Winemaker Matt Ward leads this tight-knit team, working closely with long-time associate winemaker Romel Rivera and Steve Pride. Pure of focus, the team is in constant conversation, brainstorming new ideas and implementing technical changes with the goal of coaxing the finest wines possible out of Pride's mountaintop fruit.
Matt Ward
Winemaker
3 Years at PMV
Born and raised in the Midwest, Matt packed up his car in 2010 and followed his dream of making wine to Northern California. Under the mentorship of Kerry Damskey, he rose through the production ranks in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. Still hungry for knowledge after asking all the questions he knew to ask, Matt pursued his graduate degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis. Upon receiving his Master of Science degree, he accepted a harvest position at Screaming Eagle and spent seven months in the cellar there before heading to New Zealand to lead a team making Bordeaux varieties at Craggy Range. Back in California for harvest 2017, Matt joined Atelier Melka, where he has been making wines for over 20 clients these past five years, managing over a hundred ferments each year, from vineyards across all of Napa and Sonoma. As Associate Winemaker to his mentors, Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky, Matt has produced some of the finest wines to come out of Napa and Sonoma recently, garnering an impressive number of 100-point critical reviews for his many distinct wines.
Romel Rivera
Associate Winemaker
27 Years at PMV
Born on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, Romel left his degree in Nautical Studies from the Philippines Maritime Institute behind at the age of 22 and headed for California. After six back-breaking months hoeing vineyards for his father, then the vineyard manager for Solari Vineyard Management in Calistoga, Romel landed a job in the cellar at Hans Kornell Cellars where Jim and Carolyn Pride were having their wines made. In 1998, when Pride was ready to move into its own winery, Romel made the move up Spring Mountain, too. An amazingly hard working and conscientious man with a very refined palate, he has been our Associate Winemaker ever since.
Ruben Ayala
Lead Mechanic & Production Assistant
25 Years at PMV
Ruben began his life in the beautiful city of Guanajuato, Mexico. At 16, he moved to California, living first with family in Los Angeles, then moving north to Napa. Affectionately known as our “MacGyver” with the ability to fix anything, Ruben developed his considerable carpentry and electrical skills building homes on US air bases in California and Hawaii. After a stint in the kitchen at Mustard’s Grill in the 1980’s (he’s also an amazing cook), Ruben took a job at Hans Kornell Cellars and in 2000 became part of the team making the Pride Mountain Vineyards wines. Like Romel, Ruben moved up the mountain with the wines in 1998 and has been a treasured part of our cellar crew ever since.
Erik Ayala
Viticultural & Production Assistant
10 Years at PMV
Growing up in the town of Napa, and as the son of Pride’s longtime Lead Mechanic/Production Assistant Ruben Ayala, it was only natural that Erik gravitate towards a career in wine. After graduating from Vintage High Erik, took a job in the cellar at Far Niente Winery in Oakville, where he worked off-and-on for the next seven years before joining the team at Pride Mountain Vineyards in 2014. In addition to sharing his dad’s carpentry and cooking talents, Erik is known as “the Bug Whisperer” for his uncanny ability to spot and capture damaging pests in the vineyards and also acts as a key liaison between our winery and vineyard teams.
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Steve Pride
Director of Winegrowing & CEO
21 Years at PMV
Steve has been responsible for guiding Pride Mountain Vineyards since 2004. As both the Director of Winegrowing and CEO, he involves himself in all aspects of the business from viticulture to winemaking, from management to marketing. But his main focus each day is in leading the farming practices on the winery’s 85 acres of vines. Steve is also proud of contributing to and promoting the general spirit that permeates Pride Mountain Vineyards, in which the entire staff places a priority on being concerned for the well-being and happiness of everybody they come in contact with: guests, long-term customers, new customers, vendors, other professional relations, colleagues and to the greater community in which they live.
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The next time you pull the cork on your favorite Pride wine, please fill your glass and raise a toast to this hardworking team. A wonderful and dedicated group of men led by Ranch Foreman, Jose Castro, their efforts correlate directly to the quality of the wine we produce and the beauty of the property.
Paul Skinner has been our viticultural consultant since 1990. Paul has made many improvements to our viticultural practice over these past 30 years and continues to provide his technical insight as we move forward. Steve, Paul, Matt and Jose are in daily communication about new and ongoing strategies for ensuring that each of our 50 vineyard blocks is producing the best possible wine.
Jose Castro
Ranch Foreman
12 Years at PMV
Jose Castro
German Gomez-Flores
Trabajador de Viñedo
23 Years at PMV
German Gomez-Flores
Martin Castaneda
Trabajador de Viñedo
22 Years at PMV
Martin Castaneda
Rigoberto Alcantar
Trabajador de Viñedo
20 Years at PMV
Rigoberto Alcantar
Nereo Galindo
Trabajador de Viñedo
19 Years at PMV
Nereo Galindo
Javiar Alcantar
Trabajador de Viñedo
16 Years at PMV
Javiar Alcantar
Jose Luis Perez
Trabajador de Viñedo
8 Years at PMV
Jose Luis Perez
Enrique Guerrero
Trabajador de Viñedo Operador de Tractor
7 Years at PMV
Enrique Guerrero
Ivan Alvarez Castro
Trabajador de Viñedo
4 Years at PMV
Ivan Alvarez Castro
Luis Perez Flores
Trabajador de Viñedo
4 Years at PMV
Luis Perez Flores
Alejandro Perez Flores
Trabajador de Viñedo
4 Years at PMV
Alejandro Perez Flores
Ruben Perez Flores
Trabajador de Viñedo
3 Years at PMV
Ruben Perez Flores
Rigoberto Luna Moran
Trabajador de Viñedo
3 Years at PMV
Rigoberto Luna Moran
Rosendo Juan
Trabajador de Viñedo
2 Years at PMV
Rosendo Juan
Axel Neriz
Trabajador de Viñedo
1 Years at PMV
Axel Neriz
Mario Lopez Martinez
Trabajador de Viñedo
1 Years at PMV
Mario Lopez Martinez
Steve Pride
Director of Winegrowing & CEO
21 Years at PMV
Steve has been responsible for guiding Pride Mountain Vineyards (PMV) since 2004. He involves himself in all aspects of the business from viticulture to winemaking, from management to marketing. Steve is proud of contributing to and promoting the general spirit that permeates Pride Mountain Vineyards, in which the entire staff places a priority on being concerned for the well-being and happiness of everybody they come in contact with: guests, long-term customers, new customers, vendors, other professional relations, colleagues and to the greater community in which they live. Steve likes to envision PMV, sitting high atop the Mayacamas Mountains, as a giant antenna sending out waves of good will. The ability to connect with people is made easier when the quality of wine is outstanding and Steve’s primary focus in his professional life is how to make the wines of Pride Mountain Vineyards as great as they can possibly be.
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You know these folks! Headed up by Director of Retail Sales, Tim Bouchet, they take great pleasure in connecting with you and sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge of all things Pride Mountain Vineyards.
Tim Bouchet
Director of Retail Sales
27 Years at PMV
A native Californian, Tim was born in Sacramento and moved to the Napa Valley when he was five years old. In his late teens, an opportunity to spend four years in Andalusia, Spain piqued his interest in food and wine, and upon returning home, Tim spent the next two decades of his life absorbing all he could from the chefs and sommeliers he worked with while managing some of the area’s finest restaurants. Now the director of Pride’s successful retail sales and hospitality program, Tim lives in Napa with his wonderful wife, Natalie and his two adult children, Timmy and Gracie, who are off at college. Off-work hours are spent outside, road cycling, mountain biking, working with Natalie in their yard, garden and honing the craft of wood-fired BBQ.
Katrina Hatchett
Wine Education & Hospitality
17 Years at PMV
“Where in the world is Katrina?” As a 25+ year wine professional and Delta Airlines flight attendant, when Katrina isn’t at the winery hosting guests and sharing her vast knowledge of all things wine, she could be almost anywhere. London, Rome, Prague . . . while she calls both St. Helena, CA and NYC home, international travel takes her to many far-flung places and often her winery co-workers benefit from her exploration of the local wine regions. Tennis and yoga keep Katrina in shape and ready for her next adventure, while her AAA Premier membership does the same for “Big Blue,” her 20-year-old Jeep and longtime road trip companion.
Jay Hebert
Wine Education & Hospitality
15 Years at PMV
Jay moved to the Napa Valley from Rhode Island with his family when he was 5 years old. After graduating from Vintage High in Napa, Jay attended Concordia University in Irvine where he majored in business. With plans to move to Australia for a year after graduation, Jay jumped into hospitality to save for the trip. Life had other plans, however, and raising two daughters became adventure enough. After more than a decade in hotels and restaurants, he followed his interest in wine to Pride Mountain Vineyards. Having found that he has the heart of a teacher, Jay now loves entertaining and educating our guests and is frequently heard to say that since coming to work at Pride, “he's been here for ten years but hasn't worked a day yet!”
Allison Mulligan
Wine Education & Hospitality
Andy Nies
Wine Education & Hospitality
13 Years at PMV
Born in Los Angeles, Andy moved to Arkansas for high school and later played football for the UCA Bears. After college, he headed back to California where he honed his hospitality and entertainment skills at Universal Studios, E! True Hollywood Story and Fox Sports. A second career in restaurants followed, as he worked his way up from the bar to management. During this chapter he found two loves: Brittany, now his wife of 10 years, and wine. Several grueling years in the restaurant business later, Andy had visions of a better life for his wife and their two children, Dorian and Evie. A well-timed job opening, and a great phone interview landed him at Pride Mountain Vineyards.
Nikki Lamberti
Wine Education & Hospitality
13 Years at PMV
Nikki relocated to wine county in 2012 from Orlando, after a long career of hospitality, sales and human resources with the Walt Disney Company. A New Jersey native, food and wine have always been an important part of her life, and after vacationing in Napa and Sonoma for a few years, she chose a career change to incorporate her love of those things into her daily life. She recently completed her winemaking certificate with UC Davis and enjoys making wine at home, global travel and spending time with her partner Michael and their 3 beautiful (big) dogs.
Samantha Orozco
Office Assistant
12 Years at PMV
Samantha came to live on the ranch with her mother and father, vineyard foreman David Orozco, when she was just eight years old. Her first job was working at the winery and while attending high school in St. Helena and during college at UC Sacramento, she helped out in many capacities. Graduating in 2008, and now a teacher in the Napa school district, Sam continues to work in the administrative and tasting room offices in the summer and on the occasional weekend. She loves sharing stories of growing up on the property with co-workers and guests and it delights her to see how much her two young children love spending time here, too.
Becky Beissmann
Wine Education & Hospitality
8 Years at PMV
Born in San Francisco and raised in Novato, Becky studied nutritional sciences at Cal Poly and received her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences while studying the health benefits of moderate wine consumption. Following graduation, she accepted a position at Kenwood Vineyards as their Northern California & Hawaii area sales manager. Opting to stay closer to home once her children were born, Becky continued her wine education, and now at Pride, enjoys sharing her knowledge with guests. Becky’s coworkers make her laugh every day and the winery’s educational program help her to continue to expand her knowledge. When not at work, she enjoys family and friends, swimming, running and hiking.
Krista Duplantis
Wine Education & Hospitality
8 Years at PMV
Krista was born in southern Louisiana, grew up in western Massachusetts, and in 2013, headed west to be closer to her sister and nephews in California. Shortly thereafter, she fell in love with wine, and as a result of her enthusiasm and exuberance, was offered a tasting room job during her very first visit to a winery. While learning on the job, Krista also took a UC Davis extension course in Viticulture and Enology, and now at Pride, loves the continuing education seminars offered. A proud mom of two, Krista loves to sing.
Mark Ferguson
Wine Education & Hospitality
7 Years at PMV
Mark landed in the Napa Valley in 1971 at the ripe old age of five, and in 1976 his parents purchased a restaurant, in part to establish a strong work ethic in their four children. After graduating high school, he attended college with a focus on small business administration, then returned home to take ownership of the family restaurant. One more restaurant and sixteen years later, Mark changed course and began his now almost 20-year career in the wine industry with a position at Freemark Abbey as their wine club coordinator. While he has worn many hats throughout his career, Mark says he’s found the one that fits best here with the team at Pride.
Dana Kapustka
Wine Education & Hospitality
Quique Jovel
Wine Education & Hospitality
6 Years at PMV
Quique was born in Napa and grew up believing that it was the best place you could ever want to live. He spent his childhood playing outside and trying not to grow up too fast. In high school, Quique worked in restaurants, including a stint alongside now PMV co-worker, Jay Hebert. In college, his passion for wine started to grow. Once he earned his bachelor’s degree, Quique dove headfirst into studying wine. He spent his first years at Orin Swift, then started working his way up the mountain, first at Spring Mountain Vineyard, and then finally at the top, here at Pride. When he got the job, Quique said, "I've been trying to work here for 4 years!" When not at work, he can be found relaxing at home with his wife, two huskies and two tuxedo cats.
Annie Paradzinski
Wine Education & Hospitality
4 Years at PMV
Born and raised in South Lake Tahoe, Annie moved to Napa in 2017 to live closer to family and to further her education. Having worked in pubs and breweries for several years, she easily transitioned to hospitality and polished her customer service skills at a number of the valley’s finest restaurants. After graduating from Napa Valley College, she landed at Pride through the recommendation of a one of our current wine educators who just knew she’d be a perfect fit. While working full-time at Pride, Annie is also pursuing a BA in Business Administration from SDSU San Diego. In what little free time she has, she enjoys reading and travel.
Brittney Rivers
Wine Education & Hospitality
Elizabeth Stanton
Concierge
3 Years at PMV
Born and raised in the East Bay, Elizabeth went to college at CSU Fresno. While there, she took a tour of their highly regarded winemaking facility and thought “who would want to major in wine?” Little did she know that five years later she’d wish that she had. Instead, she got her bachelor’s in criminology, moved north to Napa, and went into title insurance. Eventually wanting to escape the cubicle life, she accepted a job with Spring Mountain Vineyards before joining the Rombauer team as a consumer relations assistant. Three years after realizing that the wine business was pretty rewarding after all, she made her way back to the mountain and joined our concierge team. On her off hours, she makes mead, plays video games and Dungeons & Dragons, and sews medieval costumes for a non-profit organization.
Nicole Menetski
Wine Education & Hospitality
Jennifer Cranston
Wine Education & Hospitality
Jeff Harrington
Wine Education & Hospitality
1 Years at PMV
Originally from Massachusetts, Jeff relocated to the Napa Valley in the spring of 2001 after ten years of working seasonally in Nantucket and Southwestern Montana. A professional mixologist turned restaurant manager, Jeff worked for several of the finest restaurants in Wine Country before joining Pride Mountain Vineyards, curating many high-end wine lists and craft cocktail bar programs along the way. During this career progression, he also earned an MBA in wine business from Sonoma State University and met and married his Napa-native wife, Shelley, with whom he loves to garden, cook, and spend time with their three dogs in their Napa home.
Greg Marcarelli
Wine Education & Hospitality
1 Years at PMV
Growing up in Huntington Beach, Greg quickly discovered a love for the sea. Surfing, sailing, and scuba diving pointed him in the direction of the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, and enrolling opened the door to a life as a Merchant Marine. Upon graduating, Greg began his career with a job managing oil tankers in the oil and gas industry. In 1990 he moved to Houston, Texas where he managed fuel oil sales for ships worldwide. Over time, his travels introduced him to the world of wine, as he frequently entertained international ship owners. After a long career in shipping, Greg made his way back to the Golden State in 2018 and began managing a facility that manufactured drones for the defense industry, conveniently located in the middle of wine country. What were the odds! One of Greg’s earliest winery visits was to Pride Mountain Vineyards. Now, 24 years later, Greg is back at Pride, but this time as an employee. Proud and excited to be a part of the Pride Mountain Vineyard team, he looks forward to each day he gets to be on the mountain, sharing the wines he loves and meeting wonderful people.
This diverse group does it all, from representing us in the national sales market, to answering your phone calls and emails with a smile, to keeping the property looking its best. Some of them you may meet when you visit, some of them you may not, but they are all important members of our team and we couldn't do it without them!
Steve Pride
Director of Winegrowing & CEO
21 Years at PMV
Steve has been responsible for guiding Pride Mountain Vineyards since 2004. He is involved in all aspects of the business and is as likely to be out on the property with our vineyard manager as he is to be participating in a blending trial, working with the sales and marketing team or fine-tuning a budget with our CFO. While it’s a lot of work, he’d also tell you that it’s a whole lot of fun, with the themed educational tastings he hosts for the staff being a particular highlight. Steve lives with his French wife, Laurence, in Moraga, and when he’s not at the winery, is also a staff-scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley Lab and an adjunct-professor at UC Berkeley.
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Rob Morris
CFO
8 Years at PMV
Rob grew up in Salt Lake City and graduated from the University of Utah with honors. A mutual love of wine led Rob to bring a bottle of 2001 Pride Viognier on his first date with his now wife. Thirteen years into his career at KPMG, Rob heeded the call to meld his professional proficiencies with his passion for wine. After a stint at a winery and then leading the Wine Business Services accounting practice for Frank, Rimerman + Co., Rob accepted his dream job as CFO at Pride Mountain Vineyards. In his spare time, Rob enjoys playing golf, cooking and traveling. Rob and his wife, Sallie, have a 22-year old black-headed caique parrot named Chester.
Wendy Brooks
Director of Business & Marketing
27 Years at PMV
Growing up in rural upstate New York and feeling most drawn to the beach, it never occurred to Wendy that she would move to wine country. Fate intervened in the form of her husband Mark’s dream to become a winemaker, however, and she is now 20 years into the wine business herself. Starting at PMV in 1998 when the winery was still in its infancy, Wendy is proud to have watched the business grow and become “home” to many co-workers over the years. More than a decade on the board of Family Winemakers of California offered further insights into what makes the industry tick. Yoga, paddle boarding, playing with clay and fostering with Wine Country Animal Lovers are favorite extracurricular pursuits.
Tim Bouchet
Estate and Facilities
27 Years at PMV
A native Californian, Tim was born in Sacramento and moved to the Napa Valley when he was five years old. In his late teens, an opportunity to spend four years in Andalusia, Spain peaked his interest in food and wine, and upon returning home, Tim spent the next two decades of his life absorbing all he could from the chefs and sommeliers he worked with while managing some of the area’s finest restaurants. Now the director of Pride’s successful retail sales and hospitality program, Tim lives in Napa with his wonderful wife, Natalie and his two adult children, Timmy and Gracie, who are off at college. Off-work hours are spent outside, road cycling, mountain biking, working with Natalie in their yard, garden and honing the craft of wood fired BBQ.
Yohannah Burmeister
Director of National Sales
5 Years at PMV
Yohannah joined the team at Pride as Director of National Sales in 2020, bringing with her 15 years of sales and leadership experience with California wineries, European importers, and wholesalers. Her passion for wine developed while working in restaurants as a UC Berkeley undergrad. Searching for a career that could sate her never-ending curiosity and wanderlust, the wine industry was a natural fit. In 2009, she achieved her Advanced Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers and, in 2015, passed the Diploma with Merit from the WSET. In 2020, she was accepted into the prestigious Masters of Wine program. When not talking wine, she may be found in her organic backyard garden, paddle boarding, sipping Austrian Riesling, and snuggling her two rescue dogs.
Cheryl Windecker
Administrative Assistant
27 Years at PMV
Growing up in northern California, Cheryl joined the growing Pride Mountain Vineyards team in 1998 after several years in administration at Hans Kornell Champagne Cellars in the Napa Valley. Wearing many hats, she handles accounts payable, label approvals, and assists with the winery’s safety program. Known as “Mrs. Claus”, Cheryl is also responsible for decking the halls every holiday season, perhaps the part of her job she likes best. Living in Yountville with her husband and love of her life, Brad, Cheryl enjoys weekends on the coast, dining out, gardening, and the peace and quiet of living in a small town.
Katherine Rantz
Assistant CFO
20 Years at PMV
Kathy moved to the Napa Valley in 1986 from the Bay Area and where her first job was with a small family winery called Sutter Home (which actually was small at the time). As she branched out and went on to work at several larger publicly-owned wineries, she found herself missing the nuances of a family owned business. Kathy’s journey brought her to Pride Mountain Vineyards where she says she, “couldn’t be happier!”
Chris Bergen
Shipping & Bottling Manager
20 Years at PMV
Born in San Diego, Chris grew up a block from the beach until his family moved to Rancho Santa Fe. At 15, he began a life of hospitality and customer service with his first job at his parents’ country club. At 30, Chris moved to the Napa Valley where he built, with his sister, an award-winning gourmet food company. Chris joined the team at Pride in 2005 and has bottled and shipped over 2,500,000 bottles of Pride wines around the world, receiving countless notes of appreciation for his service. Chris’ passion for making people happy is only overshadowed by his love for his children, enjoying live rock concerts and days on the beach and or golf course.
Jessica Baker
Events & Media Manager
12 Years at PMV
Living in Napa most of her life, Jessica has visited much of the U.S. and even spent a few months in Italy after high school before returning to Napa. Starting in the wine business at 22, she gained work experience in shipping, tasting room hospitality, trade relations and custom special events. During these years, Jessica also attended college level wine classes, received her Level One Sommelier certificate and, as the result of her knowledge and passion, developed several wine and food programs. Here at Pride, Jessica is appreciated by all for love of great wine, her efficiency and her attention to detail.
Kathryn Bryan
Multimedia Designer
10 Years at PMV
Kathryn grew up in Santa Rosa, California. With a love of photography, she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Photojournalism from the University of Montana. After working various journalism internships, she fell in love with book publishing, and moved to New York City. While working fulltime as the art & design coordinator for Random House’s cover art department, she attended night classes at NYU and earned a Professional Certificate in Traditional and Digital Book Publishing. Kathryn is the daughter of Suzanne Pride Bryan and Stuart Bryan and is a member of the third generation of the Pride family.
Eliza Sweet
Landscape Gardener
5 Years at PMV
Eliza joined the Pride Mountain Vineyards after relocating from Maine, where she'd lived since 1985. There she ran a successful landscaping business while running a small farm on sixty acres. Mother to two amazing children, French speaker, avid traveler, wine lover and adventurous spirit, Eliza is escaping northern winters while doing what she loves most, beautifying her corner of the world with gardens. In her spare time, Eliza can be found walking.
Antonio Solario Hernandez
Assistant Gardener
2 Years at PMV
Antonio Solario Hernandez
Suzanne Pride Bryan
22 Years at PMV
Suzanne Pride Bryan is co-owner of Pride Mountain Vineyards along with her brother Steve Pride. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, Suzanne joined her parents at the winery in 2003 after several decades in management in San Francisco and at the other family firm, Pride Institute. Suzanne says it’s been an honor to carry-forward her parents’ vision since Jim Pride passed in 2004 and Carolyn Pride retired, while citing the work of the winery’s remarkably talented and hard-working team. Today, Suzanne, along with her husband Stuart Bryan, supports significant philanthropic efforts on behalf of the winery including the Emeril Lagasse Foundation where she serves on the board of directors; the V Foundation for Cancer Research where she served on the board and has twice been named Vintner Grant Honoree; and the San Francisco 49ers Foundation.
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Stuart Bryan
19 Years at PMV
Stuart joined Pride Mountain Vineyards in its earliest days and used the distributor network he’d developed through 10 years in national wine sales to help launch the brand. In 2014, after 30 years on the road, 20 of them for the family business, Stuart transitioned from his position as Director of National Sales to Vintner Ambassador and now represents us at key charitable events. From Red, White and Snow, to the Nantucket Wine Festival, and from Emeril Lagasse’s Carnival du Vin to the Napa Valley’s own V-Foundation Wine Celebration, Stuart is a well-known and welcome presence. Closer to home, Stuart also serves on the Sonoma County Vintners Board of Directors.
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