the winter weather and tasting with the Red White Tasting Crew from 6pm to 7:30pm EST...
stay tuned Decanting now 5pm
Miner Family Vineyards is a dynamic family owned winery tucked into the eastern hills of the
Oakville appellation, squarely within the heart of Napa Valley. Founded in 1998 by Dave & Emily Miner
along with his folks Ed & Norma, Miner is defined first and foremost by a sensational portfolio of wines,
wines consistently characterized by and committed to individualistic style and uncommon quality. In
only a few short years, Miner has identified, sought and secured a number of California's finest vineyard
sites to produce and showcase a wide array of varietals. Each wine is crafted in a style to encapsulate the
distinctive elements and the indelible fingerprints of their respective vineyards. This combination of
excellent vineyard sites along with passionate and thoughtful winemaking injects the necessary
components for creating profoundly joyful wines.
Miner is also very much about people. It's no secret to those in the know that the Miners have strived to
and succeeded in surrounding themselves with the very best in the business. From the uncompromising
talents of winemaker Gary Brookman and his companions in the cellar, to the fine folks in the tasting
room, sales department and beyond, Dave & Emily have assembled a youthful and serious team of
passionate and dedicated players. Just as faithfully committed are the numerous distributors, restaurant,
retail partners and loyal fanatics that also faithfully share in Miner's vision and commitment to quality
matched by a burning passion for great food and wine. It is this level of determination, trust, passion
and the occasional bit of hedonism that serves as the driving force behind each and every bottle of Miner.
The wings of the Miner label also serve as an homage to family, heritage and place. Dave's grandfather
arrived in this country from Persia in 1914. His ancestry, tracing back numerous generations, leads to
the people, culture and heritage of ancient Assyria. When Dave first bottled wine under his family's
name he looked to the roots of this family ancestry for inspiration. The Miner Family wine label is
based on an ancient Assyrian relief in the image of a Winged Sun God. This symbol represents the
brilliant light of the sun, which illuminates the life of mankind while providing energy and warmth to
the grapevines. It also represents abundance and prosperity and brought life and health to the vines
of the family's distant ancestors. It is the hope that Miner Family Vineyards and those who enjoy their
wines, will prosper with this good fortune for many years to come.
On behalf of Miner Family Vineyards, we welcome all of you to join us in our ongoing search for bottled
nirvana. To those that have and continue to support us along the way and to those who are trusting us
now for a new discovery, we offer a humble debt of gratitude and a sincere thanks. Without you we are not.
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.
Rocio Gonzalez may be the most recent addition to our sales team, but she is certainly no stranger to Miner wines after spending six years as our number one representative in the Houston area. She developed an affinity for wine while working in restaurant business, where she met her chef extraordinaire husband Chris. When she is not traveling across the Midwest and the Lone Star sharing her enthusiasm for Miner wines, Rocio spends time with her family just across the border in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and her darling bulldog Bella.
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.
