Our Team

Hometown: Geneva, Switzerland

About: Being born in Switzerland and raised in Boston, Philip grew up with one foot on each continent. Constantly surrounded by great French wines as a child, his family would tell him the tales of these legendary vintners and instilled a lifelong passion for food and wine.

Philip has deep roots in hospitality that start in the kitchens of France where he got his first job as a young man. Over the years, he made the transition to the restaurant floor where as a sommelier and wine director, he was able to pursue his passions further.

After meeting his wife Emily, Philip was able to pursue his education overseas earning his M.B.A while living and working in the Bordeaux region of France. Philip went on to build a winery and label called Trinité Estate for the famed Lurton family of Bordeaux and later took over direction of Handwritten Wines in Yountville.

Philip is a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers and holds a WSET diploma.

Hometown: San Francisco, California

About: Bill was born in San Francisco, where most of his family still lives, and grew up just south of the City by the Bay in San Bruno, California. He moved to wine country in the early 90s to attend Sonoma State University where he got his degree in Communications Studies. In 2003, he moved to the Napa Valley with his husband Gary where they co-owned a marketing agency for 13 years. In his early 40s, Bill made a life career change because of his passion for wine and joined the wine business by working in a tasting room in Yountville, California.

It was a few years later when he visited Handwritten Wines as a guest and fell in love with all the experience and wines. At that point, he knew he had to a part of the Handwritten family! Bill joined the Good Life Wine Collective in October 2016 and finds great joy in hosting wine tasting experiences for Handwritten’s guests. In their private life, Bill and Gary love to travel. Recently, they visited France and fell in love with its food and wine culture. They look forward to traveling to more wine regions throughout the world in the near future.

When at home, Bill enjoys entertaining family and friends, gardening, being outside, and hanging out with their yellow English Labrador, Obi. Gary and Bill also own a wine tour transportation company called Wine Tasting Driver, offering designated driver services.

Hometown: Northglenn, Colorado

About: Matt is a “lifer” in the service industry. Serving and cooking in restaurants since he was 14, set the foundation for his love of food and wine. He moved to the Napa Valley in 2008 with his wife Christina to continue his passion for cooking. He was quickly absorbed into the wine industry and has been pouring wine for guests from all over the world for 10 years now. His favorite trips are those spent with Christina, mainly in Italy and Mexico. He grew up in Colorado, and will never lose his outdoor spirit. Hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, camping are all activities he actively pursues on a weekly basis.

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Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

About: Tracy says her most memorable culinary experience was the first time she had soft shell crab as a child. “I was so nervous but I took one bite and LOVED it! I can still see my mother’s grin.” She attributes her love of food and wine to her mother. Rome was her favorite vacation spot and recalls being mesmerized by the Sistine Chapel.

Hometown: Napa, California

About: Bailey is a graduate of Southern Oregon University where she played softball and is now happily “retired” from the sport. Her best vacation was a cruise to Mexico with three of her best friends. The “Burger from Hell” at the Coyote Bluff Café in Amarillo, TX is her most memorable culinary experience.

Hometown: Napa, California

About: Born and raised in Napa, Emily naturally made her way into the wine business and joined the Jessup Cellars and Handwritten family in January of 2017. She is passionate about raising her three kids and volunteering for their baseball, football and cheer teams – and cheering them on! She loves the outdoors and spending time on home projects here in beautiful Northern California.

Hometown: Golden, Colorado

About: Christina first joined our work family back in 2008 after graduating from college in Colorado with degrees in hospitality and business administration. Upon moving to Napa Valley, she quickly realized her love of wine, food and unique experiences. She has enjoyed spreading her time over the years in various areas of the company, including the Tasting Gallery, Membership & Hospitality, Marketing and Administration. Her spare time is happily spent with her husband, Matt, and their beloved dog, Hamilton.

Hometown: Spokane, Washington

About: Elise came to the Napa Valley in 2012 after graduating from the University of Memphis in Tennessee with degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Home Furnishings. While in college, she played soccer for the Lady Tigers, with one of her favorite memories being the teams’ trip to compete in Argentina. Shortly after moving to California, she happened into the wine business, joining the Jessup Cellars family in March 2013. Ever since, Elise has been fascinated with the intricacies of learning about wine and all the experiences surrounding it. Travel, music and movies are also among her many passions.

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia

About: Andrew’s two passions are travel & politics. Having travelled most of the world, worked on two Presidential campaigns and working for several charities, he has adopted a broaden worldview. He discovered his love of wine in a small town on the South Island of New Zealand. That bottle of Sauv Blanc changed the course of his professional life. It was that good! Before joining the wine industry he studied at UCSB and received a B.A. in Political Science. He resides in Santa Rosa where he loves spending time with his family and playing baseball with his two small boys along with their chocolate lab, Marley. SF Giants at AT&T Park is his “happy” place.

Hometown: Vallejo, California

About: Jay cherishes the love of his large extended family and appreciates the priceless blessing of a tight-knit circle of friends. Having sailed the West Indies, traveled across Europe – ending with a two-year residence in Valencia Spain – he now enjoys the simple pleasures of basking in the warm California sun, sipping wine and being fully engrossed in a good book. Jay strives to live a life of “Service, Purpose, Meaning and Impact.” His motto: “Collect Moments Not Things.”

Hometown:  Colusa, California

About: Mike has spent his entire career in hospitality. For 7 years he worked for some of the top private country clubs in both Scottsdale Arizona and Couer de’ Alene Idaho. It was those clubs where he discovered his passion for wine. For the past 8 years he has worked for a couple of wineries, but truly believes he has found his forever home. “The people here, from the members to the staff, are just amazing! I feel truly blessed to be a part of such an outstanding culture.” He and his wife reside in Sacramento where they both enjoy Sunday football days, and trying out new recipes together in the kitchen.

Hometown: Santa Rosa, California

About: Kimberly brings over 20 years of dedicated wine experience & passion to the Good Life Wine Collective family. She loves anything to do with being outdoors – biking and hiking, boating and camping with her husband. Time with family is also incredibly important to Kimberly! She adores being a mother of two beautiful daughters and now she gets to enjoy her grandchildren.

Hometown: Campeche, Mexico

About: Bernardo began his career the vineyards, learning the intricacies of grape growing and how to adjust to the whims of Mother Nature. He then moved into the cellars at Jessup Cellars, bringing us his complete grape to bottle knowledge to the team. He has a keen understanding of what it takes to make a great bottle.