About Us

Craig Becker

Co-founder, Director of Winemaking & Viticulture

Craig Becker, a Southern California native, is a founding member of Somerston Estate. A strong love of the outdoors attracted Becker to winemaking. This attraction, combined with innate talent, led him to the helm of Somerston – an expansive project focused on great wines and an appreciation of the natural world.

Becker spent much of his childhood in Long Beach, California before moving north to attend Santa Rosa Junior College - with both the desire to be surrounded by nature and for the unlimited mountain biking opportunities. Soon after transferring to the University of California at Davis to study plant physiology and soil science, he met Courtney Siverson, who would later become his wife. While finishing his degree, Becker's interest in winemaking took flight after working a harvest job at Robert Mondavi Winery. Soon thereafter, he worked at Spring Mountain, before starting his own winemaking consulting company. It was during this time that he met our Proprietor, Allan Chapman, who had recently launched two wine brands - Priest Ranch and Somerston, from the Somerston Estate property in St. Helena

In Becker’s free time - which is extremely limited these days - Becker enjoys spending time with his family, gardening with his girls, woodworking (he hand-built many of the features in his St. Helena home) and flying planes. He admits, however, that for now he's committed to remaining on the ground to oversee the growth and success of the Somerston Estate and wine brands.

Cody Hurd

Winemaker

Cody is a large part of the magic behind the scenes at Somerston. He has been involved in the production of our wines since the beginning. After starting in the cellar, his hard work and dedication resulted in his promotion to Winemaker in 2023. When asked what his favorite part of the job is, he replies, “making Napa Valley Cab!” He works closely with our Director of Winemaking to bring new and innovative winemaking techniques to the table.

Cory DeLoach

Tasting Room Manager

A native of the Washington DC metro, Cory moved to Utah to pursue a path in ice hockey while studying at Utah State University. In 2015, while on his honeymoon in Europe, Cory discovered his true passion for wine. Upon returning to Utah, he decided to enter the restaurant industry to learn more about wine. He began his studies and later became a Sommelier and Beverage Director for a local restaurant group in Salt Lake City. In September of 2021, Cory and his husband made the jump to the Bay Area, where he joined the team at Somerston Wine Company. To this day, he continues to be driven by his passion for wine and loves sharing that enthusiasm with others.

Alex Gomez

Direct-to-Consumer Manager

Alex was born and raised in St. Helena and has been in the wine industry for over 10 years. Having always had a passion for classic cars, he pursued a career as a mechanic but fell in love with mountain fruit cabernet along the way, which inevitably led him to Somerston.

Joining Somerston Wine Company in 2019, Alex has played a role in several departments, and his passion for providing a truly memorable experience to every guest is evident in his approach to each day.

When not at work, you may find Alex at the gym, walking the vineyards with his dog Nala, or traveling the world with his wife, Itzel.

Jose Torres

Tasting Room Lead

Jose joined the Priest Ranch team at the beginning of 2018. He was born and raised in the Napa Valley and began seasonal work with harvest and pruning for at various wineries when he was sixteen. He keeps himself very busy when he's not on the clock - at the gym, taking dancing lessons, or working a second job. He considers himself humble and likes to help those in need when possible, "Treat those the way you would like to be treated."

After having a long week of work, he treats himself to a glass of Blanton's (Bourbon) on the rocks or a glass of wine while being surrounded by good company and watching a movie. He has mentioned that he doesn't travel much, but if he did have the opportunity, his first choice would be Japan.

His passion for wine & exceptional hospitality makes each customer experience a memorable one.

Melissa Jackson

Marketing Director

Before our tasting room in Yountville was complete, Melissa joined the hospitality team and helped kick off what is now the Priest Ranch tasting room. Now our Marketing Director, she has worn several hats in our company including tasting room, wine club, events, and DTC management, since starting here in 2010. The opportunity to use her creative side and help build a brand from the ground up is the most invigorating part of the job for her.

Melissa can often be found around town supporting her daughters in their many activities, including everything from water polo to basketball. Her preferred form of relaxation is taking time to unwind with her family next to the pool or ocean with a glass of bubbles in her hand.

Margeaux McLain

National Sales Director

Margeaux McLain joined Somerston Wine Company in 2015 as the Eastern US Sales Manager, with 17 years of diverse wine industry experience. She started her career in a retail wine store, which quickly led to management of a restaurant wine program, and then onto distribution sales before managing multiple iconic portfolios as a supplier representative. Margeaux, the second of four children, was raised in Tallahassee Florida. As a child, she spent most of her days exploring and learning outside surrounded by nature. Guided by her passion for plant conservation and landscape restoration, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from Florida A&M University. An avid gardener to this day, Margeaux currently resides in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, two children, and rescued dachshund.

Jake Knobloch

Director of Vineyard Operations

Jake has been managing vineyards in Napa Valley for 21 years. He was raised in San Luis Obispo and attended Cal Poly, then after finishing his Bachelor’s Degree, he went work for J Lohr and fell in love with the wine industry. He quickly moved to Napa and worked for the Pina Family and Diageo before joining the team at Somerston.

Working at Somerston is a dream for Jake. His office is the vineyard of a 1,615-acre estate, and he feels blessed to manage a quality driven vineyard staff and a magnificent property. He takes pleasure in working towards the team goal of safely and sustainably farming the highest quality wine grapes. For Jake, it doesn’t get any better that!

Jake lives in wine country with his wife Kristina and two children Cameron and Hunter. When he's not working, you will find him with his family camping, dirt biking or playing golf.

Mayra Espinoza

Vineyard & Winery Administrative Assistant

Mayra has been a part of Somerston since day one. She has grown with the company and is an integral part of the team. Having worked in several departments, she is always willing to pitch in and assist wherever her skills are needed.

She grew up on the property as a child, which has created a passion and love for the vineyards and the estate as a whole for Mayra. This connection pushes her to create the best experience for everyone who comes to visit. She loves to show people the estate because as for many of us here, this is our second home.