Q&A with Emily Ash Lamb, McEvoy Ranch
Emily Ash Lamb grew up in the best kitchens in Sonoma County and learned about food and wine from great chefs like her dad, John Ash. After graduation, when it came time to work, she pursued her dream of being a performer in LA and NYC. Like many budding performers, she also worked in restaurants […]
Q&A with Robert & Laura Schermeister, Schermeister Winery
Robert Schermeister was born in Idaho Falls and got a degree in Biochemistry. Laura Erickson was born in California, but was brought up in North Carolina. She dreamt of returning to California one day and did after college, but hated LA and moved back to Charlotte to launch her graphic design career. He thought he […]
Q&A with Frank and Stacey Gambonini, Gambonini Family Ranch
Frank Gambonini grew up on his family’s ranch off Lakeville Highway in Petaluma; Stacey grew up on the south side of Chicago. They met in 1991 and married in 1994. They have three daughters, all of whom are pursuing agriculture as a career. At one point the Gambonini’s had 600 cows on the ranch and […]
Q&A with Ed Grossi, Sweet Lane Nursery & Vineyard
Ed Grossi grew up on a dairy ranch in Marin County, along with his nine siblings; while in high school, he participated in 4-H and Future Farmers of Amerca (FFA) showing dairy cows at local fairs. After graduation from Cal Poly, working on a hay ranch and growing a fertilizer business kept him busy. In […]
Q&A with Meghan Delzell, Sangiacomo Family Wines
Meghan Delzell grew up on the east coast in Londonderry, NH. She was the drum major in her high school band and had the opportunity to march in the Rose Bowl Parade. She went on to major in Biochemistry at UNH and after college headed west. After three weeks of exploring and camping while traversing […]
Q&A with Loraine Lee, Suterra
You got your degree at University of Pacific; what attracted you to attend that school? Did you grow up in California? I grew up on the Peninsula (Bay Area) and always thought I was going to be a dentist. UOP was a perfect choice for that path. After graduation, while studying for the DAT and […]
Q&A with Kenny Kahn, Gapstone Vineyard
Kenny Kahn grew up in Schlater, Mississippi on a thousand-acre cotton and soybean farm. His family ate BBQ and drank Bourbon, and on special holidays they served Mogan David wine. After a family friend introduced him to the world of fine wine with the gift of a bottle of 1978 BV George de Latour, Kenny […]
Q&A with Sarah Jump & Kevin Koch, Light of Day Wines
Kevin’s grandfather owned a vineyard; as a child, he loved to spend time there and the annual rhythm from bud-break to bottle seemed natural. Kevin met Sarah while working at a winery. When the opportunity arose for them to take over a property in Petaluma, they started with chickens for eggs. To complete the dream […]
Q&A with Jesus Torres Martinez, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management
Jesus Torres Martinez, known by his friends and co-workers as “Chui,” developed his love of agriculture while working in the fields in Mexico, just as his family has done for generations. The day after he arrived in Sonoma County, he met his current employer, Kevin Barr, at Redwood Empire Vineyard Management, and has worked with […]
Q&A with Kim Badenfort, Wine Industry Network
Kim Badenfort, Director of Marketing Services, Wine Industry Network and a PGWA Board Member, grew up in Denmark. After earning a degree in Rhetoric at the University of Copenhagen, he served in the Danish miltary where he taught medics how to provide first aid in combat. He didn’t drink any alcohol until he moved to […]
