WineFest No. 29—A Toast to Children's Health

Honorary WineMasters, Luminaries, and Distinguished Vintners

Nate Weis, Senior Winemaker & General Manager

Beaulieu Vineyard

Nate Weis grew up in the Napa Valley with a winemaker father and a collection of T-shirts emblazoned with winery logos. After an undergraduate degree in biopsychology and neuroscience, Nate was drawn to winemaking, so he advanced his education with an MS in viticulture and enology at UC Davis. Before joining Beaulieu Vineyard in March 2025, he worked for several well-respected Napa Valley wineries, including Silver Oak Winery, where he led winemaking and grape-growing operations for The Family of Silver Oak portfolio. Nate’s passion for terroir-driven winemaking and his ongoing commitment to quality shines through at Beaulieu Vineyard as he balances large-scale strategic leadership with hands-on artisanal winemaking.

Georgia Taylor, General Manager

Blackbird Vineyards

Georgia Taylor’s wine journey began in her father’s boutique wine shop in a small village in the southeast of England. After graduating from the University of Warwick with degrees in French and Italian, she accepted a marketing job with Dom Perignon in France’s Champagne region. In 2010, she moved to the Napa Valley, where she has since held positions at Newton Vineyard, Domaine Chandon, and Amizetta Vineyards. In 2021, acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown handpicked Georgia to relaunch and rebrand Post Parade Wines. Then in January 2025 she began a new chapter as general manager of Blackbird Vineyards, a known for its Bordeaux-style wines. At Blackbird, Georgia spearheads strategy, marketing, sales, and operations.

Jason Lede, General Manager & COO

Cliff Lede Vineyards

Drawn to the wine business as a teenager, Jason Lede spent summers working at the family winery—and then built on that early foundation through harvests in Napa and South Australia and industry wholesale and retail experience. He holds a business degree from the University of San Francisco, an MBA from the University of Alberta, and an Advanced Wine Certificate from the International Sommelier Guild. After joining Cliff Lede Vineyards in 2015, Jason worked in sales, operations, and communications before becoming general manager and COO in 2025. He's on the board of Napa Valley Vintners, and he performs as a DJ at BottleRock Napa Valley and other high-profile events.

Nick Goldschmidt, Honorary Winemaster

Goldschmidt Vineyards

Renowned international winemaker Nick Goldschmidt grew up in New Zealand, where he earned a degree in horticulture before moving to Australia to study viticulture and enology. He worked at wineries in Chile and California before becoming the winemaker at Simi in the Sonoma Valley. During his long career at Simi—and its parent companies, first LVMH and later Constellation Brands, Allied Domecq, and Beam Estates—Nick advised grape growers and winemakers in Argentina, Australia, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain. In 1998, Nick and his wife, Yolyn Goldschmidt, launched a line of single-vineyard, 100% varietal, small-production artisan wines under two distinct brands: Forefathers and Goldschmidt Vineyards.

Maja Jeramaz, Manager, Export and California Chains

Grgich Hills Estate

Maja Jeramaz is part of Grgich Hills Estate’s multigenerational legacy of winemaking, combining tradition with innovation. She joined the sales team at Grgich Hills Estate after graduating from UC Santa Cruz in 2015. After quickly establishing a reputation for deep knowledge of the winery and its wines, Maja grew into her current role overseeing global exports and sales of Grgich Hills Estate wines to California chains. The position continues to deepen her appreciation for wine’s ability to connect people across experiences, cultures, and geographies.

Tony Gatti, Regional Sales Manager–Midwest Region

HALL Wines

In 2019, Tony Gatti joined HALL Wines, where he oversees sales across 20 markets in the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Caribbean regions. A certified sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, Tony holds a Level 4 Diploma from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and he teaches the French Wine Scholar and WSET curriculums for the American Wine School. Before entering the wine industry, Tony spent over a decade in adventure tourism, living in and traveling to more than 80 countries.

Matt Taylor, Winemaker

Ink Grade

Matt Taylor was born and raised in Sonoma County. He was part of a Pac-10 championship team at the University of Washington before a back injury prompted him to pursue winemaking rather than football. After two years working and studying wine in Cádiz, Spain, he earned a postbaccalaureate degree in viticulture and enology from Fresno State University. He has held positions at Joseph Swan Vineyards, Domaine Dujac, Araujo Estate Wines, Reuling Vineyard, Front Porch Farm, Chamboulé, and 32 Winds Wines. He’s also the founder of Matt Taylor Wines. In 2020, Matt joined Lawrence Wine Estates in the Napa Valley as winemaker for its new label, Ink Grade.

Caitlin Kenefick, Second Generation Proprietor

Kenefick Vineyards and Winery

Caitlin Kenefick partners with her brother, Chris Kenefick, to build on her father’s vision for Kenefick Ranch, a site the family purchased in 1978. Growing up around the Calistoga vineyard was a hands-on part of Caitlin’s childhood, and she says a passion for farming is a legacy of her family’s Irish heritage. “I watched my dad, Dr. Tom Kenefick, a Minnesota native and physician, build this property from the ground up. His passion turned a special piece of land into a phenomenal vineyard.” In 2002, the ranch began producing its own portfolio of award-winning wines. Today, Caitlin strategizes key business decisions in collaboration with her brother and travels around the country to showcase the brand at wine events.

DLynn Proctor, Vintner

PENSMAN ESTATE; PENSEN ITALICO

DLynn Proctor, the dynamic proprietor of PENSMAN ESTATE; PENSEN ITALICO, crafts wines that resonate with seasoned collectors and casual enthusiasts alike. He trained alongside top winemakers in Australia, California, and Italy before being named Best New Sommelier in America in by Wine & Spirits Magazine and one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 under 40 Tastemakers. DLynn is a celebrated media personality who has shared his passion for wine with the SOMM films, on Kevin Hart’s talk show Hart to Heart, and with Uncorked, a Netflix original film. As a co-founder of the nonprofit Wine Unify, DLynn works to welcome and elevate the voices of people of color and underrepresented communities in the wine industry.

Heather Kormos, Sales & Hospitality Manager

Saint Helena Winery

In her more than twenty years of experience supporting luxury clients in the wine industry, Heather Kormos has collaborated with an array of luminary vintners, including the Wagner family of Caymus Vineyards and winemaker and entrepreneur Heidi Peterson Barrett. In 2011, she joined the team at the Napa Valley’s Saint Helena Winery—a small private winery specializing in estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons—where Heather is responsible for allocations, events, and wine member relations.

Brooke Shenk, Winemaker

St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery

Brooke Shenk is committed to producing high-quality, diverse wines at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards, where she joined the team in 2006. Since her first Sonoma Valley harvest as an intern, Brooke has held various lab and production roles in California and, for two years, in New Zealand. Today, as St. Supéry’s winemaker, she leverages her experience and passion to coordinate the complex factors that influence cellar activities for St. Supéry’s estate-grown, -produced, and -bottled wines. Brooke also has a Minnesota connection: Her parents lived in New Prague for 15 years while her father was part of the executive management team at Mystic Lake Casino.

Distinguished Vintners

• Jesse Morrow - Cline Family Cellars
• Katie Stenson - The Calling
• Paul Kochevar - Dutcher Crossing Winery
• Neil Maiers - Repris
• Dodds Delzell - Sangiacomo Family Wines
• Allisun Grandy - Schramsberg Vineyards
• Jason Heintz - Skipstone Winery

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