How I Became a Winemaker

I grew up in a pretty eccentric household in the ghetto amongst nature & carpentry. Those influences tell the true story of why I became a winemaker and you can read about them at this link. The short version is, after a childhood full of nature, agriculture & carpentry in a working-class community, I became inspired to master the craft of winemaking and travel the world to do so. An obsession with flavor & craftsmanship combined with a love of nature & agriculture & gave birth to an obsession with winemaking.

So I went to school and studied winemaking to prepare me for a career in the wine industry. After obtaining a degree in Viticulture & Enology from the foremost winemaking school in the world, UC Davis, I traveled the hemisphere working harvests at some of the greatest wineries of the world. The accumulated wisdom of winemaking is not held in one winery, or one country, or one university, but by working harvests in Paso Robles, Australia (twice), Oregon, Argentina, Sonoma and New Zealand, and traveling to over 40 countries experiencing their cultures and flavors, I learned a few tricks.

I then spent the next decade 2010-present working as Winemaker & Vineyard Manager at Wise Villa Winery, and recently I have became Consulting Winemaker for various wineries including Scribner Bend Vineyards. In 2017, I completed an Executive MBA in Wine Business from Sonoma State University. I am currently finishing up the WSET diploma program in pursuit of the Master of wine certification.

All of this has built out of my obsession with nature and craftsmanship. I'm obsessed with learning as much as possible in all aspects of wine, to further my knowledge and ability to create something unique and magical.