a family affair

One of the aspects that we most enjoy at ampelos is the involvement of our family in everything from vineyard management to winemaking to sales and marketing. This is (almost) a true democracy in that everyone in the family gets a vote in making decisions, although all members have areas of specialization and expertise.

Originally from Alaska, Rebecca grew up in an environment where her dad was a commercial fisherman, bush pilot and her first vehicle was a snow machine. After college she moved out of Alaska looking for the big city life or as she would say “I needed cement”. Rebecca worked for many years in different consulting firms such as Ernst & Young and Price Waterhouse. Her last corporate job was for an outsourcing firm where she was the CIO.

Peter is from Denmark and first came to the US as a graduate student at Princeton where he fell in love with the US. He returned to Denmark and decided to seek a job that would eventually get him to the US. Peter took a job with Price Waterhouse as an Information Technology Consultant and was moved to the US in 1988 (now you know how Rebecca & Peter met). Peter’s last job before becoming farmer and winemaker was working for an outsourcing firm as the CTO.

The first person who moved to the Sta Rita Hills valley to begin implementing the family’s vision that later was to become ampelos was son Don. He worked his way up in various wineries to his current position as Winemaker at Sea Smoke Cellars. Daughter-in-law Lindsay brings a background in customer service, education and project management to the team and keeps us all organized. Lindsay will often be the first person with whom you will be in contact.

To this core family team, we bring an extended family of colleagues in winemaking and friends new and old to the blend, each adding layers of expertise to this intriguing cuvée we call ampelos.