Derek was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, a gritty little place at the southern end of the great San Joaquin Valley best known for its Kern County crude and country western music. During the hot summers, Derek worked in the fields pulling weeds, picking potatoes, trellising grapes while listening to Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. It was God awful work, but it shaped him for the long haul and planted the seed of his love of wine. After studying at UC Berkeley, Derek sold wine, became a winery general manager, and then went out on his own, starting his own successful venture in Sonoma County, California.
Joel hails from Fresno, California and like Derek, was raised in ag land. By the time he was 10, he had a healthy appreciation for agriculture: young Joel would load up an old wooden wagon with peaches from the family farm and hawk alongside the highway for cash. When it came time to leave for college, Joel’s mother suggested UC Davis and thank Bacchus she did! Soon after graduation, Joel was hired by Beaulieu Vineyards, the youngest winemaker in company history. Truly a Cabernet maven, Joel has worked with over 50 vineyards in the Napa Valley – this man knows his Cab!