New winemaker takes helm at Pepi
Johnson brings world-wide wine vision to Napa job
Oakville, Calif.-A winemaker with worldwide
experience will take the helm
of Pepi Winery, a Napa Valley operation of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates.
Chris Johnson in March will succeed Marco DiGiulio, who has made Pepi wines
since 1995. The two winemakers are spending several weeks on the
transition, ensuring consistency in Pepi's daring approach to less common
wine varietals.
Johnson will make not only Pepi but Kendall-Jackson-brand red wines at the
company's Oakville facility. He has made wine in Chile, Argentina,
Australia, France, Canada, New York, Virginia and California. Most lately
he was the winemaker for Kendall-Jackson at Lakeport, its original site.
Johnson takes over at Pepi during a pivotal time for the winery. It is
moving aggressively into Pinot Grigio to supplement its portfolio of
Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Barbera, Teroldego and Colline di Sassi, a
Super Tuscan blend.
Also this year, Pepi introduced a new label. While fostering the trademark
retro-'60s pop-art surfboard look, the label adds educational information
for consumers in a striking new package.
Johnson graduated from Fresno State University and worked in Northeastern
wineries for several years. He went to work for Kendall-Jackson in 1996.
He took time in between to work harvests in Australia and France. Last year
he helped launch Kendall-Jackson wineries in Chile and Argentina. However,
Pepi is something different from past winemaking experiences, he said.
"I just love what Pepi is all about," Johnson said. "It's the
crisp,
unfettered character of the varietals. I've made some of them in New York
and Lake County, but at Pepi we just demand something more. That's why it's
an exciting place to work."
Pepi is the risk-taker on the cutting edge of wine. It specializes in
non-traditional varieties delivered in an artsy, irreverent package that
appeals to trend-setting urban wine lovers. Pepi is a founding winery of
the Consorzio Cal-Italia, an association of California wineries making
Italian-heritage varietals.
For more information, browse the Web at www.pepi.com.
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