Winemaker

A native of the Bay Area, Winemaker Zack Geers came to San Luis Obispo to study Wine & Viticulture with an emphasis on Enology at Cal Poly University.

“I’m sort of a science-and-math person,” says Zack, “so studying winemaking appealed to that side of me. I also grew up watching my parents drink wine, so it was something I’d been thinking about.”

In addition to his formal education, Zack became familiar with San Luis Obispo fruit by working several harvests at Edna Valley Vineyards. When it came time to graduate, he worked harvest at Wild Horse Winery in the Paso Robles AVA, and then got his passport stamped to work harvest in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, where Bordeaux varietals and Pinot Noir reign.

In June of 2013, Zack joined the team at Claiborne & Churchill by helping out in and around the cellar; by August, 2014, he had been named Assistant Winemaker. As of 2019, we are proud to announce Zack’s promotion to Head Winemaker. His years of cellar experience with our Alsatian-inspired white wines and our exquisite Pinot Noirs make him the ideal man for the job!

“I love working for a small winery,” he says. “Everything that happens here goes through my hands because it’s small enough for me to be involved at every level. Plus the people are really chill - like a second family.”