Kelly grew up in the agricultural town of Santa Maria, California. An avid animal lover, she was determined to follow her childhood dream of attending the University of California, Davis, and become a veterinarian. That was until she started working in a veterinary clinic during high school where she quickly realized that was not the right path for her. Still wanting to attend UCD, Kelly took the advice of a family friend and blindly declared Viticulture and Enology as her major.
Growing up around hundreds of great wineries in the Santa Maria Valley and surrounding areas, Kelly was no stranger to wine. There were many Sundays spent picnicking at wineries with family and friends, and while she wasn’t quite old enough to legally drink the wines being poured, Kelly relished in the warm afternoons gathered with friends and family and being treated like family by the hosts and employees of each winery. At home, she was always offered sniffs of the wine by her parents and the occasional glass of wine at the dinner table. Unbeknownst to her, she unintentionally caught the wine bug at an early age.
After receiving her Bachelors of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis, Kelly moved to the Napa Valley and began her career as a winemaker. Working her way up from harvest intern, to enologist, to winemaker and general manager, she’s had her hands in all aspects of wine production and winery operations. With experience at smaller, family owned wineries as well as larger, corporately structured facilities, her wealth of knowledge and ability to adapt to various situations while remaining team oriented is apparent.
While specializing in producing elegant, refined, terroir driven Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, Kelly is also passionate about crafting intriguing red blends and aromatic white wines. When she’s not tasting through barrels, walking vineyards, or hosting guests, Kelly can be found hiking, cooking, lost in a good book with her cats on her lap, or spending time with friends enjoying a glass (or two) of Champagne.