OUR TEAM

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: 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: 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.

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Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

About: Growing up in Napa and having an older brother involved in the restaurant industry gave A.J. an appreciation early on for wine and food. That appreciation turned into a passion and now A.J. is currently doing his best to pursue the “good life” and share his love of wine and food with as many people as possible!

Hometown: Pitman, New Jersey

At heart an adventurer, Mary Kate has lived abroad for much of her adult life. Having moved to Spain at just 16, she fell in love with the way that travel can open both your mind and your world. While she considers Spain the home of her heart, she has also had fantastic experiences living in Thailand, France, Portugal, and Greece.

Her love of culture naturally led her to the world of wine, as she witnessed in her travels how beautifully people commune over a bottle, and how sharing a glass of wine is truly always an opportunity for connection.

Mary Kate has her Bachelor’s in International Relations, and her Master’s in Wine Tourism. In her free time, she is a huge literature nerd and loves to read and write. She also enjoys solo backpacking, playing her guitar, sewing, and exploring craft breweries.

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: Napa, CA

Vi grew up in Napa and is proud to be 4th generation. Her grandfather worked for Beringer Brothers for 30 years before purchasing his own vineyard in Redwood Valley, which is where Vi grew up. Vi attended Cal State studying Cultural Anthropology and then made her way back to Napa Valley.

Her love for the wine and hospitality industry really took flight while working for a local business in Yountville.

Vi spends her time with her three lovely daughters, her Handwritten team members and enjoying wine (especially bubbles!).

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: 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.

Hometown: San Luis Obispo, CA

About: Amy grew up in a large family. Nightly dinners and holiday gatherings were always centered around a grand array of great food and wine. It was these moments that first sparked her life’s ambition to become the ultimate party host.

After chasing a degree in both business administration and culinary arts, Amy realized that both of these fields come together in the restaurant industry. Soon she was travelling and working around the globe. It was with through these experiences that Amy found herself in the Napa Valley working at a popular locals spot. After meeting many of the valley’s winery workers it became very clear to her that there was only one winery that she wanted to work with – The Good Life Wine Collective.

In her spare time, Amy enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, biking, yoga, tennis and snowboarding along with the joy of supporting her son’s baseball and basketball dreams. 

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.

Jake is a Southern California native, where he spent most of his time on the beach and in the ocean.
Working in restaurants and hotels after school, Jake gained a passion for food and wine which led him to Napa Valley.
When he isn’t drinking wine or traveling, he enjoys fishing, surfing, and playing guitar.
He is so excited to get on the road and host some memorable in-home experiences with our incredible members!