Shane Finley took an indirect route to winemaking ~ earning a BA in English from the Virginia Military Institute, then working for an insurance agency in New York City where he fell in love with wine during business dinners. He left that job to explore his new passion, and spent a few years interning at some of the world’s most respected wineries ~ Copain in the Russian River Valley, Torbreck Vintners in Australia’s Barossa Valley and Domaine Pierre Gaillard in the Northern Rhône. Since joining the Thirty-Seven Wines team in 2012 he has consistently crafted high-scoring and award-winning wines from their estate vineyards.

Theresa Heredia joined Gary Farrell Winery team as winemaker in May of 2012. Theresa earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, before becoming a Ph.D candidate in chemistry with an emphasis in enology at U.C. Davis. She left the program to follow her calling as a hands-on winemaker. Coming off a long stint as winemaker at Freestone Vineyards in Sonoma County, Heredia brings considerable experience working with cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and small-lot, single-vineyard wines. During her tenure at Freestone, Heredia’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brought the Joseph Phelps-owned winery significant critical acclaim. In early 2012 she was named “Winemaker to Watch” by the San Francisco Chronicle.

From the beginning, Wilson’s upbringing molded her for a career in wine. She learned how to drive a tractor well before learning how to drive a car, preparing her for a future in wine where forklift driving is basically a rite of passage. Wilson realized that her calling was a career in wine after her professor mentioned winemaking as a career path during an Agriculture Business 101 class while attending Cal Poly. Discovering an industry that combined agriculture, chemistry, and creativity highly appealed to her. She then graduated from Cal Poly in 2005, double majoring in Wine & Viticulture and in Agricultural Business

At age 29, Beckman vowed not to spend his 30th birthday working in a standard office cubicle doing a job so far removed from food & wine. So he quit his tech job, enrolled in chemistry courses and ended up turning 30 while knee deep in Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. Anthony graduated from UC Davis’ Viticulture and Enology program with high honors and department-wide recognition. He then worked at some of the premiere vineyards and wineries in Carneros and the Sonoma Coast before joining the Balletto team.

Kivelstadt Cellars was founded on the love of amazing California vineyards and to make honest wine from them. Focusing on farming and minimalist winemaking, they craft wines that appeal to everyone, from casual to connoisseurs. Founder Jordan Kivelstadt’s first vintage was 125 cases of Syrah in 2007. He sourced the Syrah from his family’s estate vineyard. He drew inspiration from both his new world experience and for European cuisine, art, and culture. Jordan strives to maintain a fun, approachable, and accessible style while challenging the status quo of California winemaking.Sam Baron joined the Kivelstadt Cellars team in 2017. He met the Founder, Jordan Kivelstadt, and they instantly bonded over shared winemaking and winegrowing philosophies. Sam grew up in Napa and has always had a hand in the wine industry. His first jobs were cluster counts and vineyard assessments, and now holds a degree in Viticulture and Enology. Being a potter as well, Sam’s philosophies regarding craft are that of a give-and-take between nature. His goal is to bring art to consumers of the craft and have them define the beauty within.

In 2010, Alice made the commitment to live and work at Warnecke Ranch and Vineyard. She promised herself to never let go of her art making passion while doing so. It has taken many years to find a path that integrates these passions. It remains an elusive goal, but one worthy of dedication, hard work and courage. SUTRO Wine Co. is the vehicle through which Alice communicates her creativity, a living project intertwining grape growing, small scale wine production, creative marketing, authentic hospitality and artistic vision.

Putting their combined years of experience together in 2003, Michael Sebastiani and Paul Giusto joined forces and set out to be considered Sonoma’s “Hometown winery” (hence the name). With 3 generations of winegrowing family heritage, they are just that. A hands off winemaking approach… Harvest, Crush, Ferment, Barrel Age, Bottle, Repeat. No fancy winemaking recipes here! A simple philosophy of getting the best quality fruit and try to not get in the way.