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Bill began his career in the wine industry in 1996 working in the cellar at a small Dry Creek Valley winery specializing in Rhone and Italian varietals.
Bill soon moved on to the Russian River Valley to work for a large custom-winemaking facility. Initially hired to oversee a hard apple cider program, Bill quickly learned the fundamentals of commercial wine production - fermentation, aging, fining, blending and bottling - in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. Over the next five years Bill managed winemaking programs for a diverse portfolio of wineries.
In 2001, Bill concentrated his efforts on managing wine production for the rapidly growing Blackstone brand, eventually relocating to Sonoma Valley to oversee their new reserve micro-winery.
In July 2003, Bill joined Courtney Benham at his new Russian River Valley winery and has since worked to develop the Martin Ray and Angeline family of wines. Today, Bill and his team are dedicated to producing high quality, distinctive wines sourced only from premium vineyards.
Kerry came into winemaking in part because as the result of a conspiratorial plot on the part of his father. Ray Damskey, who founded Dutch Henry Vineyard in Napa Valley, always wished he had found the path to winemaking. While Kerry was busy planning a career as an anthropologist, his dad laid the groundwork for Kerry to have a future as a winemaker.
As the impressionable young man came of age, Ray introduced him to good quality wines and plied him with legends of the vine. Wine had always been served at the family table and as Kerry matured into his late teens the alchemy of science and flavors, as well as the knowledge that he would "always live in a beautiful place", led Kerry to U C Davis, making him a part of the winemaking class of 1976. Like famed California winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff, Kerry is an industry leader of vision, with an impeccable reputation among his peers. Enthusiastic and generous, Kerry has become a noted lecture and spokesperson for the wine industry.
Today, with more than 30 years of winemaking experience, Kerry is recognized on four continents for his acuity and focus in creating brilliant wines. Through his wine industry consulting practice, Terroirs, Inc. founded in 1999. Kerry and his team travel the world advising on vineyard development, vineyard and winery acquisition and winemaking. Kerry has expanded his work to include strategic planning and operational management for new and established wineries. As an industry innovator Kerry's most recent projects include serving as the Chief Wine Officer for Tastingroom.com and a new vineyard and winery operation in Costa Rica.
Kerry holds a B.S. in fermentation sciences from the University of California, Davis, is a graduate of the Intensive Program for Small Business at Stanford University School of Business, and is a candidate of the Institute of the Masters of Wine.
Megan Hill comes to Martin Ray Winery with a diverse experience in wine production. She has worked at wineries in several regions with varied winemaking techniques, including Russian River Valley (J Vineyards and Winery), Anderson Valley (Navarro Vineyards), Central Otago (Olssens of Bannockburn), Trentino (Foradori), Maremma Toscana (Ampeleia), and Valpolicella (Villa Monteleone). In her travels, Megan gained appreciation for a variety of wine styles, from aromatic Austrian Riesling and coastal Pinot to elegant Teroldego and opulent Amarone. Most recently, she worked at a fast-paced custom crush winery in Napa Valley, helping to produce small-lot, premium wines.
A native of Healdsburg, Megan was born into a winemaking and grape growing family, exposing her to the engaging artistry and science of winemaking. She entered the wine industry in 2006, after graduating from UC Davis with two B.S. degrees in Viticulture & Enology and Evolution & Ecology.
Megan joins the Martin Ray team, excited about the opportunity to create distinctive wines, expressive of their unique appellations, focusing on balance, character, and a continual progression of quality.
I've always felt that the love of farming is something you are born with. My father was raised on a large farm in Minnesota but the Depression and World War II brought him west to California. After the war, he eventually purchased a 36 acre prune ranch in Santa Rosa and that was a very important part of my formative years. After a stint in the Air Force as a Russian language specialist and a degree in Philosophy, my wife, 3 year old son and I moved back to the original farm which by then had been reduced to 5 acres. This was a great place to raise kids as later on we had a daughter added to our family.
During this period I began classes at the Santa Rosa Junior College and became the first graduate from their newly created Viticulture Department in 1975. For 24 years I worked as a vineyard manager and eventually transitioned to Grower Relations. The last12 years I spent with Beringer which eventually became Foster's Wine Estates. It became apparent that the corporate environment wasn't something I enjoyed so in spring of 2010 I joined Martin Ray's winemaking team as Grower Relations Representative.
It's important for the growers to understand and appreciate that they are not primarily grape growers but wine growers. Working with growers to give the winery optimum quality is the name of the game. My many years of vineyard experience gives me credibility when I meet and talk with the people who supply our fruit. It's important that there be good communication so that both the winery and grower are successful and we maintain healthy, long-term partnerships.
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