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Nick Guerrero is the General Partner for the winery. Nick holds a BS in Fermentation Science from UC Davis and an MBA/MPH from UC Berkeley. He has used both degrees during his career. He was a brewing supervisor for four years at the Anheuser-Busch Cos. after graduating from UC Davis. At the brewery he managed brewers in various departments including brewing, fermenting, lagering and finishing. Prior to beginning the winery in 2004, Nick and his wife Celeste had made award winning, non-commercial wine since 1992. After graduating from UC Berkeley in 1995, Nick worked as a healthcare consultant for Ernst & Young LLP and McKesson Corporation. In 2005 he retired from McKesson to pursue the winery venture full-time. Nick’s background makes him uniquely qualified to undertake the daily operations of the winery where he enjoys making and selling wine and working in the vineyard. The Guerrero’s have three children, Nico, Andreas, and Mariana, who attend Westlake Elementary in Santa Cruz. Salvador Godinez is our winemaker. Sal has a degree in winemaking and vineyard management from Napa Valley Junior College. Most importantly Sal has 22 years of winemaking experience. He learned his craft for 11 years at the internationally known Freemark Abbey where he learned the nuances of making world class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. He left Freemark Abbey and joined the team at Saintsbury in 1996 where he fell in love with Pinot Noir and most especially the Dijon clones that are recognized as the best Pinot Noir clones for making outstanding wine. After 9 years at Saintsbury under the mentoring of Byron Kasuge, Sal made a move to join his friend, Nick, at his new winery, Vine Hill. Sal joined Nick in August, 2005. Sal presently works as a contract winemaker at Vine Hill and commutes between Santa Cruz and his home in St. Helena, CA. Sal also makes his own label with another partner. Supporting Sal on the home front are his wife Lorena and their two children, Neidy and Jeff, who attend St. Helena High School. Rachel Ormes is our vineyard manager. Rachel received her training and Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Santa Cruz’s Agro-Ecology and Plant Biology program. Rachel is focused on using sustainable practices in the vineyard. Rachel joined the team full-time in April 2006. In less than one year Rachel has transformed two hilly regions into romantic gardens. She also assisted a vineyard consultant, Rick Anzalone, in planting nearly 6,000 Pinot Noir plants over the six acres recently planted. In preparation for this year’s anticipated storms, Rachel did an outstanding job growing adequate cover crop and focusing drainage appropriately. The vineyard has held up beautifully under her watchful eye. This year she will plant the final one acre. This acreage will also be planted in Pinot Noir and may be the basis for an Amarone style wine. |
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