LARRY LANGBEHN has nearly 30 years of highly diverse experience in the wine industry. Starting in 1976 as winemaker at a 30,000 case Napa Valley winery, he has gained experience with, virtually, every varietal in current production. He specializes in several areas. Among red grapes, he has extensive experience with Bordeaux varietals made both in the classic (European) and high ripe (New World) style. He also has extensive working knowledge of Syrah, Mouvedre, and related Rhone varietals. Among white varietals, his greatest experience is with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and both made in diverse styles. He has developed a fondness for Viognier and other white Rhone varietals in the last several years.

Larry has considerable experience with the latest processes and technologies used in the wine industry to optimize the quality of wines. These include tannin management, use of oak alternatives, microbiological control, and micro oxidation.

Larry is a highly motivated person that has operated his own businesses for nearly 20 years. In 1986, he started up and operated his own family winery. Subsequent to that, he ran a successful company to sell and integrate bottling lines. His experience with the ‘nuts and bolts’ of machinery makes him uniquely qualified to specify needed equipment. For the last 10 years, he has dedicated himself to his first love of making wine and a technical wine consulting service. He has considerable experience in Eastern Europe and their unique wine environment. His experience in business is a great asset to the entrepreneur who is just starting and to the existing winery looking to expand.

Larry received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California at Davis in 1969 where he also worked in several laboratories after graduation. He returned to the graduate program in Enology in 1973 and completed all course work. He was born and raised in the Central Valley of California and escaped the flatlands in 1975 when he was hired as a winemaking intern in Napa Valley. He has a variety of hobbies but his greatest interest is in pyrotechnics (once a chemist, always a chemist).
 

John Pepe is a veteran Winemaker with over 20 years in the North Coast wine industry.  Specializing in the production of outstanding red wines John also offers expertise in new winery design and startup, winery management and day-to-day operations.  His work is centered in Sonoma and Mendocino counties but he is willing to travel out of the area with winery clients as far away as New Mexico and Oklahoma.

John has held winemaking and production management positions in some of California’s largest and most successful wineries including Kendall-Jackson and Beringer Vineyards (1993-2000), as well as small ultra-premium boutique wine producers Stonestreet, Pat Paulson Vineyards and The Lyeth Estate (1983-1993).  He was also production manager at a prestigious French cooperage in Calistoga for one year and is well versed in the forests, construction and flavor performance of French and American oak wine barrels.

John’s winemaking focus is on the intricate details and finer points of producing exceptional luxury class wines of exquisite richness, flavor and longevity.  His wines have received numerous accolades and awards from some of America’s most prestigious wine competitions over the past 10 years, many for hard to make varieties Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.

John received his viticulture, management and supervision training at Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University.  He has attended leadership development workshops at the Center for Creative Leadership.  He is an active member of the Vintage Hills Tasting Group, a dedicated group of 40 winemaking professionals who critically taste and assess commercially produced wines of current interest twice monthly.

John lives in Santa Rosa with his wife, two children and pet dog.  His favorite pastimes are collecting the art of Salvador Dali, mosaic sculpting, tent-trailer camping, cooking and, of course, drinking great wines.