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| Winery Biographies Bio of Joe Phelps Bio of Bill Phelps Bio of Damian Parker Bio of David Lockwood Bio of Mike McEvoy Bio of Ashley Hepworth Bio of Philippe Pessereau |
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| Joseph Phelps was born on a farm and spent his early years as a
working member of a farm family. In college, he studied engineering
and construction management while working intermittently as a construction
estimator. Graduation was followed by three years as a naval officer
in the Pacific during the Korean conflict. Upon return to civilian life, Phelps began a first career that included presiding over the expansion of a small local firm into a nationally prominent construction organization, recognized as a leader in its field. In 1972 and 1973, Joe established the business and built the winery which bears his name, and which over the years has become identified as one of the most respected benchmarks of California wine quality. The transition from construction executive to winegrower may appear to many as an unlikely career change, but to Phelps it is simply a logical full circle return to earlier priorities. "I'm very fortunate," he muses. "I've been able to combine the relaxed and less demanding life style of farming with a fulfilling commitment to quality and a lifelong affection for fine wines." Joe resides on the Spring Valley ranch on a hill overlooking the winery. 
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Bill is a member of the senior management team at Freestone Vineyards, helping to develop and implement Freestone’s long-term vineyard and winery objectives. The son of founder Joe Phelps, Bill represents the second generation of Phelps family members in the wine business. He is also President of Joseph Phelps Vineyards in the Napa Valley. Bill has been active in a broad range of civic activities, including the Land Trust of Napa County, the Napa Valley Community Foundation, and the St. Helena Choral Society. He is an avid pianist, choral singer and golfer. Bill moved with his family to the Napa Valley in 1998 after he practiced law for 20 years, specializing in the investment banking industry. One of his first projects after moving was assisting with the acquisition of land for Freestone Vineyards. Born in 1954, Bill is a graduate of Colorado College and the University of California’s Hastings College of Law. He and his wife Andrea live near St. Helena. They have two children, Allie and Will. |
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| Damian began working for JPV in 1981 as bottling line supervisor,
and in 1990 was promoted to cellarmaster, a hands-on job overseeing
the day-to-day winemaking operations. In 1994 he became production
supervisor, with the added responsibility of planning and scheduling
production department activities, and in 1997 he was promoted to Vice-President
in charge of production. A graduate of Healdsburg High School in Sonoma County, Damian moved around a lot in his youth, living in North and South Dakota, Montana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and California, while his father was assigned to various hydroelectric projects with the Army Corps of Engineers. Today Damian has recently remarried and lives in Napa with his wife Carolyn. Between them they have five grown children, Sarah, Graham, Samantha, Sydney and Stacy. Back to Top |
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| David, an avid skier, pilot and self-described motorcycle maniac,
was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the youngest of 4 children. His father
was a physician and his mother a nurse, and after WWII they settled
in what was then the Wild West where David spent his childhood swimming,
hiking, skiing and meeting the occasional celebrity in the local casinos. He came to work for JPV in 1998 following two years as CFO with a start-up company on the Central Coast. Prior to that he had been Director of Finance for Schramsberg Vineyards, a Controller for Rockwell International in Southern California, and an Assistant Controller for Hilton Hotels in Las Vegas. With a BS in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and an MBA from the University of Southern California, David is well qualified for the job of JPV's Chief Financial Officer. He also loves it. "The work here is demanding," David reveals, "but everyone works hard with little supervision because of the caring family atmosphere created by Joe Phelps. This is my ideal of how a company should be managed." Back to Top |
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| A native Marylander, Mike McEvoy moved west to join Joseph Phelps Vineyards as Director Mike's first trip to the North Coast wine country in 1992 inspired numerous return visits. In the years that followed, he simultaneously developed a passion for fine wine and a desire to pursue a career in the wine business. Mike worked with historic Boordy Vineyards in his home state of Maryland as Marketing Manager in 2002. His association with Boordy led to a meeting with the Joseph Phelps Vineyards management team, and brought Mike to the Mike McEvoy is a graduate of Washington & Lee University in Virginia and holds an MBA from the University of Baltimore. He successfully completed Level I of the Court of Master Sommeliers examination in 2004. Besides wine, Mike's lifelong passions include music and football. Mike is an accomplished guitarist with several recording credits. And, having grown up in Baltimore, he roots for the Ravens, but still misses the Colts. Mike and his wife Gina reside in Napa with boys Owen and Harrison and daughter Isabel. |
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| Ashley's passion for wine and food began while attending Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. In addition to earning a BS in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, her college years were marked by kitchen positions in some of Durango's finest restaurants. Upon graduation in 1998, Ashley followed her culinary instincts straight to Chicago, where she worked for two years under celebrated chef Charlie Trotter. The fine dining profession soon cultivated Ashley's interest in wine and propelled her to accept a crush position at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 1999. A year of hands-on cellar experience led to the position of laboratory technician and subsequently Associate Winemaker. In the fall of 2008 Ashley was promoted to Winemaker. Ashley earned a Winemaking Certificate from UC Davis - a program that extended the breadth and depth of her winemaking knowledge. In addition she worked a harvest at Chateau Angelus in St. Emilion. Today, Ashley works alongside Damian Parker, focusing on creating the best blends for Joseph Phelps. Ashley lives in St. Helena. Besides her passion for winemaking, she also enjoys cooking, traveling, running and skiing.Back to Top |
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| Born in Tours, France, Philippe is French-English bilingual and also speaks Spanish. He started his career in viticulture and enology in the Sauternes winegrowing region in France and graduated from the École La Tour Blanche in 1986. After completing the 1987 harvest at Chateau Haut-Brion in Talence, France, Philippe moved to the United States in 1988 and worked for several wineries before resuming his studies at U.C. Davis. In 1995, Philippe graduated from Davis with a B.S. in Plant Biology and in 1998 completed an M.S. in viticulture. That same year he was hired by JPV as a viticulturist and in 2003 was promoted to Director of Vineyard Operations. Philippe became a U.S. citizen in 2007 and today lives in Napa with his wife, Jenny, and their three daughters, Emma, Eliza and Morgan.Back to Top |
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