Doug Shafer

Winemaker

Doug Shafer arrived in Napa Valley at age 17 when he moved with his family from the Chicago suburbs in 1973 to a new home in the rugged foothills of the Stags Leap Palisades.

His first few years in the Valley proved to be formative ones. Throughout his junior and senior years of high school he spent long hours helping his father replant and then clear land for new vineyards before studying enology and viticulture at the University of California at Davis. While completing his university studies, Doug spent summers working at Hanns Kornell and Robert Mondavi wineries. Meanwhile, his father was preparing to crush the first vintage of wine in 1978. Following graduation, Doug honed his skills as assistant winemaker at Lakespring Winery prior to becoming winemaker at Shafer Vineyards in 1983 and winery president in 1994.

Doug Shafer has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors throughout his career including the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for “Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professionals." In 2012 University of California Press published A Vineyard in Napa, Doug’s critically acclaimed memoir, recounting 40 years inside the Napa Valley wine industry.

With the 2022 sale of Shafer to Shinsegae, Doug joined the winery board as an advisor remaining dedicated to Shafer's legacy in the global wine scene.

Jean Hoefliger

Winemaker/Partner, AXR Napa Valley and The Debate

Jean Hoefliger was born and raised in Switzerland. His initial experience took him from Switzerland to California where he worked at Michel Schlumberger and Hartford Family in Sonoma followed by Bordeaux and South Africa, making wine at the esteemed estates of Chateau Carbonnieux, and Meerlust. Completing a winemaking and viticulture degree at the Swiss federal school of Changins, Jean made his way back to Bordeaux making wine at Chateau Lynch-Bages and then moving back to California where he spent five years as winemaker for Newton Vineyard from 2001 to 2005. In 2005 Jean started Alpha Omega Winery as the Winemaker and General Manager while concurrently building his consulting business with many projects around the world. After 10 years, the Alpha Omega business reached a size that required more time than he had, and he moved away from the business management to focus solely on winemaking. Two years later in 2019, Jean decided to shift his role within the Alpha Omega organization to become solely Consulting Winemaker.

Jean has built his client wineries over the years to include: Monteverro in Tuscany, Perinet in Priorat, Tolosa Winery in Edna Valley, Grapeheart in Suisun Valley, V. Vineyards in Sonoma County, and Alpha Omega, The Debate, Clark-Claudon, Decades 5, Theorize, Sunshine Valley, MR Michel Rolland and Hill Family Estate all from Napa Valley. Upon launching in 2016, Jean found a forever home as the Winemaker/Partner with AXR Napa Valley.

Chelsea Barrett

Winemaker, Materra | Cunat Family Vineyards

Chelsea Barrett grew up in Calistoga and began working in vineyards and wineries from a young age. She attended UC Davis and graduated in 2010 with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. After college, Chelsea interned at Mayer am Pfarplaz in Austria, Two Hands in Barossa Valley, then returned home to Napa Valley, spending a harvest at Opus One. She then worked at Joel Gott Wines for seven years with projects all over California, as well as Oregon and Washington. During this time, She also began collaboration with her mother Heidi Barrett making wines for Amuse Bouche and Aviatrix. Chelsea joined the Materra team as Winemaker in 2019. Other projects include Amuse Bouche, Aviatrix, and Lamborn Family. She lives in Calistoga with her husband, three daughters, and a husky-german shepherd mix. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, cooking, skiing, scuba diving, and reading.

Austin Peterson

Winemaker, OVID Napa Valley

My experience with wine begins as far back as I can remember, working in cellars and walking vineyards in Napa and Sonoma with my father. Since then I have been blessed to work with tremendously talented people in France, South Africa, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and, of course, Napa.

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