Hugh Davies - President - Schramsberg Winery - 
Schramsberg Vineyards is now in the hands of Jack and Jamie Davies' youngest son, Hugh. Born in 1965, the year his parents Jack and Jamie Davies revived the historic Schramsberg Vineyards property in Napa Valley, Hugh was named President and CEO of the 40-year old sparkling wine house in 2005. Prior to this, he held the dual responsibilities of Winemaker and General Manager. He holds a master's degree in enology from the University of California, Davis, and has his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in Maine. At Schramsberg, Hugh has led the ongoing effort to fine-tune winemaking and grape growing techniques, building upon the winery’s venerable track record of producing award-winning sparkling wines. Schramsberg’s current stable of vineyards includes more than 90 specially selected sites in the Carneros district of Napa Valley, the Anderson Valley, and along the Sonoma and Marin coasts. The winery's commitment to small lot base wine production has yielded extraordinary blending opportunity for the 8-10 sparkling blends produced each year. Over 200 lots are evaluated after harvest, representing many variables: vineyard terroir, grape clone, barrel fermentation, stainless tank fermentation, malolactic fermentation, etc. Additionally, Hugh was instrumental in replanting the historic hillside Diamond Mountain District vineyards adjacent to the winery to Bordeaux varietals. They are now used by the Schramsberg winemaking team to make J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon. From the first vintage in 2001, J. Davies has received both public and critical acclaim. Hugh serves on the board of directors for the Napa Valley Vintners (he was President, 2006) and, with his family, he chaired the 2004 Auction Napa Valley. Hugh, along with his brother Bill, heads up the Jack L. Davies Fund, which is committed to carrying on efforts initiated by his father to preserve the Napa Valley for its highest uses: agriculture and wild lands. For prior hands-on experience in the wine industry before joining Schramsberg, Hugh worked with Möet et Chandon in Epernay; Petaluma Winery in South Australia, and Mumm Napa Valley, among others. His political and public service background includes work with the San Francisco Trust for Public Land and assisting California Congressman Tony Coelho in Washington, D.C. Hugh lives on the Schramsberg grounds with his wife, Monique and his three young sons Emrys, Nelson and Hugh Lawrence. He enjoys spending time with his kids, backpacking and going to the Oakland A’s baseball games. Hugh is dedicated to continuing the quality enhancement of Schramsberg and J. Davies wines. With his leadership, Schramsberg Vineyards is in good, sturdy hands.
Jody and Emily Towe - "Les Garagistes"
A couple of wine lovers-turned-winemakers, who managed to make amazing wine in their very first vintage -- while keeping their day jobs, and sharing the whole story online as it happened. The pair decided to make their own wine after falling in love with the messy, glorious work of harvest in California's Central Coast. They did so in a big way (well, as big as it can get when your winery is a garage), with top-quality fruit sourced from top-name vineyards; immeasurable help from many wonderful friends; and pure love. Their label, j.brix wines, is born of kismet. Jody's middle name is Brix, a family name -- and, the measure winemakers use to calculate ripeness in grapes. The 2009 vintage comprises just 49 cases. Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson called it "luscious and delicious." Find out more about their story, their wines and their double (double) blind food-and-wine pairings, at jbrix.com. We have two children, an 11-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son, both of whom enjoy participating in the winemaking and pairing adventures. We also each have full-time jobs(!) To follow the story and for more information, harvest photos and the inside scoop, people can subscribe to the blog (j.brix.com) and/or "like" the j.brix wines page on Facebook.
Actress - Jane Seymour - American Red CrossJane Seymour, OBE (born Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg; 15 February 1951) is an English actress well-known for her roles as the Bond girl in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die, the 1990s American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and its telefilm sequels.
