Q&A with Suzanne Farver, Panther Ridge
Suzanne Farver’s search for the perfect vineyard didn’t yield the results she was seeking; but once she found the perfect home with ten acres on a ridge of hay and thistle halfway up Sonoma Mountain, the path forward was settled. She would develop the vineyard herself. It required moving tons of boulders and a battle […]
Q&A with Dr Liz Thach, MW, Emeritus Member of PGWA’s Board of Directors & Distinguished Professor of Wine, Sonoma State University
Wine is her passion. In little more than a decade, Liz Thach achieved a Master of Wine, was awarded a Fulbright to teach in Argentina about the business of wine, and began teaching at Sonoma State University, where she currently serves as Distinguished Professor of Wine. Liz was recently appointed as an Emeritus member of […]
Q&A with Byron Kosuge, Winemaker, McEvoy Ranch
Byron Kosuge grew up in California’s Central Valley as a second generation Japanese American. His father was raised on a farm in Colorado and became a professor at UC Davis in Plant Pathology; agriculture was a natural part of Byron’s DNA. But it wasn’t until college that Byron discovered wine while working at a restaurant […]
Q&A with Joseph Ryan, Winemaker, Ernest Vineyards
Wine was “not so much” a part of his life growing up in a small farming town in Iowa, except as an altar boy. After college he worked as a skid-loader, movie projector operator and bartender. It wasn’t until he travelled the country as an actor and started a two-year acting program in NYC that […]
Q&A with Evan Pontoriero, Co-Owner/Winemaker for Fogline Vineyards
You grew up in Pennsylvania in an Italian family and your grandparents made wine. What role did wine play in family gatherings? Did your grandfather’s hobby influence your decision to become a winemaker and winery owner? Sunday dinner was a big event for our family, exactly what you can imagine from how it is portrayed […]
Q&A with Keri Ueberroth Owner/Grower, Ueberroth Vineyards
Welcome to the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers! You are our newest grower member. In 2017 you purchased 80 acres of unused grasslands on Adobe Road. How did you choose the site? I had been looking at potential vineyard sites for about 3 years. The property was not yet on the market and Bob Gregg and David […]
Q&A with Erica Stancliff, Winemaker for Trombetta Family Wines and Pfendler Vineyards
We know you grew up in a food-centric family. What is your first recollection of tasting wine and realizing that you liked it? Do you remember what variety it was and why you liked it? Were you certain at that time that wine was a direction you’d like to go in as you grew up? […]
Q&A with Al & Lisa Brayton, Owners of Thirty-Seven Wines and Paradise Vineyard
Al, you grew up in Shasta County CA and, after getting out of high school, attended the US Air Force Academy. Did you know at the time that you wanted to be an attorney? Did you plan to own a vineyard? What twists and turns did your life take along the way? When I entered […]
Q&A with John Flynn, Owner/Grower, Griffins Lair
You grew up in the Midwest in farm country. Your mom and dad were college professors, but your mom grew up on a ranch near Santiago, Chile. What influence did that have on your decision to become a vineyard owner/grower? My family has been ranching since the early 1900s. My great grandfather grew up in […]
Q&A with Cody & Emily Rasmussen, Desire Lines Wine Co
You both grew up in Iowa and wine wasn’t part of your family experiences. Do you remember the first wine you tasted and whether you liked it? Cody: Outside of communion at the Lutheran church I grew up in, the first wine I ever tasted was at the Morgenhof Estate in Stellenbosh, South Africa. I […]
