Hosts

Alexander and Wayne, the original winery, has always focused on the traditional California varieties native to the French regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux. These wines include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for whites, and Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties and blends for reds.

Arthur Earl was started in 1997 to focus on varieties from the Rhone region of France as well as select varieties from northern Italy. These wines include Viognier and Pinot Grigio for whites, and Syrah, Grenache, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Sangiovese and other Rhone and Italian reds and whites.

Art is also a WSET Level 3 Certified Specialist in Wine and a member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs.

Born in Syracuse, New York, Nancy Bailey spent a good portion of her school years overseas in England. Her interest in food and wine was sparked by family travels abroad. After attending Hamilton College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and The Fletcher School at Tufts University earning a Master of Arts degree in international relations, Nancy ventured to California where she discovered a true passion for wine country living. She lent her many marketing talents to well-known brands as Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery, Champagne Perrier Jouët, and Kendall-Jackson. Her creativity and communication acumen placed her in high demand when she went on to work as a freelance marketing consultant for a number of Sonoma County wineries. Before accepting her current role at Gary Farrell in 2011, Nancy was General Manager of Wine Creek LLC (Quivira Vineyards & Winery, La Follette Wines and Torbreck Vintners) for 4 years.

Theresa Heredia joined Gary Farrell Winery team as winemaker in 2012. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, before becoming a Ph.D candidate in chemistry with an emphasis in enology at UC Davis. She left the program to follow her calling as a hands-on winemaker. Coming off a long stint as winemaker at Freestone Vineyards in Sonoma County, Heredia brings considerable experience working with cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and small-lot, single-vineyard wines. During her tenure at Freestone, Heredia’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brought the Joseph Phelps-owned winery significant critical acclaim. In early 2012 she was named “Winemaker to Watch” by the San Francisco Chronicle, reflecting her interest in wines that offer a pure expression of their vineyard site and her willingness to experiment with different winemaking techniques.

With 13 years of love and hard work, Dave and Helen look forward to sharing our story and our wine with you on this Ama Waterways River Cruise. Through our discussions we will walk through the vineyards, crush and ferment the wine, barrel and blend, and finally bottle and deliver to our club members. We’ll also explore the different styles of wine from d’Arts Lodi wines to the wines of the iconic Bordeaux wine region.

Eric Glomski, owner of Page Springs Cellars, Cornville, AZ

Page Springs Cellars was established in 2003 when Eric Glomski and his family purchased the property. Page Springs Cellars is considered a Rhone house, meaning we specialize in varieties that are grown in the Rhone valley in southeastern France. Mirroring appellations such as the Cote Rotie, Hermitage, and Chateaunuef du Pape, our specialty in red varietals are Syrah, Mouvedre, Grenache, and Petite Sirah.

Sam Pillsbury, owner of Pillsbury Wine Company, Cottonwood, AZ

Sam Pillsbury is Phoenix Magazine’s ‘Best Local Winemaker’, Wine Spectator called him one of the ‘Rising Stars of the Southwest’, and MSN.com/food and wine named him top winery in Arizona. In 2014 he completed construction on his own winery at the vineyard in Cochise County, where he now makes his wines with fellow winemaker James Callahan of Rune Wines.