Amici Cellars today announced the promotion of Dante West to associate winemaker, working alongside Amici winemaker Tony Biagi and consulting winemaker Matt Courtney in crafting the Calistoga estate’s acclaimed wines from Napa and Sonoma.
West, who joined the small-scale, family-owned winery in 2020 as assistant winemaker, steps into his new role working collaboratively with Biagi and Courtney who lead winemaking for Amici’s single-vineyard, reserve and appellation wines. West’s day-to-day management from vineyard to bottle include logistics, production, lab analysis, inventory management, planning, and forecasting to ensure the highest quality wines year-over-year.
“Dante’s quickly finding his style under Tony’s mentorship. It’s inspiring to witness the growth of the next generation of winemakers and we anticipate great success,” said Amici proprietor Bob Shepard.
Prior to Amici Cellars, West honed his skills in the cellar, lab and vineyards at some of Napa and Sonoma’s premier wineries including Arista Winery, Mending Wall Winery, and Flowers Vineyard & Winery. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California, Davis.
Sean M. Quinn is joining the winemaking team as associate production winemaker for Amici Cellars’ sister brands, Olema and No Curfew. Quinn, who brings more than 15 years of experience, will oversee production, vineyard sources, purchasing, bottling and logistics for the collection of approachable, well-balanced, terroir-driven wines.
“The Olema and No Curfew wines are complex, expressive and made with the same dedication in the level of care with which the Amici Cellars wines are crafted. Adding Sean’s talent to our winemaking team furthers our commitment to bringing these approachable wines to market,” added Shepard.
Quinn joins Amici Cellars having served most recently as winemaker and director of production at Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery in Brentwood, CA. Prior to Hannah Nicole, Quinn was NakedWines’ 2016 Winemaker Fantasy Challenge Award Winner with his Mighty Quinn Napa Valley Cabernet Franc. Additional production experience in Napa Valley includes Viader Vineyards & Winery and Tudal Winery, and harvest internships at Pine Ridge, Venge and Boeschen Vineyards.
Quinn sits on the board as membership chair of the Napa Valley Wine Technical Group. He earned his Certificate of Viticulture and Enology from Napa Valley College.
In 2005, after a decade of building their highly acclaimed flagship Napa Valley estate, Amici Cellars’ proprietors John Harris and Bob Shepard launched sister brand Olema; No Curfew’s launch followed in 2010. These true-to-varietal wines are recognized for their collections of thoughtfully crafted, approachable wines under the direction of Amici Cellars’ skilled winemaking team.
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