Having grown up in Colorado, my passion for the outdoors was instilled in me very early on. My life’s journey has led me up many mountains, and it’s not lost on me that the letter A (the letter that begins my name) also happens to be the shape of a mountain; a perfect symbol for the next step in this ascent.
At a young age, I started cooking alongside my mom, and cooking family dinners with her are some of my fondest childhood memories. While at college, I took a job as a cook to not only pay the bills, but to also foster experience for what I thought would be my future career. This led to a job in the kitchen at Charlie Trotter’s, where I worked every station, honed my palate, and developed a foundational learning for the meaning of excellence. This experience ultimately led me down the path of winemaking.
As a winemaker, my fingerprints have always been on every bottle I’ve ever helped produce. And my name being on this label has a special significance, as it’s always been my dream to produce a wine that I could call my very own. Having spent 23 years in production and winemaking at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, I had the honor of stewarding the vision that Joe had created, and making his wines became the framework of my professional world. While working at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, I was offered the opportunity to stage at Chateau Angelus, and it was that experience that shaped my scope of reinforcing what excellence is and what it takes to achieve it.
My philosophy has always been simple: craft the very best wine from the vintage, focusing on balance and complexity while highlighting the soul of the vineyard(s). All of these experiences have led me to understand the value of paying attention to every detail no matter what, to never rest on one’s laurels, and to always strive for creating things of the highest caliber.
