offering exceptional hospitality experiences.

Chris Lynch assumed responsibility as Chief Executive Officer at Opus One in September of 2020.

A 30-year veteran of the global fine wine and drinks business, Chris combines his life-long passion for wine with a wealth of experience in both the United States and international wine markets. He has held marketing and general management roles in California, Australia, and New Zealand for several fine wine organizations, including Gallo, Kendall-Jackson, Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard and most recently, Terlato Wines. Chris holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Chris discovered the world of wine while playing semi-professional basketball in France in his late teens. A native of Northern California, he returned from France to discover the emerging wine regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma County.  His first trip to Napa Valley in 1979 corresponds to Opus One’s first vintage.

In assuming the CEO position, Chris considers his role to be a steward of Opus One, guiding its continued success and development over the coming years.

 “I was a teenager on summer vacation in 1982, and my father took us all up the valley and into the sticks to see this beautiful spot on the mountainside. Standing there surveying the scene, he told my brother and me that we were going to plant some vines. By ‘we’ he meant, my brother and I. Sure enough, the following spring we found ourselves on that rocky, hot, steep but extraordinarily beautiful hillside above Knights Valley planting the first 16 acres of vines that were to become Les Pavots. I had just turned 18 years old, and now, the winery has been part of my entire adult life.” – Paul Michael

Paul Michael
Paul graduated from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in 1990 and spent his early career in the hotel and restaurant business, living in London, Zurich, Lausanne, Paris, and Dubai, before completing his MBA at Ashridge Management College in 1994 and joining the family business. Paul was also the executive producer of the preschool educational television series Tiny Planets, in co-production with Sesame Workshop. Critically acclaimed for its educational and early computer-generated animation, Tiny Planets earned two BAFTA awards (British Academy for Film and Television Arts) and was broadcast in over 100 territories.

Emily Michael
After growing up in Wiltshire, in South West England, Emily moved to London where her work in the advertising industry and a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu laid the foundation for a successful career in event management, producing numerous music festivals and charitable events, including concerts on behalf of Diana, Princess of Wales, AIDS awareness and leukemia. Today Emily oversees guest-experience operations at the award-winning, Relais & Châteaux hotel and spa, Vineyard Hotel in West Berkshire. In addition, she holds a seat on the advisory board of the Michael family’s hotels and serves as Chairperson for the Peter Michael Foundation, raising awareness and support for prostate cancer patient care and the identification, treatment, and management of the disease.

100 x 100
Emily’s first visit to the Peter Michael Winery was in 1996 when she and Paul were newly engaged. Six years later, she found herself without words once again, when at Sir Peter and Lady Michael’s 40th wedding anniversary celebration, Sir Peter dedicated the latest chardonnay to Emily, naming it Ma Belle-Fille (French for my daughter-in-law). Inspired by the vineyard at the winery’s highest elevation where the vines for the chardonnay grow and the fog rolls off the morning hills to open up to the first sunlight, the dedication was both a celebration of Emily joining the family and Sir Peter and Emily’s shared connection to the extraordinary land.

As the second generation, Paul and Emily uphold Sir Peter’s vision of 100 x 100 – family-owned for one hundred years. Together, along with the dedicated teams, they carry forth the commitment of crafting and sharing a collection of sixteen wines, indicative of the distinct, natural landscape of each estate from which they are mindfully farmed and sourced – Knights Valley (Sonoma), Seaview (Sonoma Coast), and Oakville (Napa).  With a combined total of 1,200 estate acres, only 200 acres are planted to vineyards, with the remaining 1,000 acres of land preserved as nature corridors – as a show of protecting the environment and lending to the origin of the winery’s ideologies: Mountain Vineyards, Limited Production, and Classical Winemaking.

From the earliest days, the winery, ranch, and surrounding land have become a cherished home away from home for Emily, Paul, and their three children and it continues to be the backdrop for some of their most treasured memories.

Sparkling, lively eyes, a ready smile, a noble heart, wine in her veins, a love for beautiful things, long-term vision, daring and deep RESPECT, in capital letters.

“From the very first moment, I knew she was the perfect fit. When we tasted Rare Millésime 2006 together, I noticed many similarities between this sunny vintage and Maud’s radiant side: intelligence, generosity, sincerity, and a bold personality. She embodies values that are important to me, with sparkling, lively eyes, a ready smile, a noble heart, wine in her veins, a love for beautiful things, long-term vision, daring, and deep RESPECT, in capital letters. I knew in that first hour I spent with Maud that it was the beginning of a chapter that would fundamentally change the life of Rare Champagne, which she would lead from then on.”

What better tribute to Maud Rabin than this one from Régis Camus, the most awarded Cellar Master of the century. Through her presence, the way she listens to others, her talent to transform an idea into a project and each project into an exceptional moment, she has created a style, an attitude, a passion, and a true Art de Vivre. She has helped transform Rare Champagne into a luxury house with the power of her charisma. In less than three years, she brought it back in touch with the reality of new consumers while opening the door to dreams, making each moment unique.

She could read and write at the age of four. She was raised by women, and has her grandmother to thank for her ability to overcome obstacles (which she calls “puzzles“) with a smile, to “look at life with a lot of perspective because in every crisis, there are opportunities. It’s up to us to transform them.” Maud Rabin got her start in fashion marketing and communications management, living in Paris, New York, and Shanghai, then joined Rémy Cointreau, where she spent nearly a decade as Image Director for the Liqeurs and Spirits Division while supporting the digital transformation. She has been at the heart of Rare Champagne since 2018, breathing new life into the Champagne House, driven by the energy that never lets her give up on anything. A French synchronized swimming champion at the age of 10, she learned about discipline, effort, and competition at a very young age. She listens to other people’s actions and to her own heart. In everything she does and achieves, she possesses an intuition that is both earthly and divine. For Maud, each new year is like choreography. It isn’t a matter of a formula, but rather of a plan, which is different every time, each one linked to the other and supported by a “global vision.”

A Scorpio with Leo rising, this Angers native has Latin, Breton, and Native American origins, cosmopolitan roots that give her the ease to conquer international markets by innovating, daring, and opening up conversations. “I thrive on every conversation, every encounter. Agility is key, and although I like to maintain the fundamentals, I enjoy seizing every possible opportunity. Nothing is ever static. For me, everything is always in motion.”

Like a conductor, Rare Champagne Director Maud Rabin makes sure that every note in the score is played in a virtuoso manner. From there, we see her charisma and her unique and cheerful way of leading a team with daring and creativity.

Between charity sales and the crew of women she creates for humanitarian projects, Maud is bringing up her two daughters by passing on her values: being able to open up to the world as easily as breathing.

“My mission on this earth is to give life back to everything that is alive but suffering–people, brands, plants–by using beauty as therapy, taking special care to make things beautiful.”

Her objective is “to lead by developing strategies that are always a winning combination, a win-win for everyone who is involved in any way. That’s how I think, how I act, and I remain convinced that when you do things with your heart, you’re never wrong. There is no recipe, no formula. It’s a matter of sensitivity. I was made to deliver wonders, so it’s like a duty.“

Matthew Sharp is Managing Director at Shafer Vineyards, one of America’s leading luxury wine brands, and has represented the winery for more than seven years. Over the past 20 years, Matthew has represented top luxury brands including Chateau Lafite Rothschild and has developed global accounts within the US and internationally. In a previous incarnation, Matthew worked extensively as an actor in Los Angeles, Toronto, and in London’s appearing in films such X-Men and Saving Private Ryan. He lives in Marin County, California with his wife, two kids and dog and when not working, you can find him on the tennis court.

Peter Sisseck was born in Denmark and has lived for the past 20 years in the Ribera del Duero, Spain where the winery Dominio de Pingus is located.

His fascination for wine began at home with his parents and was later inspired, at the age of fourteen, by visiting his uncle, the renowned winemaker Peter Vinding, in Bordeaux. This
moment ignited a life-long passion and directed his future path into the grapevines.

After a stay at Chateau Rahoul in Graves in 1983-84, Peter travelled to Sonoma, California where he worked with Zelma Long of Simi Winery. Later, he studied agriculture engineering in Copenhagen and, after graduation, moved in with the Vinding family at Château Landiras.

He landed in Ribera del Duero in 1990 and took the post of technical director at the Hacienda Monasterio winery. Captivated with the contrasted and arid landscape, Peter developed a belief in the potential of the region for the creation of a high quality wine. What was supposed to be a short stay soon started to feel like home.

His eager quest to find the perfect terroir of old exceptional vines was finally rewarded when he encountered the old vineyards of La Horra. With this precious find, Pingus’ story was about to begin.

In 1995, under the influence of the “garagists”, the “garage wine” trend, the first Pingus was bottled. With the pure aim of making an honest wine in capturing the essence of the terroir through old indigenous vines (Tinta del País), this wine, named after Peter’s nickname, made history. For the first time a Spanish wine was lifted to the podium of the World’s 100 best wines by the respected Wine Advocate with the high score of 98 points.

“One of the greatest young red wines I ever tasted” wrote Robert Parker Jr. (1998).

The same story is repeated today with Pingus receiving an astonishing cluster of high accolades for every vintage presented.

Pingus 1995 also attracted attention with the story of the sinking ship that transported part of the minute 1995 vintage production to the USA. This legendary treasure is now slowly ageing on the seabed by the Azores.

The year 2006 brought the beginning of a new project. Seeing the shortage and disappearance of old vines in the Ribera del Duero (only 4000 vines left), Peter Sisseck put into motion the creation of his third wine, PSI. With the collaboration of wine growers and owners, this new modern wine is elaborated in harmony and respect for the biodynamic tradition of the vineyards with the input of modern technology in the winery.

In 2010, Peter Sisseck ventured to France for a new challenge. Although it was a new beginning, it was also a return to his first French love, the Bordeaux region that he left 20 years ago. This newborn wine, named Chateau Rocheyron, is the fine result of the experience and care of its winemaker for traditionally grown vineyards and high quality innovation in the winery. A classic SaintÉmilion signed, “Peter Sisseck”.

Peter Sisseck lives on a farm in the Ribera del Duero.

“Be careful what you ask for, because you might just get it!”

Together Shari and Garen learned about wine, first at meals with his parents where California or Italian wines were served, (his dad was born in Italy) and later when Garen went to Stanford Business School. When Shari would fly up from L.A. to visit him, they would often spend a day in Napa Valley, where their dream began to one day have a vineyard and make wines of great quality. In 1968 they married, went to Vietnam, Japan, Washington, D.C., then New York City where their first child Brandon was born in 1971.

When it was time to move back to California in 1975, one of the key criteria for where to live was proximity to wine country, so they chose Lafayette, CA, only one hour from Napa Valley and 3 hours from ski country. 1979 proved to be an auspicious year for the Staglins, with the birth of their second child, Shannon. This year also marked their first major investment in a tech company, run by Garen. After many years of rapid growth, they were able to sell a portion of this business, creating capital to finally pursue their dream to purchase an ultra-premium vineyard in the Napa Valley.

By the end of 1985, the dream came true with their purchase of the historic 50-acre vineyard planted by Andre Tchelistcheff in 1964, who had come from Bordeaux with the first Cabernet clones. They have since purchased adjacent acreage, bringing the total acreage to 70. Using their contacts and background, Shari and Garen built a business and marketing plan that remains the foundation of Staglin Family Vineyard: family ownership, commitment to quality, a personal approach to selling direct to consumer and encouraging memorable experiences and giving back. Shannon grew up on the property. Both she and Brandon pursued their education, and both returned with new perspectives and experiences to rejoin the family business and non-profit. Shari remains as CEO since 1985, Shannon is President and Brandon is a leader at One Mind, their non-profit for mental health. Garen assists with financial aspects and public relations and chairs One Mind. They hope to cultivate these traditions for many generations to come as they pursue their motto of “great wines for great causes.”

Shari and Garen both earned their bachelor’s degrees from UCLA in 1966. Garen later earned his MBA at Stanford in 1968 and Shari her MPA at NYU in 1975. In the late 1980s, Shari studied viticulture and oenology at U.C. Davis.

Together with donations of their wines and chairing of charitable campaigns, they have raised a total of $1.2 Billion making them one of the most philanthropic leaders in the wine industry.

Born in 1971, Alberto Tasca is the President and the CEO of one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious family-owned wineries, Tasca d’Almerita.

With his great love for Sicily and the precise goal to promote native Sicilian grape varieties and the most favorable wine-growing areas, Alberto has been investing in different territories across Sicily, optimizing their individual qualities: Regaleali Estate, the heart of the company and the family home since 1830, then Capofaro Estate, in the Aeolian Islands, Whitaker Estate on the island of Mozia, Sallier de La Tour Estate in Camporeale and Tascante Estate on Mount Etna. Narrating the culture of unique territories, their culinary traditions and their anthropological history has now become an integral part of the company’s activity.

In 2010, Alberto embraced a new project, “SOStain – Sustainability in Sicilian viticulture”, a protocol recognized by the Italian Ministry of the Environment. A constant commitment that has resulted in Tasca d’Almerita receiving the “European Winery of the Year” award from Wine Enthusiast magazine and the prestigious Green Emblem from Robert Parker Wine Advocate.

In 2020 Alberto became President of the Foundation SOStain Sicily, which has the task of promoting sustainable viticulture in Sicily, to facilitate the sharing of best-practices aimed at respecting the ecosystem.
He is in the board of Sicilia Doc Consortium and he is also Vice President for the Istituto del Vino Italiano di Qualità, Grandi Marchi, where he promotes the culture and quality of Italian wines.