
LETTER FROM CARLTON

Your attitude determines your altitude. This was a quote that was printed on a sign at my high school in DC. I walked by that sign every day and remember thinking that this was absolutely absurd. To think that if I just simply changed my attitude, magically my life would change.
Working in high-stress and ambitious environments my entire life has shown me how easy it is to slip into a negative mindset when faced with adversity. It’s an easily justifiable response. But we must remind ourselves that nothing great has ever been built by a person with a negative attitude.
When issues arise, the negative mind sees a wall and will think of every reason why the wall is insurmountable, while the positive mind simply sees a hurdle that they must jump over. A riddle that you must figure out. A welcomed challenge.
A couple of years ago I decided that I wouldn’t allow myself to slip into negativity. I would keep a positive attitude. What I realized was that over time problems became easier to solve. I stopped putting energy into the problem and jumped right into solution creation mode. No issue was really that big of a deal. With a positive attitude, I trained my mind to exist in the realm of solution creation instead of simply pointing out problems, stressing myself and others out, followed by being defeated. This is what the negative attitude does.
I believe very strongly in the power of a positive attitude. As a team, we have to remind each other to exist with this mindset. When you see a member of our team slipping into negativity, check them. The negative mindset is toxic. It quickly evolves into apathy. We are not that company. With a positive attitude, there is absolutely nothing we cannot achieve, not a single issue that we can’t solve. It took me years to understand the significance of that sign back in high school, but I am blessed to be able to apply it to my life today and to work with solution-minded builders like your- selves.
With Gratitude,
CARLTON MCCOY JR, MS
CEO & Managing Partner
Lawrence Wine Estates
IN THIS VOLUME:
NEWS FROM AROUND THE ESTATES
HEALTH & WELLNESS
EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
WELCOME TO THE TEAM
FEATURED ESTATE
INK GRADE

The Ink Grade Estate Vineyard claims a view unbeknownst to most in the Napa Valley, lying in the northeast corner of the Howell Mountain AVA. Reaching 2,200 ft in elevation, this site exemplifies what makes Howell Mountain exceptional and provides essentially every aspect and expression any one vineyard can have. Vines were planted on narrow terraces throughout due to this incredibly steep land, which promotes a variety of distinguished microclimates. The mountainside vineyard clings to volcanic “tufa” soils that renders fruit of immense intensity and depth. If ever there was a site that imparted a feeling of reverence, Ink Grade is such a place.
The unique story of Ink Grade Vineyard started in 1873, when Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States, signed over a land deed for this site. Vines were planted for the first time by land’s visionary pioneers who believed in the incredible potential of the land-bound in layers of volcanic soil, latent and patiently waiting to be discovered. Theron Ink was one of them. In 1875, Theron begins building Ink Grade Road to connect his land holdings from Pope Valley to the Napa Valley, enabling him and other nearby families to ship wine down to St Helena. This marked the beginning of a tremendous legacy that we are proud of today.
By 1989, Heitz Cellar realizes that potential and purchases Ink Grade Vineyard. New vines are planted under the helm of Heitz Cellar, and a small portion is kept for Heitz’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2018, Gaylon M. Lawrence Jr. acquires Heitz Cellar and together with CEO Carlton McCoy Jr. launched Ink Grade Estate as a stand-alone project. Carlton entrusted this heritage to Winemaker Matt Taylor and Brand Manager Julie Gilles, a team of passionate people with extensive experience in wine regions around the world.
Matt brings a passion for biodynamic and natural farming practices to Ink Grade, committed to preserving and celebrating this unique terroir through classically structured single-vineyard wines – at once fresh, robust, and refined. Julie brings her passion for innovative experiences and hospitality to the approaching launch of Senses by Ink Grade, the first home for Ink Grade Estates’ new release wine collection. Located opposite Heitz Salon on Highway 29, this education center will offer an immersive multi-sensory experience that will transport guests all the way to Ink Grade Vineyard, on the remote eastern side of Howell Mountain.
WINE OF THE MONTH

INK GRADE
SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA VALLEY
Sourced from our Ink Grade Estate at +/- 800 feet in elevation, our Sauvignon Blanc was planted in 1996. The well-drained volcanic soil forces the vines to dig deep into the bedrock for water. This exposure to the various layers of soils comprised of volcanic ash and rock renders a wine of incredible minerality and opulent complexity. Because of the volcanic “tufa” soils at Ink Grade and how this site ripens, we often retain an herbal and mineral backdrop with lemongrass and slate, while ample sunlight builds tropical components including passion- fruit, honeydew, and grapefruit. We must farm vigilantly to retain these aromatics while at the same time preserving the natural acidity that is needed to keep these wines lifted and never heavy. Yet we would be remiss if we didn’t praise the structure of this wine. Working with concrete, stainless steel, and large oak vessels to marry textures and weights; working with lees to enhance the saline quality; and pressing longer to build structure and expose a minor note of bitterness on the finish; We are extremely proud of the poise this wine has and know that it will be a pillar for California Sauvignon Blanc.
Estate Update
Ink Grade has had many developments the team over the past few months; Brandon Knowles joined the team as Cellar Foreman and has been doing an incredible job uniting our team and pushing Ink Grade to its next iteration. Miguel Lopez was pro- moted to Cellar Tech 2, a much deserved and overdue title for everything he does for our team in the cellar. Julie Gilles joined the team as Ink Grade Brand Mgr. and is making great strides in preparing for the opening of the Ink Grade tasting room.
The Ink Grade team took a moment to step away from our day-to-day and volunteered our time at the 280 Project at Alemany Farms in SE San Francisco, helping plant vines and educating the team on what farming in the inner city is like and how it im- pacts community. This was a meaningful day that formed promising future partnerships and a deeper appreciation for what our work can mean to others and how we can continue to volunteer some of our time to help the community. We followed this tour up with lunch to say goodbye to a wonderful colleague and friend, Rachel Stump, who left our Ink Grade team to continue the next chapter of her life. We wish her the best. Now we are welcoming our interns Freddy Delgadillo, Johnathan Winters, Martín Zamarbide, and Rohan Jolly to the team and getting them prepared for harvest in +/- a month.
That’s all for now and happy harvest 2022 to all teams!
Matt Taylor, Winemaker
Julie Gilles, Brand Manager


Heitz Cellar

As always, it has been an exciting few months at Heitz Cellar! As we pass the halfway mark of 2022, there have been quite a few exciting developments to share. We are nearly five months into the opening of the Salon at Heitz Cellar, and the reception from our guests and the community has been nothing short of remarkable. The credit goes to the entire team at Heitz Cellar, with special emphasis on the hospitality team. Led by Ruben Moreno, their unwavering commitment to a new vision for luxury hospitality in the Napa Valley has been inspiring. The amount of positive communication I receive from our guests and peers would not have been possible without their hard work and devotion. I am proud to share that we have also begun phase one of a landscaping renovation (bye-bye palm trees) at the Estate at Heitz Cellar. This is the first step in beautifying the grounds and facilities and planting more vineyards to welcome guests back to the legendary property in the future. We could also not be more proud of Garrett Hales, the former Hospitality Manager who accepted the position of Estate Director for Burgess Cellars. Garrett was instrumental in opening the Salon at Heitz Cellar, and I know I speak for our entire family when I say that the Burgess Cellars team is fortunate to have him, and we have no doubt that great things lie ahead for the historic estate.
Megan Currie continued to elevate the Membership program and was promoted to Director of Membership and Fulfillment earlier this year. Membership at Heitz Cellar is entering its next phase as we have launched our annual events that members can look forward to each year. We had a very successful first event in the Spring with the Quartz Creek Brunch. Some exciting events that we have coming up are the Martha’s Vineyard Masterclass (July 23rd) and our inaugural Fall La Paulée (September 3rd). We are also working on some exciting vineyard maps that will debut soon for the historic vineyards of Heitz Cellar. These illustrations will be instrumental in telling a deeper story of the well-known sites that have contributed to the legacy of Heitz Cellar.
We welcomed Trae Taylor as our Controller in April. While you will likely never read about the finance team in Wine Spectator, their work is critical to our success and ensuring that Heitz Cellar is sustainable both in the vineyard and the balance sheet for decades to come.
In the Heitz production team, bottling season is underway! We just completed the Napa Valley bottling, our largest run of the season. We are working on intaking new barrels and will be barreling down 2021 wine in July and August. Heitz lab is getting a new auto titrator installed soon for more throughput during harvest. Speaking of harvest, the team is preparing through safety training, cellar training, and equipment maintenance. We have successfully hired and onboarded new full-time employees and interns and are now fully staffed for harvest.
Erik Elliott— Estate Director
Brittany Sherwood– Director of Winemaking
BRENDEL

Since opening in April, we are excited to see each day how the tasting room is evolving. Being such a new destination downtown we are naturally receiving a lot of interest from the public and locals and are quickly becoming the new “hot spot”! We are so excited that our neon sign is fully functioning and setting the stage for each guest who comes to visit. We are proud to announce we were recently nominated as one of the “ Best New Wineries “ by USA Today, as well as the USA Today’s “10 Best New Wineries Readers Choice 2022”. We are thrilled and honored to be nominated! I believe that the Brendel tasting room will set the scene for future wine bars leading the industry in creating a cozy, chic, and trendy destination for people to sit back and enjoy a great glass of wine.
Trendsetters by nature, Brendel is looking forward to adding a live music night(s) option for guests to enjoy. We are looking forward to planning and hosting our Grand Opening Party, dates, and details to come shortly! We look forward to welcoming each of you and your friends and really getting a chance to share the uniqueness that makes Brendel one of the “Best New Wineries”! Swing by to say hi and grab a glass of our soon-to-be-released 2020 Cuvee Blanc. Packed full of bright fruit flavors and a crisp acidic finish it is the perfect choice for a Napa summer night. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Cheers,
Amy Jabin, Hospitality Manager
HAYNES VINEYARD

Howdy,
Here at Haynes, in the heart of the relatively unknown and obscure reaches of southeastern Napa, Ben, Daren, and I find ourselves in the midst of construction - Haynes is getting electricity, some pavement, and a few other needed improvements. It’s nice to see a bit of a facelift to the old barn winery!
Our vineyard is in full swing and looking very good. There is quite a bit of fruit out there this year, or at least, compared to the past few years! Our young vines are looking happy and with any luck, we might just be able to make a little Rosé from them...
Most important, we have blended and are in the process of putting the 2020 Haynes Chardonnay, as well as the 2021 Pinot Noir and Syrah to bottle, after next week, we will have made some wine!
The final step is to slap a label (which Chuck House has designed and is very cool) on the shiners then we can start bringing these wines out into the wild!
It’s been a long haul, but darn well with it!
Ben, Daren, and I look forward to sharing these at some point. Have a nice day!
Cheers,
Nico Cueva, Winemaker
Burgess


At Burgess, we are focusing on putting a new vineyard in at the estate property on the Silverado Trail which will include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon. We are also updating the gardens in the front to include summer vegetables and plants for our tea garden. In addition, we have a new chicken coop being built and renovations to the exterior of the winery underway with plans of an interior renovation in the offseason.
Last but not least, we are welcoming new Estate Director, Garrett Hales to Burgess!
Meghan Zobeck, Winemaker
MEET BURGESS’ NEWEST FURY TEAM MEMBERS
STONY HILL

Many wonderful memories have been made up here on the hill since our last newsletter. It’s exciting to have so much to talk about!
Allow us to start with the fact that our estate was honored with a printed feature in the New York Times. (If you have yet to read the article, or would like a hard copy of the edition, we have extra copies at the estate.) It’s amazing to witness the number of guests that specially come to visit us because of this accolade.
Our hospitality team has grown and evolved in tremendous ways! Julia Minnillo, our Membership & Guest Relations Manager, has since had her beautiful baby boy, Carsin! Hopefully, you got to meet him at the company BBQ. We are absolutely thrilled to have her back on the property and already moving mountains in progressing our recently launched Allocation Membership program! Sabrenah Benson was promoted from Wine Educator to our Hospitality Manager. What a great pleasure it is to continue building our hospitality program with someone who has been through it all with us so far. And also, we’ve welcomed our newest Wine Educator to the team, Brandon McKay. As an alumnus to PRESS Restaurant as a sommelier, he now splits his time between being an ambassador of Stony Hill and captaining at the Regiis Ova Caviar & Champagne Lounge.
Stony Hill continues to move forward with her next chapter. We’ve officially bottled our next vintage with our rebranding! This label was designed with the help of Jaimee Motley and Renee Berkus. Everyone should have received our 2020 Gewurztraminer in their LWE allocation with the new design.
There’s, of course, so much more to highlight when it comes to the accomplishments of the team here at Stony Hill. It’s always a great time reflect and share the immense gratitude the team truly deserves. Every day is a success with the hard work and passion brought to the table by this insanely talented group of driven individuals. Thank you all for your time and dedication!
May the season be a great success for all our fellow estates!
-Michaela Kelly, Estate Director
We have given a very warm welcome to the summer months. The temperatures are rising, and our grapevine shoots are climbing with it.
The choice to work with no-till cover crop management ensures that our soil is always covered with vegetation. Although our cover crop may now be dormant this time of year and recently mowed, it still serves the purpose to help buffer the soil from dramatic changes in temperature. Reducing soil temperature minimizes the heat radiation from the earth back up towards the grapevines, and it also serves to protect root growth and water uptake during heat periods.
This is one of the many methods that can be used in farming to combat the heat. For the most part, our grapevines are enjoying this beautiful weather! We are grateful for the consistent sunshine and warmth that will develop flavor and color in our Stony Hill fruit.
- Jaimee Motley, Winemaker
VINEYARD UPDATE

What a season 2022 has been so far! The vineyards started the year out with an early budbreak, similar to 2021 and our goal for the vines was to initiate shoot growth early for multiple reasons: to have a canopy to support fruit development, a canopy to protect the fruit from sun exposure, and to have proper cane growth to lay down for 2023. With farming, we need to focus on last year, this year, and next year as we make decisions in the field.
The months of April through June brought interesting weather with daytime temperatures ranging from high 60’s to low 100’s, with a mixture of sun, rain, and even a hail storm on May 10th. The increased moisture these months extended our cultivation and mowing practices as cover crops bounced back from the sporadic rain. It did however allow the vines some relief for canopy development and even with the finicky bloom weather, we were fortunate to have nice fruit set overall, with clusters ranging from 80-120 berries per cluster.
The activity in the fields has been constant as crews work to open up canopies on the morning side to help the berry skins adapt to the sun and heat, but also to assist with maturation and allow airflow in the canopy to alleviate mildew pressure during the more humid days. Now they have shifted their attention to the fruit, focusing on short shoot clusters and de-bunching that will help clusters size up during veraison and prevent leakage and berry splitting. The Lawrence vineyard team has been busy measuring shoot growth, counting clusters, collecting berry weights, and scouting the fields for pests and water stress.
While we are getting into the home stretch as veraison has begun in our hillsides, especially in the Zinfandel and Cabernet Franc, we begin to prepare for harvest: finalizing the crop estimate and working with winemakers on any fruit criteria they have for their vineyard blocks. Harvest looks to be on track to start around the first week of August with white varietals and sparkling, with our reds closely behind. Overall, the season has brought interesting weather, but a promising crop that will make for an incredible 2022 vintage.
-Macy Stubstad, Director of Vineyard Operations
LWE

LWE North
It’s a busy time for Lawrence Wine Estates!
Since April, we have welcomed Katie Crowley (FP&A Manager, Robin Fowler (Controller), and Ashley Cutler (Office Manager) to the team. In addition, we would like to announce the promotion of Joe Walsh to Senior VP of Accounting & Finance.
Our Accounting & Finance teams are busy closing out financials as well as gearing up for 2023 budgeting & forecasting.
The Employee Resources Department is starting the transition from ADP to Paylocity as our payroll provider to better serve our employee base. Paylocity will provide full payroll and benefits integration as well as a full onboarding experience. We look forward to providing our Hospitality teams with the ability to see their wages split between hours, tips, and commissions ( I know this has been long awaited for!). We anticipate a seamless transition and will provide full training to both employees and supervisors. More detailed information forthcoming.
We are thrilled to announce that we are working on an LWE Company intranet for our employees where you can find the latest edition of the company Newsletters, important employee forms, Pay date and Holiday calendars, annual Calendar of Events, as well as many fun extras.
Lastly, we are in the final planning stages for the LWE North office remodel. As of right now, 899 Adams St will be temporarily closed from September 26th through November 28th, 2022. All LWE staff will be working at various remote sites so please be sure to check in with the staff if you need to schedule a meeting during that time. We look forward to welcoming you all once we re-open!
- Rayna Baker, Head of People and Culture
LWE SOUTH
Updates from your Lawrence Wine Estates Sales & Creative Marketing Team
Over the past few months, we have welcomed several new members to our team. In addition to Carlos Bradly, Director of Digital Marketing, Taylor Hotter has also joined as Creative Content Manager. Taylor oversees the creation of our creative content and visuals for each estate. Lots of amazing new images from all our exciting projects are in the works, including holiday 2022! OND is quickly approaching… We are also excited to share that we are continuing to add additional teammates to our team, please visit https://www.lawrencewineestates.com/careers to see all open roles within our company.
Our team remains busy, working on a myriad of projects. Carlos has overseen the development and launch of our new website: www.lawrencewineestates.com . This site will serve as a new home for our employees to find information about the company, see open job listings and read updates. We invite you to visit the page and share your thoughts with our team! Additionally, we are working on website redesigns for Stony Hill and launching Haynes Vineyard. Other new projects include LWE collateral and logo.
Lastly, we have moved into our new offices and invite everyone to stop by “LWE South” located at Burgess Cellars to say hello. This new workspace flexes and we currently share the space with our friends/teammates at Ink Grade and Burgess.
-Burroughs Blind, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing
-Chloe Tyer, Executive Director of Guest Experience & Marketing
Demeine Estates

It’s been a period of growth for Demeine Estates, with important additions to both our team and international portfolio of producer partners.
Led by Senior Vice President of Marketing and Global Brand Strategy, Scott Diaz, we have added exciting new wineries to our import portfolio: in France, Chablis’ La Chablisienne and Sancerre’s Domaine Roc de l’Abbaye, and in Italy, Piedmont’s Ca’ Rome’ and the Marcheisi Mazzei family wineries, which include the historic Castello di Fonterutoli in Chianti Classico. July 2022 marks Scott’s first anniversary with Demeine Estates, and in that time he has doubled the size of our winery portfolio with estates in the world’s most sought-after regions. He has also built Demeine Estates’ marketing program from the ground up, including the most recent addition of Director of Portfolio Development, Kimberly Bowden. Happy one year and a huge thank you to Scott!
Also growing and evolving with our business is the Demeine Estates team. In Sales, John Vidal and Scott Leverenz have been appointed to the roles of Vice President of Sales, West and Vice President of Sales, East, respectively, and Northern California Regional Manager Erica Lasswell, Texas Regional Manager Steven Quenzer, and New York Regional Manager Kayla Young have joined their teams. Controller Doris Raney has joined our Operations team, managing Demeine Estates’ finances and driving the analysis of monthly results.
Demeine Estates’ growth has also garnered impressive media attention, with President Philana Bouvier recently being featured on two trade podcasts, discussing topics ranging from consumer trends to building a career in the wine industry with Sip, Sip, Hooray, and Guildsomm. Additionally, Philana and Scott were both featured in Spirits of America’s series on the three-tier system, with Philana discussing the importance of diversity and inclusion in wine and spirits, and Scott explaining the benefits of the three-tier system for family-owned wineries. Cheers to an equally exciting H2 to come!
-Philana Bouvier, President

Health & Wellness
Let’s talk about Stress!

For too long, we’ve talked about stress as a negative thing. What if I told you that stress could be good? I’m going to propose a potentially new idea that could help you build resilience in all areas of your life by understanding stress and what you want to do with it.
What comes to mind when you see or hear the word “stress”? We often use the word stress to describe fatigue, helplessness, hopelessness, or when we feel out of control. I challenge you to take one stressor in your life and reframe it into something that works for you and not against you.
At its core, stress is our mind and body’s reaction to stimuli. Physically, the responses range from increased heart rate, tightening of muscles, elevated blood pressure, breath quickness, and many other symptoms. Mentally, symptoms range from depression, anxiety, discouragement, or apathy. The less control we feel over our circumstances, the worse it gets.
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James. We have all heard that our words have power, but do we believe it? The University of Wisconsin-Madison published a study of 28,000 people over eight years, and it showed that people who had a lot of stress and believed stress was harmful had a 43% in- creased risk of premature death. However, people who experienced a lot of stress but did not view it as harmful had the lowest risk of dying from anyone in the study. So, instead of focusing on how you’re breathing too quickly and feeling anxious, see the increased breathing as an opportunity to take deeper breaths, allowing more oxygen to get to your brain to think more clearly. Studies show our ability to think clearly is directly related to our ability to remain calm. So, how do we start to change our perspectives on stress?
Identify your stressors
When we talk about stress, we are often too vague about what it is. We say, “Work is stressing me out.” Okay, great. What about work is stressing you out? It might be your boss’ attitude, your annoying coworker who won’t stop talking, or the lack of support from another department. The first step to regaining control over your life is to get specific. You cannot do something about “work stress,” but you can have a conversation with your boss, the annoying coworker, or any other thing you identify. So, make a list of what is on your mind and be specific.
2. Create a plan
Stop judging your stress as bad. Accept that you are stressed instead of fighting against it. The truth is that stress comes from your thoughts about your circumstances. This means you get to be the cause of your life and not at the effect of it. Don’t try to tackle everything at once when creating a plan. That’ll be overwhelming, and you will most likely get discour- aged. Pick one thing and create an action to address it. Even if all you do is write down your goal for it, that’s a start. Create one action item for each stressor on your list and pick a time to start addressing it.
3. Develop stress reduction habits
Here are some simple ideas that might help you start:
Exercise – This comes in many forms, so find something you enjoy. It can be taking a walk around the block with your kids or a pet. It can be working out at a gym or anything physical that recharges you.
Guided meditation – There are many free apps and even playlists on Spotify to help you slow your mind down. Meditation has scientifically been proven to be a significant reducer of stress.
Connecting with others – Sharing a meal is an incredible way to increase happiness and reduce stress. When we eat with others, our feel-good brain chemicals get released, causing us to feel a more connected and increased sense of belonging. This lowers cortisol levels which help us manage our stress. Eating with others is just one way to connect.
Make time for yourself – By engaging in activities that you enjoy, you can reduce your stress by almost half, and it can lower your heart rate, which allows you to feel calmer. What is that thing you used to love doing? How long has it been since you did that thing? Create a block of time on your calendar to get back to your hobbies.
Creating a plan to tackle your stress can be difficult and potentially overwhelming, especially if you’ve been in burn- out for a long time. However, channeling your energy into shifting your thoughts around what you can control will significantly- ly impact your current situation and develop resilience moving forward. So, where is the first area you’d like to focus on to reframe your stress into an opportunity to regain control and build resilience?
- Dustin Beasley, Second State Leadership

TO UNLOCK YOUR FREE CALM SUBSCRIPTION, VISIT
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ONCE ON THE PAGE
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Lawrence Wine Estates has a Planet Fitness Corporate Membership at the following locations for Full-Time Employees:
NAPA • PETALUMA
If you would like to take part in this benefit and your Planet Fitness is not listed above, please reach out to Rayna Baker so an account can be set up.
Instructions:
Visit your local Planet Fitness (Where an account has been established)
Let them know you’re with Lawrence Wine Estates
Provide your name and either your company email (if you have one) or your personal email address
That’s it! It’s that simple!
For questions, please direct them to Rayna Baker, Head of People & Culture
Employee Recognitions

Team Member of the Month
Congratulations to our winners for January 2022
Angela Berlogar - Membership & Guest Relations Manager, Burgess Estate
Angela has maintained a standard of excellence and unwavering resolve, unlike any individual I have the pleasure to work with. Angela is not only a mother to two children, but the Membership Manager for both Burgess and Brendel, she has been instrumental in the training and development of both hospitality teams. During the most recent wave of Covid, she was relegated to working from home, however, that did not obstruct in her diligence in accomplishing her work for Burgess while taking on the workload of building the Brendel membership and all digital communications for both brands. When Angela is not overseeing the operations of both hospitality operations she acts as a “Team Mom” for everyone at the Burgess Estate (including Ink Grade) cultivating an environment where people feel comfortable discussing and resolving their interpersonal frustrations and issues. She is exemplary of its core philosophies of Burgess and behaves as a pillar or cornerstone of the business.
Sabrenah Benson— Wine Curator (in January), Stony Hill Vineyard
Sabrenah has seamlessly transitioned from specializing full-time in our tasting room to filling in for our Membership Manager, Julia Minnillo, as she is on maternity leave. As we are a small but dynamic team, she works diligently on her new ad- min duties and still takes tastings to assist the team during busy days (a HUGE help). Every task performed by Sabrenah is above and beyond and prompt. She’s someone the entire team can depend on day in and day out now through multiple departments of Stony Hill.
Nominees:
Richard Norman—Wine Curator, Stony Hill Vineyard
Anani Lawson– Wine Curator, Heitz Cellar
Congratulations to our winners for February 2022
Alexa D’Acquisto – Senior Brand Manager, Demeine Estate
Alexa has positive optimistic and solution-oriented. She brings a wealth of experience and always helps her teammates. She works well with other departments. She is always looking for process improvement. In just five months she has completely changed the visibility of her brands in the three-tier system.
Anayeli Ramirez – Housekeeper, Heitz Cellar
Anayeli prevented what could have been a catastrophic fire at the Heitz Taplin facility. While cleaning the historic Heitz home, Anayeli smelled smoke coming from a bathroom downstairs and immediately called her supervisor to report what she smelled. Her supervisor was able to relay the information to 911/Cal Fire and Cal Fire arrived as the house filled with smoke but before anything caught flame due to a faulty exhaust fan. Her concern and quick action potentially saved the company a priceless historic building. I am so proud to nominate Anayeli for outstanding character and concern for the well-being of our historic estate.
Nominees:
Hannah Hercher– Enologist, Heitz Cellar
Miguel Lopez- Cellar Technician, Ink Grade Estate Vineyard
Audrey Marek– Direct Marketing Specialist, Demeine Estates
Congratulations to our winners for March 2022
Audree Miller— Sales Operations Manager, Demeine Estates
Audree discovered several areas where process improvements were necessary. Many of these would not only help Demeine, but the entire LWE enterprise as well. In addition, the benefit we see is that communication is much more streamlined and efficient in regard to order and shipment processing.
Ted Weisser– Assistant Winemaker, Heitz Cellar
When Brittany went out on leave, things were expected to change around the winery but the opposite was true. Ted and the winemaking team never missed a beat and they moved thousands of gallons of wine out of Trailside without trouble and ahead of schedule. I was impressed with how easily the transition occurred and it made the job much easier. Ted approaches tasks with an even temper and he keeps things moving forward. Ted is very easy to work with and an asset to the team.
Nominees:
Audrey Marek—Direct Marketing Specialist, Demeine Estates
Joe Grabski– Wine Curator, Heitz Cellar
Ken Burroughs– Project Manager, Lawrence Wine Estates
Congratulations to our winners for June 2022
Javier Calderon– Cellar Technician, Heitz Cellar
Heitz Production has been involved with unusually high barrel movements and wine transfers due to facility upgrades and construction. Javier has been an instrumental member of the team conducting these strenuous and complicated operations. He has taken a leadership role, on his own merit, instructing and leading teams to improve efficiencies and complete these operations within time-constrained production timelines.
In addition to Javier mentoring and leading many of these arduous and physically taxing operations, he has done so with a cheerful and helpful attitude. In stressful situations, Javier has conducted himself in a manner to be admired.
Audrey Marek—Direct Marketing Specialist, Demeine Estates
Audrey Marek has been extraordinary in her short time at Demeine Estates. In just eight months she has changed the digital presence of Demeine Estates. She recently completed a website overhaul and redesigned our social media presence and strategy. In addition to our impressive digital presence, she has also been an innovator in our digital advertising approach. In the last three months, she has solidified key relationships with Salsify, Vivino, and SevenFifty to increase brand awareness in the trade. Audrey operates as a one-person team which is even more impressive. She has proven that if a person is a self-starter and motivated, they can exceed expectations from a remote working location. It should also be not- ed that Audrey was a team player with LWE before they had their digital marketing team and helped some of the estates with their digital marketing needs.
Nominees:
Shaun McDonald—Wine Curator, Stony Hill Vineyard
Ben Diaz - Assistant Winemaker, Haynes Vineyard
Mary Stump– Assistant Winemaker, Ink Grade Estate Vineyard Dante Vacca– Cellar Technician, Heitz Cellar
Jay Keller - Sales Analyst, Demeine Estates
Jaimee Motley—Winemaker, Stony Hill Vineyard
Team Member of the Quarter
Congratulations to our winners for the First Quarter of 2022– April
Angela Berlogar—Membership & Guest Relations Manager, Burgess Cellars
Ken Burroughs– Project Manager, Lawrence Wine Estates
Upcoming Birthdays
July 2022
Michaela Kelly—Estate Director, Stony Hill—July 5th
Steven Quenzer— Texas Regional Manager, Demeine Estates—July 10th
Ashley Cutler– Office Manager, LWE– July 15th
Akexa D’Acquisto– Senior Brand Manager, Demeine Estates– July 20th
Candy Rodriguez– A/P Manager, LWE—July 21st
Enoch Shully—Wine Curator, Burgess Cellars– July 22nd
Philana Bouvier– President, Demeine Estates– July 24th
Jorge Gonzales-Gonzales—Harvest Intern, Heitz Cellar— July 24th
Meghan Zobeck—Winemaker, Burgess Cellars– July 27th
Garrett Hales– Estate Director, Burgess Cellars– July 29th
August 2022
Amy Jabin– Hospitality Manager, Brendel– August 7th
Matt Taylor– Winemaker, Ink Grade Estate Vyd– August 15th
Elias De Le Rosa– Harvest Intern, Heitz Cellar– August 15th
Shannon Pestoni– Brand Manager, Demeine Estate– August 20th
Maximillian Santiago– Cellar Technician, Heitz Cellar—August 25th
Katie Wayman– Vineyard Intern, LWE– August 28th
Audrey Marek– Direct Marketing Specialist– August 21st
September 2022
Trae Taylor– Controller, Heitz Cellar– September 6th
Ruben Moreno– Director of Hospitality, Heitz Cellar– September 10th
Scott Leverenz– VP of Sales (East) , Demeine Estates– September 12th
Thomas Uckung– Wine Curator, Heitz Cellar– September 12th
Shaeda Marashi– Membership & Guest Service Specialist, Heitz Cellar—September 12th Rachel Nye– Lab Intern, Heitz Cellar– September 16th
Zachary Pramuk– Wine Curator, Heitz Cellar– September 18th
Renee Berkus– Cellar Master, Stony Hill Vyd– September 21st
Brittany Sherwood– Director of Winemaking, Heitz Cellar– September 28th
Upcoming Anniversaries
July 2022
Scott Diaz– SVP Global Brand Strategy, Demeine Estates– 1 yr
Javier Calderon– Cellar Technician, Heitz Cellar– 1 yr
Burroughs Blind– SVP Sales & Marketing, LWE– 3 yr
Sabrenah Benson– Hospitality Manager, Stony Hill Vyd– 1 yr
Shaun McDonald– Wine Curator, Stony Hill Vyd—1 yr
Erik Griffin– Cellar Master, Heitz Cellar– 6 yr
Scot Leverenz– VP Sales (East) , Demeine Estates– 2 yr
August 2022
Ted Weisser, Assistant Winemaker, Heitz Cellar– 1 yr
Sierra Zeiter– Enologist, Burgess Cellars– 1 yr
Anayeli Ramirez– Housekeeper, Heitz Cellar– 1 yr
September 2022
Betsy Dolge– Wine Curator, Heitz Cellar– 2 yr
Ken Burroughs– Project Manager, LWE– 1 yr
John Lodge– Lead Wine Curator, Burgess Cellars– 1 yr
Andrew Taylor– Wine Curator, Burgess Cellars– 1 yr
Thomas Uckung– Wine Curator, Heitz Cellar– 1 yr
John Vidal– VP of Sales (West), Demeine Estates– 1 yr
Shonee Tolley– Senior Staff Accountant, LWE– 11 yr
Rayna Baker– Head of People & Culture, LWE– 2 yr
Alexa D’Acquisto– Senior Brand Manager, Demeine Estates—1 yr
Enoch Shully– Wine Curator, Burgess Cellars– 1 yr
Welcome To The Team
April 2022
Kimberly Bowden– Director of Portfolio Development, Demeine Estates
Julie Gilles– Brand Manager, Ink Grade Estate Vyd
May 2022
Trae Taylor—Controller, Heitz Cellar
Alex Hanson-Controller, Burgess Cellar/Ink Grade/Stony Hill
Kayla Young– Northeast Regional Manager, Demeine Estates
Katie Crowley– FP& A Manager, LWE
Robin Fowler– Controller, LWE
Michael Sheridan– Cellar Technician, Heitz Cellar
Taylor Hotter– Digital Content Manager, LWE
June 2022
Maximillian Santiago– Cellar Technician, Heitz Cellar
Steven Quenzer– Texas Regional Manager, Demeine Estates
Brandon McKay– Wine Curator, Stony Hill Vyd
Erica Lasswell– Northern CA Regional Manager, Demeine Estates
Doris Raney– Controller, Demeine Estates
Amy Jabin– Hospitality Manager, Brendel
Ashley Cutler– Office Manager, LWE
Special Thank you to our Harvest Interns
Rachel Nye– Lab Intern, Heitz Cellar
Jazmine Ladouceur– Cellar Intern, Heitz Cellar
Elias De La Rosa– Cellar Intern, Heitz Cellar
McKenzie Skyberg– Cellar Intern, Heitz Cellar
Jorge Gonzalez-Gonzalez—Cellar Intern, Heitz Cellar
Martin Zamarbide– Cellar Intern, Ink Grade Estate Vyd
Johnathan Winters– Cellar Intern, Ink Grade Estate Vyd
Rohan Jolly– Cellar Intern, Ink Grade Estate Vyd