Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Editor-in-Chief, Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Born and raised in rural Maine, USA, Lisa graduated from Colby College with degrees in English Literature and Performing Arts. Her wine career began by happenstance when, living as a struggling playwright in London after college, she was offered a job as the manager of a wine bar. Upon acquiring the position, she promptly enrolled for classes at the WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) and continued her studies until achieving the institution’s highest accreditation level: Diploma. Lisa progressed through wine sales and marketing roles in the UK wine trade throughout the ‘90s before moving to Tokyo in 2002, where she worked as a wine buyer for one of Japan's top fine wine importers and a wine educator at Tokyo's Academie du Vin. In 2008, Lisa moved to Singapore and began writing a column for Robert Parker’s website, eRobertParker.com. Later that year she achieved her Master of Wine (MW) qualification and the Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in wine tasting. In 2013, she became the Editor-in-Chief for Robert Parker Wine Advocate and RobertParker.com. Lisa’s first book, Taste Like a Wine Critic: A Guide to Understanding Wine Quality, was published in 2015. That year she relocated to Napa, California, to set up the new USA office for Robert Parker Wine Advocate. She is also the publication’s critic for the wines of Bordeaux, Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Renee Ary

Winemaker, Duckhorn Vineyards

Renee Ary became the fourth winemaker in the four-decade history of Duckhorn Vineyards in 2014. Her promotion came after 11 years as an integral member of the winemaking team—including roles as assistant and associate winemaker. Like the two acclaimed winemakers before her, Renee spent years working alongside her predecessors, honing her craft, refining her gifted palate and mastering the Duckhorn Vineyards style. “It’s important to approach a role like this with humility,” adds Renee, “and with the knowledge that I am a part of an ongoing story—that I am contributing to the legacy of a great winery, and building on the work of the talented people who laid the foundation for excellence.”

Today, with an approach that balances artistry, science and a deep respect for the viticultural side of winemaking, Renee guides the entire Duckhorn Vineyards portfolio, crafting wines that offer structure and sophistication, as well as a deep and purposeful sense of place.

Aaron Pott

Winemaker, Fe Wines

Aaron received his undergraduate degree in Enology at the University of California, Davis, and his master’s degree in Viticulture, Wine, and Terroir from the Université de Bourgogne. In Bordeaux, he was winemaker at Château Troplong Mondot and director of Château La Tour Figeac. In California, he has made wine at Quintessa, Newton Vineyard, St. Clement, and Beringer Wine Estates. His mentors include John Kongsgaard and Michel Rolland.

Michael Eddy

Director of Winemaking, Louis M. Martini Winery

Michael Eddy, who grew up in Southern California, became fascinated by the process of transforming grapes into wine after brewing beer at home. "The complexity of wine has always intrigued me," explains Michael. "The idea of navigating all of the steps it takes to bring out different flavors in a wine really appeals to me."

As Director of North Coast Winemaking for E. & J. Gallo Winery, Michael oversees winemaking teams at the Gallo of Sonoma Winery, Louis M. Martini Winery and William Hill Estate Winery. He also collaborates on Gallo Signature Series, an acclaimed collection of wines crafted by third-generation family winemaker Gina Gallo.

Michael finds Gallo an exciting place to work, thanks to the tremendous resources available. "Winemaking is about choosing the right materials and using innovative techniques to achieve your vision, and Gallo affords an incredible array of resources and a broad range of tools," he says. The Winery's impressive estate vineyards, its historic Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma Valley, is Michael's favorite.

Michael earned his bachelor's degree in Biology from Humboldt State University in Northern California, later pursuing a master's degree in Food Science, specializing in oenology, at the University of California at Davis. After stints in winemaking at California's Trefethen Family Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard and Rodney Strong Vineyards, Michael joined Gallo in 2005 as an associate winemaker, initially focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Sally Johnson

Winemaker, Pride Mountain Vineyards

I obtained a Master's Degree in winemaking at UC Davis and then began my career at St. Francis Winery in Sonoma County, where I spent eight years. I took a brief hiatus to work at St. Hallett Winery in South Australia's Barossa Valley and also produced my own brand, Lalys Cellars, for three years. In the spring of 2007, I joined the team at Pride Mountain Vineyards and am thrilled to be producing wines from our unique and phenomenal estate.

My philosophy is to let the quality and character of our estate vineyards speak for themselves. Much of the winemaking is done in the vineyard, so careful monitoring of our 85 acres of vineyards is critical, and I am passionate about micromanaging our vineyards to achieve the highest potential from each vine. I make picking decisions based solely on flavor and the grape's physiological ripeness. I employ both traditional and modern winemaking techniques to achieve the roundness and concentration that make our big mountain wines both balanced and nuanced. The final step is the blending, which has a huge impact on the final character of my wines. Each of our 42 vineyard blocks is fermented and aged separately, so that my options for blending our thirteen wines are essentially limitless.

Robert Smith

Winemaker, Quixote Winery

Robert is the perfect choice for the role of Quixote winemaker. Everything at Quixote is distinctive and created in pursuit of the highest quality and the same could be said for Robert.

Growing up in Modesto, Robert constantly set himself apart from expectations. His first job as a research intern at Gallo peaked his interest in fermentation, inspiring him to begin brewing craft IPAs and consider a career as a brew master. Luckily, it wasn't long before the wine bug bit him and he jumped in with both feet.

After securing his baccalaureate in Enology from Fresno State University, Robert embarked on his journey. His first harvest internship at Quintessa set the foundation for a lifelong personal and professional relationship with consulting winemaker, Aaron Pott. Following Quintessa, Robert continued to hone his skills with positions at Seven Stones, Krupp Brothers and Covert Estate as well as a harvest stint in South Africa. In 2011 Robert accepted the position as winemaker for Quixote, reuniting him with Aaron Pott. Adding to the list of impressive mentors including Aaron Pott and Julien Fayard, Robert now works in tandem with Philippe Melka.

It's his ability to create complex and elegantly refined Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and of course, the signature varietal at Quixote, Petite Sirah that truly illustrates his undeniable talent. Robert constantly strives to produce age worthy, well-balanced wines with immediate softness and approachability.

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