Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Huntington Beach down in Orange County, California. Now I call Napa Valley my home, and I currently reside in Calistoga.
Was wine present in your household growing up? Was pursuing a career in the wine industry always an option for you or something you stumbled onto?
There was always wine around the house, but it was more of a complement to the food being served or gatherings going on when I was growing up—it was never a focal point of my upbringing. I eventually stumbled upon the world of wine while I was looking for an elective class during football season my freshman year of college. I found “Introduction to Winemaking” and, while it was not easy, it did open up my eyes to the possibility of a career in wine.
Can you speak a little about the geology/topography of our site at Knights Bridge? What makes this site unique and how is this reflected in the wines?
The vineyard is such a unique piece of land in such a special location. We have five different soil types, a climb of about 1,200 feet in elevation, six different directional sun exposures, and numerous microclimates throughout the vineyard. All of these factors combined produce distinctive characteristics from the different blocks, clones, and varieties in our vineyard and make for personality-driven wines. The winemaking and viticultural work we do to bring the best out of each of the distinguished, individualistic blocks throughout the property is enthralling.
Can you talk about your efforts to promote diversity in the wine industry through your involvement in organizations like the Roots Fund and the Napa Valley Vintners associations?
As a mentor with The Roots Fund, I have helped my two mentees navigate the wine industry as they are starting their career as African Americans in wine production. I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in panel discussions focused on inclusion and diversity within the wine industry through Napa Valley Vintners. Knights Bridge is part of the African American Association of Vintners which supports and cultivates the presence of African Americans within the wine industry. All of these organizations are part of the greater mission to make the wine industry a more diverse and inclusive industry, and I am just grateful to represent, support, and be a part of the necessary betterment of wine.
What have you found most impactful about their work making space for BIPOC individuals in the wine community?
All of these organizations are bringing more opportunities to an underrepresented, minority group within the wine industry. They provide coaching, opportunities, scholarships, and grants to make these professional pathways less convoluted and more easily accessible for those who are interested and working hard towards breaking into the industry. I personally have benefited greatly from these organizations and received a scholarship through AAAV. I am currently pursuing my Executive MBA in Wine through Sonoma State University, which will allow me to continue down the path of promoting and cultivating more diversity within this industry.
What are you doing in the winery to prepare for the upcoming harvest season?
We just completed the second phase of development within the winery to account for the additional tonnage we are expecting from the new vineyard acquisition. We have gotten more tanks and will get the chance to experiment with more barrels and winemaking techniques as we start to bring in these new blocks. It gives us a chance to look at what we have been doing with a new perspective and consider new ideas.
What block/variety are you most excited about?
I have been, and always will be, a huge fan of our Cabernet Franc. I love sampling it in the vineyard and always have a soft spot for tasting it through fermentation and aging. It is such a small block and only produces a few barrels, but continues to be one of my favorites year after year. Watching over all the replants we are doing in the vineyard has been really captivating. I am looking forward to working with some of the new clones of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc when they are producing fruit the vintage after this.
How would you describe your winemaking philosophy?
Diligent, pragmatic, and geocentric. I don’t know if there is a single word that summarizes my philosophy as it is dynamic and always developing. It is centered around an emphasis on the place in which the wine is grown—studying and leveraging the different factors of terroir to craft the most engaging and representative example of wine from the vineyard is where it starts. Then it’s more about retaining the natural excellence which the wine already possesses versus trying to create and manipulate. Putting an emphasis on quality early on in the vineyard and through the farming allows wines to be great once they come into the winery.
