Jeff Cichocki
Jeff Cichocki is one of Bonterra’s founding winemaker. Introduced in 1993 as one of the first organically farmed wines in the US, Bonterra's acclaimed varietal wines are exclusively made from 100% certified organic California vineyards. In 2016, the vineyard was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast, the first-ever awarded to a vintner dedicated to organic farming.
Jeff’s passion has always been toward small family wineries that craft fine wines with an eye towards being good stewards to the environment. He began his winemaking career in the cellar of Mill Creek Winery in Healdsburg, moving quickly to Cellar Master at Matanzas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley. He moved on to Cakebread Cellars in Napa and B.R. Cohn in Sonoma Valley before taking on winemaking duties at Mendocino’s Jeriko Estate Winery in Hopland, a winery, not far from Bonterra’s McNab Ranch, that produces a variety of certified organic wines.
3 words to describe Nature?
Balance. Timeless. Dynamic
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Humility
Beauty
3 most treasured Nature spots?
My “home” Zinfandel vineyard behind my house, next to the Russian River in Mendocino County.
The Northern California coast
The desert, including the incredible Joshua Tree National Park, where I headed on a recent trip.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Tiny – relative to the vastness of the ocean
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
In awe. It’s so primordial – I was lucky enough to fly over Hawaii’s active volcano.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Opportunity, with sunrise. Sunset brings closure to the day. They’re bookends, offering us a sense of timeliness or organization somehow – our universal clock.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited, I love thunder. As a kid growing up in Ohio, we had lots of summertime thunderstorms - they make me feel nostalgic.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
It makes me wonder if my tree limbs are going to stay put! As a winemaker, I’m a natural weather follower. Wind means change is coming.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
An avid skier, I love the desert and grew up sailing in Southern California. I’m equally drawn to the desert, mountains, and ocean – all three.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. It’s my livelihood, it’s my passion. Every day I’m reminded that the health of our planet and farming are key. Really, I think anyone involved in the wine industry has a tremendous connection to nature and farming. As a winemaker and viticulturist, one of the main attractions of this industry is its intrinsic connection to the natural world.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up in Anaheim in Southern California, there was a lack of natural phenomena, apart from incredible family trips to remote mountain areas in the winter. I aspired to be a part of something natural, in a far greater capacity, later in life. This drive led me to Northern California, where I’m much closer to the natural environment. Living in wine country, we are inherently tied to nature and keenly aware of our interdependence day in and day out, and from season to season.
Nate Weis
Nate Weis is the Vice President of Winegrowing at Silver Oak Cellars & Twomey Cellars. A Napa Valley native whose father is also a winemaker, Nate grew up with wine on the table and a drawer full of t‐shirts emblazoned with winery logos. His first job after graduating with honors from UC Santa Barbara with a BS in Biopsychology/Neuroscience was as a “cellar rat” at Groth Vineyards & Winery. Nate then spent the 2003 harvest at two New Zealand wineries – Craggy Range Winery and Sacred Hill Wines – and when he returned home he worked a harvest for Etude Wines before starting grad school. After earning his MS in Viticulture and Enology, he was hired as cellar master at Etude, and then spent two years as assistant winemaker for Patz & Hall Wine Company. In 2008 Nate was hired by Marchese Piero Antinori to be winemaker for Antica Napa Valley, where he made Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot. He also served as winemaker for Aril Wines in Napa, a small ultra‐premium producer of Cabernet and Syrah.
In 2014, Nate joined Silver Oak. Under Director of Winemaking Daniel Baron, he was responsible for managing Napa Valley and Alexander Valley wine production from grape to bottle and also serving as an ambassador for the brand.
Nate earned his Executive MBA in Wine Business from Sonoma State University in 2014. He is married, and with four children, the little free time he has is spent playing rugby, running and reading.
3 words to describe nature?
Powerful. Vast. Unforgiving
3 things nature taught you?
Humility
Patience
Resilience
3 most treasured nature spots?
Yosemite
Lake Tahoe
Milford Sound
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed and Calm. The Pacific has been the backdrop to some of my most treasured memories and times
When you see a forest, it makes you feel?
Excitable, ready for exploration. The way the redwood forests near my home filter light makes me feel reverent
When you see a volcano it makes you feel...?
Very, very small and very, very young
When you see a sunrise or a sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hopeful for a peaceful night with loved ones or for a day full of new opportunities
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Powerless
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like hunkering down and reading a great book
Are you an ocean, mountain, forest, or desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is nature to your well-being?
10. Nature provides me with my profession and career in addition to my escape from my profession and career.
Share with us a childhood nature memory
I was never much of a scout but still have vivid memories of backpacking through the Desolation Wilderness as a young man with my father and some Explorer scouts. I think what sticks out were the senses of empowerment and independence.