REX HILL Vineyards » The Winery » Our People : Winemaking

BILL & DEBRA HATCHER

SAM TANNAHILL & CHERYL FRANCIS

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At REX HILL we strive to reflect our sense of place in everything we do and our winemaking philosophy is simple: with great integrity and honesty, we craft the finest wines that truly represent their origins and varietal character. We farm our own vineyards biodynamically and carefully select growers to work with who share our intentions in the vineyard. We are proud to be among the oldest Oregon wineries and to farm some of the oldest vineyards in the Willamette Valley. At REX HILL, we respect what the fruit brings to us and then shepherd it into wines with quiet power and eloquence, giving true expression of site, vintage and climate.

SAM TANNAHILL: Director of Viticulture & Winemaking
Sam graduated from Washington and Lee with an East Asian Studies degree that he uses on a daily basis in the winery. After traveling through Central Asia for a year he settled down working in the wineries and vineyards of Burgundy for two years and managed to bluff his way to a post-graduate degree in winemaking from the University de Dijon. He worked with Ted Lemon at Littorai, and then served as Winemaker at Archery Summit for seven years. In 2002, the time was ripe to strike out for further fame, glory and new horizons in the form of A to Z Wineworks with his wife, Cheryl Francis, and Bill and Deb Hatcher. Sam and Cheryl own a biodynamic vineyard and also make Francis Tannahill wines.

MICHAEL DAVIES: Winemaker
A small town New Zealander, Michael completed a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Scandinavian Studies and Political Science at the University of Auckland and tested the unusual employment possibilities that afforded before returning to Lincoln University for a post-graduate diploma in Viticulture & Enology. Prior to joining A to Z, he served for 6 years at Chehalem as the Vineyard Manager and Assistant Winemaker. He has also worked in Burgundy, California, the Hunter Valley of Australia and numerous regions of New Zealand.

His wife, Anna Matzinger, is the winemaker at Archery Summit and together they make the Matzinger Davies wines.

CHERYL FRANCIS: Consulting Winemaker
A Los Angeles gal who took her Biology degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland to France where she studied Enology. She worked three harvests in New Zealand before returning to Oregon to make wine for Chehalem for eight years. She joined her husband, Sam, and Deb and Bill Hatcher in A to Z Wineworks, as well as making Francis Tannahill wines with Sam.

BLAIR TRATHEN: Assistant Winemaker
Blair is another New Zealander who grew up in a town that is definitely bigger than the one REX HILL Winemaker, Michael, grew up in, and as a result, has less sheep.

After graduating from Otago University with a Science degree in Geography and Geology, Blair worked his way across the America's, Europe and Asia doing various jobs from driving Snow Cats in Colorado to renting out beach umbrellas in Greece. After six years of travel, Blair returned to New Zealand where he completed a post graduate degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University. After working in New Zealand (predominantly Central Otago),Western Australia, South Africa and New York , Blair is happy to be back in Oregon making wine, (when he's not too busy fishing).

Blair is married to Arabella who is also in the wine industry.

JUSTIN KEITH: Lab Technician

CRISTINA GONZALES: Warehouse & Bottling Manager

JORGE ZAGADA: Bottling Line Supervisor

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