Wine Country Women

Monica Stevens is the Founder and CEO of Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch and Co-Proprietor of 750 Wines, but also a woman who lives a life of purpose. Monica grew up and lived in Chicago until she moved to the Napa Valley in 2006. Her first job was Inns Keeper at the quaint Poetry Inn nestled in the hills above Yountville. Learn how she met her husband and together created two successful businesses. D...

Duskie Estes is a celebrity chef on the Food Network, restaurateur and farmer, but also a woman who likes to make everyone happy! Duskie is a California girl who grew up in San Francisco. She developed an appreciation for great food at an early age while dining at some of the country’s best restaurants. Learn how this Brown University graduate planned to pursue a career in law, but was drawn to fo...

Stacie Elkhoury is an Entrepreneur with a few successful companies; surprisingly not one related to the wine industry. She is also a wife and mother of four. Learn how she juggles it all and still has time and energy to go out! Find out where she developed her great work ethic and who influenced her most and showed her how to have work/life balance. Discover how this woman from Ohio landed in Sono...

Julia Allen is the Founder and Creative Director of Folia Design in Napa, but also practices yoga and is a baker. Discover how this woman from Chicago, who is an experienced brand strategist, print, packaging and digital design professional, landed in California. Find out how she enjoys working for a variety of clients from restaurants to wineries. Discover why Julia takes a deep sense of pride an...

Meet Heather Patz a Founder of Patz & Hall. She grew up in Oregon, but moved to California in the early 1980s. She has lived in a few wine regions, but is happy to now call Sonoma County home. Find out what makes this area a perfect place for her. Discover what she learned from consumers after working in the tasting room for twenty-five years. Find out why she is spending more time in the kitchen...

Meet Karen Crouse who is the Proprietor of Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards in the Napa Valley. Find out how her New Orleans roots continues to influence her life today. Discover after a lengthy career with American Express why she decided to become a grape grower. Learn about her creative approach to the wine business and how she can help you create your own personal wine brand.

A conversation with Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and Peggy Noe Stevens. Suzanne owns a premium boutique wine brand in the Napa Valley and recently released her first batch of bourbon. Peggy is the World's first female Master Bourbon Taster, founder of Bourbon Women and a woman whose family is rich in bourbon history. Her cousins are Fred and Booker Noe of Jim Beam. Find out why Suzanne decided to get in...

Meet Clarice Turner who is the President of Joseph Phelps Winery. Discover while she has been surrounded by grapes and wine her whole life, this is the first time she’s worked for a winery. Learn how her entrepreneurial spirit and China significantly affected her life and brought this Californian back home. Learn what she enjoys most about running a successful family owned business and what makes...

Sara Scott is a self-taught chef in the Napa Valley. Learn how working for a prominent couple in the wine industry provided her with several wonderful opportunities and helped boost her career. Discover what she has seen and experienced living in wine country for 40-years. Find out Sara’s advice for those who want to work in the culinary industry. Learn what this southerner enjoys doing in her fre...

Christine A. Moore is the featured Milner of the Kentucky Derby! A Milliner is someone who designs, makes or sells women’s hats. Christine is one of the best in our country. She has found her niche in the horse racing industry, but she makes hats for all occasions. She’s designing a few hats for some Wine Country Women attending the Kentucky Oaks. Find out how Christine started her career and wher...

Episode 20 - Molly Hill, Sequoia Grove Winery by Michelle Mandro

Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko’s family is rich in Napa Valley history. She grew up in Yountville and is fifth generation. Find out how Kendall’s first professional job at the French Laundry restaurant prepared her for success in wine and hospitality. Learn which wine industry women mentor her and still help her today to incorporate work-life balance. Discover how she spends her days as the Business Manage...

Julie Johnson is the Proprietor and Winemaker of Tres Sabores located in Rutherford. Learn how this Columbia University graduate had a career in nursing before she started a wine brand in the Napa Valley. Discover which successful women in the wine industry helped guide and mentor her career. Discover why it’s important to Julie to be a good steward of the land. Learn about her connection to Frog’...

Lauren Ackerman is the Proprietor of Ackerman Family Vineyards and the owner of a beautiful restored Victorian in downtown Napa. Learn about her first career in software technology and how a surprise land purchase in 1994 changed her life forever. Discover the unique tasting experiences you can enjoy at the Victorian. Learn about Lauren’s love for boats, cars and horses and, so much more.

Karen Fontanella is a native Californian. Learn how this lawyer who practiced in San Francisco and Napa decided to get into the wine business. Find out the three major setbacks her winery and vineyards have over-come. Discover how resilience and perseverance has led to a bright future ahead.

Suzanne Phifer Pavitt is the Proprietor of Phifer Pavitt Wines. Find out how this biscuit making southerner developed a passion for wine and landed in the Napa Valley. Learn how she uses wine to make an ordinary meal extraordinary. Discover which women in the wine industry inspire her. Find out what extra-special tiny production products she produces and how you can get your hands on them.

Maryam Ahmed is from upstate New York, but her dreams came true when she moved to the Napa Valley in 2015. Learn how she landed a position with the Culinary Institute of America and how she hopes to position the Copia campus as an industry and thought leader. Discover some of her favorite exhibits including the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum featuring items from his life which spanned nearly...

Valerie Kelleher is a native Californian. Her family has been grape growers in the Napa Valley for several decades and has owned a popular local restaurant for more than 20-years. Today, Valerie successfully runs both businesses plus, a wine brand with some help from her sister. Learn about a unique wine tasting experience she created. Discover what new Kelleher Family Vineyard varietals will be r...

Elan Fayard is from the west coast, but learn how a trip to Bordeaux changed her life forever. Discover the love story which led her to the Napa Valley. Today, she is a wife, mother and business woman. Find out what she enjoys most about living in wine country while working hard to successfully manage a few wine brands. Learn what advice she offers those who want to work in the wine industry.

Jennifer McPherson has the best of both worlds; a home in bustling Los Angeles and another on a working ranch in the Napa Valley. Discover how a romantic getaway and marriage led to the unique story behind the premium wine brand she started with her husband. Find out how Oprah played a part in her business. Discover how this natural fashionista brought a little French flare to the country and what...

Kathryn Sculatti was born and raised in the Napa Valley, but her parents didn’t work in the wine industry. Discover how she developed an appreciation for great wine especially, older vintages. Learn how this accomplished opera singer finds satisfaction teaching Spanish. Find out the details of a new limited production premium wine brand she created with her husband. And discover why this new mothe...

Irma Robinson grew up in the San Francisco bay area, worked for Microsoft in Australia before landing in Napa where she met her husband. Learn how this multi-talented woman decided to start her own business; first a catering company and then a restaurant. Discover what makes her cafes so popular with locals and tourist. Also, learn how Irma spends her time away from work.

Kari Auringer grew up in Wisconsin, but left looking for a new adventure. She worked in the advertising industry before she caught the wine bug which brought her to the Napa Valley in 2001. Discover how Kari became a sought-after winemaker for a few premium brands. Learn about her extensive art collection and what she enjoys most about her home.

Lindsay Hoopes is the General Manager of Hoopes Vineyard, but also a world traveler with a law degree. Learn about this multi-talented woman and how she was a successful homicide prosecutor in San Francisco before she decided to run her families ultra-premium boutique winery in Oakville. Find out after visiting 72 countries, which she enjoys most and why. Discover why Ireland will always be one of...

Suzanne Truchard grew-up in Miami, attended Harvard and now lives in the city of Napa. Find out how her plans to work in the Financial District in San Francisco changed when she went wine tasting in the Napa Valley. Learn why yoga and exercise is important to this wife and mother who is also a successful real estate broker and lawyer. Discover Suzanne’s favorite restaurant and how her decorating s...