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 […]

Q&A with Kevin Bersofsky, Winemaker-Owner, Montagne Russe Wines

Kevin Bersofsky’s dad was a “rocket scientist,” who designed control systems for ballistic missiles and spy satellites. As a kid, Kevin was challenged to “think deeper” and not just settle for an easy answer. Taking that cue, he went on to graduate from Cornell with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. One of his first jobs […]

Q&A with Sherry Crichfield, Co-Owner, Crichfield + Black

Sherry Crichfield grew up on a tobacco farm in Southern Ohio; the farm was regulated by the US Government’s New Deal Quota System. Her family had 7-10 acres of Burley tobacco, which she and her siblings farmed along with her mother. Later in life, she went on to become a sales rep, where she gained […]

Q&A with Randy Bennett, Winemaker & General Manager, Sojourn Cellars

Randy Bennett started his career at Accenture, a well-known international business consultancy that empowers companies to be their best. Driven by his passion for wine, in 2006 he left the comfort of a successful career as a consultant, to pursue winemaking. His first position in the wine industry was interning with Thomas Brown and Mike […]

Q&A with Heidi Bridenhagen, Winemaker, MacRostie Winery and Vineyards

Heidi’s eyes were opened to the world of wine after an internship in the lab at Jackson Family Wines. Armed with a degree in biochemistry, and following stints at various winery lab and cellar facilities, she soon decided her life’s goal was to become a great winemaker. Heidi was hired at MacRostie in 2011, first […]

Q&A with Garry Brooks, Brooks Note Winery

Garry started his career as a sailor in the Navy, stationed on the USS Fletcher, where he worked mostly on the bridge of the ship, 40 feet above the water, helping to keep it on course. There he learned that through willpower and tenacity, one can accomplish anything. Twenty-hour days were the norm. He learned […]