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Jaime Courtroul
Jaime cut his teeth in our vineyards in the mid 1990’s.
The birth of his daughter, Kaya, prompted him and his
wife Michelle to move back east to be closer to family.
Eight years later, Jaime rejoins us to take the reins
as our Vineyard Manager. He oversees all aspects of
vineyard installation and care in an organized,
efficient manner. Jaime’s well-honed mechanical skills
and eye towards perfection keep things in tip top shape.
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Peter Kirchner
Peter assumed the
winemaking duties for Microwinery after earning his
Bachelors degree from the University of California at
Santa Cruz. The experience he gained working in the
vineyards while an undergraduate made for an easy
transition, as the grapes he vinifies come from the
very same vineyards he works. Equipped with the
scientific background and practical experience,
Peter understands the art behind the science, and
the science behind the art. That, in turn, allows
him to transform the grapes he tastes in the
vineyard into the wine you get to taste in your glass.
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Billy Palmer
Regardless of what job Billy undertakes, he always uses
his sharp mind and creative thoughts to accomplish the
work in the best possible fashion. His optimism and
cheerful demeanor are infectious. During the growing
season, Billy is in charge of a complex disease control
program. An avid diver, he finds time to teach classes
at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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Derek Norman
The middle son of our
office manager, Derek has grown up around our
vineyards. Young and eager, he assists with
installations as well as all pest control programs.
Derek fills the role of equipment manager, with his
extensive knowledge of tractors, trucks, and engines,
large and small.
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Devin
Gneiting Devin is our resident outdoorsman,
taking groups of people on backpacking adventures
during the summer. Devin grew up in Los
Angeles and went to college at UCSC. |
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Patrick Bourque
Patrick is a local Santa Cruz Mountains boy with an
interest in playing guitar and shooting sporting
clays. We're fortunate that he hasn't yet
become famous enough with his band to quit his day
job. Someday we'll be able to say we knew him
when... |
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Office Crew |
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Tammy
Norman
Tammy is our Office Manager who is,
essentially, the pulse of DVC. She keeps us
operating without missing a beat despite a plethora of
responsibilities. Dispatching complex compliance
requirements, managing the web site before you, handling
personnel issues, letting the dogs in and out
[endlessly], all fall within the purview of Tammy’s
domain. She is the organization in our
Organization.
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Michelle Courtroul
Michelle is the Wine Program Coordinator for
Microwinery and Office Assistant for DeVine
Consultants. Michelle has years of vineyard
experience under her belt along with a Bachelors
degree from the University of California at Santa
Cruz. In addition to coordinating the wine
program, Michelle also manages our literary and
educational programs.
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Eternal Employees |
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Mike McKeand
Mike
will forever be part of the DVC crew. When he was
here he gave his heart and soul to growing grapes right.
Nobody could drive a tractor like Mike. As his dad
says, “Mike loved to drive
anything on two wheels, even if it came with four.”
When he wasn’t at work, he experienced life with a
passion and zeal that few have ever been fortunate
enough to experience. Tragically, Mike was lost
performing one final heroic act, trying to save his
girlfriend from drowning. Although she survived,
Mike was not as fortunate. Every day, when we
assemble for work, Mike’s spirit is still there with
us—a little late on Mondays! |
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Nate Mlyniec
Nate worked with our
vineyard crew during his summer breaks from high school
for two consecutive years. Nate's quick wit and
unique points of view made him a joy to work with.
He was planning to attend UC Davis as a Food Science
major and, upon graduating, return as the head chef at
our future winery. A scholarship has been
set up in his name for food science majors to pursue the
dream that he was unable to. Information on
contributions can be found at
natescholarship@earthlink.net.
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