Miner Family Vineyards is as committed to the production of excellence as it is to the preservation of a tightly knit family of committed individuals. Though the wines may speak for themselves, it is the passion, determination and perseverance of the team that enable those voices to be heard by a wide reaching audience. Whether we're in the cellar, on the phone or traveling the long road and despite the individual idiosyncrasies, there prevails an unmistakable conviction that we've got something special here, and that we're more than ready, willing and able to share at a moment's notice. The following folks merely represent the public aspect of Miner, there are several others both in the cellar, the lab, the tasting room and behind the desks upstairs that are no less important to keeping us afloat daily. Our apologies to them for the lack of sufficient space here, and our thanks to them for the unerring dedication and professionalism brought to the outfit every day.

Dave Miner began his journey in the wine business in 1993 as President of Oakville Ranch Vineyards following a number of years spent working in the software industry. He launched his own label beginning with the 1996 vintage to critical acclaim that quickly solidified his position as a serious new vintner in Oakville. Born and raised in Chicago, Dave lived for a number of years in southern California before staking his claim in Napa Valley. Dave and his wife Emily are the proud parents of daughters Sofie and Calla.
Emily was born and raised in Minneapolis. A graduate of Santa Clara University in California with a degree in History and Spanish, Emily easily fell in love with Napa during breaks from school. Emily worked for a fine wine distributor in Minneapolis after graduation and quickly realized that winters in Minnesota were no longer much fun. Emily moved to Napa in 1994 and worked at Clos Pegase before being offered a job at Oakville Ranch. It was here that she met Dave, fell in love, launched Miner and finally married the boss in 1999. The rest as they say...is history.

Gary Brookman originally cut his teeth making wine in 1980 at Joseph Phelps Vineyards. It was there he worked with a myriad of varietals, constantly refining his skills with each passing harvest. From there he spent two years at Franciscan Estates garnering an obvious love for wild yeast fermentation. He's been at Miner from day one crafting wines and stalking vineyards in critical pursuit of bottled harmony while capturing the essence of the land. Originally from southern California, Gary now lives in St. Helena with his wife Joan and their two children.
Samantha Kasper was born and raised in Sussex, England. Having spent a great deal of her life thus far traveling the globe, Sam has settled quite contentedly in Napa Valley. Sam now reigns as Miner's queen of California sales, overseeing wine distribution here in the Golden State. Though fiercely Anglophilic, Sam remains steadfast in her preference for a well made pinot over the typically tepid warmth of a pub brew.
Steve Gage is our Tasting Room Manager and easily recognizable to just about everyone who has come through our doors. Steve was born and raised locally in Los Gatos, CA. A graduate of Santa Clara University with nearly 18 years in the Restaurant business, six of which were spent as an owner, Steve knows hospitality like few others. Steve now lives in Angwin with his wife Diana and three children. His hobbies include drinking wine, golf and drinking wine.
Jack Edwards is our National Sales Director. A 1980 graduate of Paul Smith's College in Paul Smith, NY with a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management, Jacks' worked several stints in Beverage and Banquet Management, including the opening of NYC's Marriott Marquis in 1984. Jack's passion for fine wine took hold during his time as Operations Manager at Lauber Imports, a fine wine wholesaler in New York and New Jersey. It was there that he met Dave, and in 1997 agreed to come aboard, make the move west and assist in launching Miner.

Everyone knows Villamor Zapata as the friendly face behind the bar in the Tasting Room. But not everyone realizes Villamor is also Miner’s main man when it comes to internet wine sales and shipping. Villamor, a former Seattle resident, traded in a career in retail bike sales for a life in the wine business. Although still an avid bicyclist, Villamor has become an essential member of the Miner crew, and his affable nature and dedication adds to our success as a winery.
Joanna Daly is very much a part of the family business. Jo is Emily Miner's sister and our East Coast/Mid-West sales manager. After graduating from Scripps College in Claremont, California she came to work at the winery in Oakville before taking on the East coast as a Miner wines ambassador.Jo is hugely influential in keeping the Miner spirit alive east of the Mississippi.When she is not on the road, she is, well, running down the road. Jo recently participated in her first half Ironman marathon (just a few short weeks prior to her wedding) and has run five marathons... and counting.Jo and her soon-to-be physician husband Chris live just outside of Washington, D.C.
Mary Alice Massolo is our Controller, and she makes things happen here at Miner. Among her many duties, she is charge keeping our inventory under control, overseeing disbursements, maintaining lines of credit, banking and distributor relationships. Bottom line, she keeps the entire Miner crew in check (no small feat), signs all the checks and knows where to find every bottle of Miner wine - just don't ask this native of Canada anything about hockey. An integral part of Miner Family, Mary Alice has raised two daughters here in the Napa Valley and is a fabulous cook.
Mia Fassero Buehler is Miner’s communications director, and sometimes printer of FedEx labels. She became passionate about wine while working for well-known wine and food personality, Anthony Dias Blue and Bon Appetit Magazine. Mia’s background includes stints at KQED, E. & J. Gallo Winery, and BBDO West in L.A. She graduated with honors from UCLA and has participated in wine education programs for the Court of Master Sommeliers and the W.S.E.T in London and Napa. Mia and her husband Page live in St. Helena and don't foresee leaving the wine business anytime soon.