Eric Guerra
Founder
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Leslie Sisneros
Winemaster
Sisneros brings many years of experience in the wine industry ranging from small boutique to large fast-paced wineries.
She joined Kendall Jackson Winery in 1993 when the Vinwood facility in Geyserville, California was acquired. She began in the lab as an Enologist and quickly advanced to Assistant Winemaker in charge of operations along with the title of Flavor Winemaker for Pinot Noir. She remained with Kendall Jackson for 13 harvests.
Prior to Kendall Jackson, she spent 4 years at Vinwood—then a custom crush facility. There she gained a wealth of experience working with numerous winemakers learning a variety of different styles ranging from cool-climate white wines to warm-climate reds. Also, throughout her travels, she has spent time at Rodney Strong, Chateau St. Jean, Haywood Winery and the John Culbertson Winery in Temecula.
At Kendall Jackson she crafted four tiers of Pinot Noir varying from 120,000 cases to 48 cases and was responsible for crafting the #1 selling Pinot Noir in the US today. Throughout her tenure, she gained unprecedented experience in the vineyards and terroirs of the most renowned wine regions in California including Sonoma County, Napa Valley, Russian River, Anderson Valley (Mendocino) along with the unique microclimates and soils of Monterey and Santa Maria (Santa Barbara) counties. As a result, her mission is to work with the most intensely flavored clones and berries to provide the perfect elegance and structure which signifies the ultimate wine. In addition to her Pinot Noir duties, given the size and scope of her responsibilities, she also gained extensive knowledge with many other varietals including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Sangiovese and Zinfandel.
Currently, Leslie is a consulting winemaker for some of the top boutique brands in Northern California, once again expanding upon her already extensive knowledge of various varietals and regions.
Leslie received her BS in Viticulture from UC Davis and spent 2 years prior at UC San Diego. She is a native of Southern California and currently resides in Sebastopol with her husband and 3 children. She is an orchid hobbyist who enjoys getting her hands dirty as often as possible.
Most importantly, Sisneros is a winemaker of immense passion and pride. She is committed, talented, knowledgeable and very capable of crafting world-class wines. She is considered a key contributor to the overall success of the Company…our Blend-Diva.
Bob Ellerbeck
Business Manager
Bob brings 19 years of experience in the financial services industry to the team. His focus has been on asset management and is currently a regional director/vice president for a managed investment firm. As a University of California graduate, he studied economics and environmental science.
Bob brings a passion for wine that is sure to round out the team. He began collecting wine in the mid 1970s when the market was dominated by the big producers. Over the years he has watch the wines industry change and has a strong understanding of what it takes to be successful in the marketplace.
His expertise in business plans began as an original investor in the San Francisco restaurant Gary Danko. He has an extensive list of contacts within the restaurant and investment arena. We look to him to help build a strong business plan that will achieve aggressive but realistic results for the Company.