Bios

René Schlatter

René Schlatter

Proprietor & CEO

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René Schlatter

Proprietor & CEO

René Schlatter joined Merryvale in 1995 as a cellar worker. Over the next 13 years he worked his way up through the ranks to become president in 2008. “Doing everything from filling barrels to calling on accounts has given me a deep understanding of all aspects of the winery.” A native of Switzerland, René has lived in the U.S. since 1987. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and his Master’s Degree from Arizona’s Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management. Growing up in Switzerland, René was exposed to wine at an early age. “My dad was an avid collector with a sizeable cellar of local and international bottlings. We always had wine at the dinner table. His interest led him to acquire Merryvale in 1996. My in-laws are also in the industry and have been producing fine wine for five generations.” Since joining the winery, René has made significant contributions to Merryvale’s sales, marketing, finance and farming efforts. In 2005, he was involved in his family’s acquisition of a 49-acre vineyard in Carneros planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.

“I want Merryvale to be considered among Napa’s elite producers of Bordeaux varieties, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. We all know that great wines come from great sites. That’s one of the reasons we purchased and continue to upgrade our Profile Estate Vineyard in the eastern foothills of St. Helena. We feel it is one of the top vineyards in California. In the future, we might add more high-level properties to our portfolio to ensure a steady stream of first-class fruit.” In 2011 the Wine Enthusiast named René as “Person of the Year” at its Annual Wine Star Awards with these comments: “Since 2008, the president of Napa’s Merryvale Vineyards has pioneered green initiatives while preserving the winery’s family legacy and excellence in producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.” Under René’s direction, the St.Helena and Carneros estate vineyards have been Napa Green Farm certified. “I enjoy drinking wines from all over the world – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany and, of course, California. No matter what the origin I look for purity of fruit, personality, character and a sense of place. For a wine to be great it must stand the test of time.” René’s hobbies include skiing and tennis. He and his wife Laurence live in St. Helena with their three daughters, Jenna, Jade and Corinna.

Andrew Wright

Andrew Wright

Winemaker

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Andrew Wright

Winemaker

Growing up in the Sonoran Desert, wine and winemaking weren’t part of Merryvale Winemaker Andrew Wright’s early life. A chance encounter with the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York on a post-college road trip awakened him, however, and with a healthy appetite he devoured volumes of wine literature and the wines they described, expanding his palate and shaping his philosophies.

Andrew began his winemaking career planting vines in the high desert outside of Sonoita, Arizona, for Callaghan Vineyards, where he worked the vineyard for several growing seasons prior to entering the cellar of Arizona Stronghold. These early experiences in frontier winemaking forged a deep appreciation for hard work, experimentation, and winemaking with intention.

Since moving to Napa Valley in 2012, Andrew has worked in the vineyards and cellars of Harlan and BOND Estates, Promontory and The Napa Valley Reserve, as well as for Fruition Sciences and their clients (which included Merryvale at the time). In talking about his experience, Andrew notes, “Napa’s incredible soil and climate diversity are unique in the world—with unparalleled growing conditions we have the opportunity to craft wines of depth and density while retaining balance and freshness. I am eager to explore all the winemaking possibilities the diverse terroir of Merryvale provides.”

As Winemaker, Andrew is in charge of production at the St. Helena winery. He oversees all winemaking operations for Merryvale wines. Andrew deeply believes that winemaking is the synthesis of philosophy, agriculture, science, and art. He illustrates, “Merryvale’s Profile Estate Vineyard is one of exceptional terroir. The differences in soil type, vine orientation and hillside exposure combine to produce wines of great power, complexity, and elegance. Every growing season we expand our understanding of our vineyards while further refining the winemaking processes in the cellar, resulting in world class wines that reflect a unique sense of place and attention to detail.”

Andrew graduated with a History degree from the University of Arizona before studying Winemaking at UC Davis. He lives with his family in St. Helena, and when not making wine, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and attempting to play the guitar.

The Schlatter Family

The Schlatter Family

Proprietors

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The Schlatter Family

Proprietors

At the helm of Merryvale since 1996, the Schlatter Family has established deep roots in the Napa Valley in their quest to make wines that represent the best of every harvest. They have cultivated longterm partnerships with some of the best wine grape growers from Calistoga to Carneros and developed two estate vineyards: the 25-acre Profile Estate Vineyard on an eastern ridgetop overlooking St. Helena — ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot; and the 40-acre Stanly Ranch Estate Vineyard in Carneros perfect for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

A native of Switzerland, family patriarch Jack Schlatter’s lifelong love of wine drew him to the Napa Valley in 1991. “Napa Valley’s diversity of soils and microclimates allows us to grow high quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir just a few miles from Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s no other place in the world like it,” says Jack. Merryvale Vineyards offered the quintessential St. Helena location with its historic winery building, the first to be built following the Repeal of Prohibition, and its prime location on Highway 29. If you ask Jack about his background as a cotton classer in Mexico, coffee taster in Brazil, or any of his other fascinating experiences and he’ll quickly steer the conversation back to the wines of Merryvale Vineyards. As Jack’s son René reflects, “Jack wanted to find a way to integrate one of his passions—skiing, sailing or
wine—into a thriving business, and the rest is history.”

René Schlatter upholds his family’s integrity in his role as President and CEO. Having worked his way up the Merryvale ladder the old-fashioned way, he has held progressively more responsible positions since joining the company in 1995. Born in Switzerland, René has lived in the U.S. since 1987 and earned his MBA from ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix. As President, René oversees all aspects of the business on a daily basis, from grower relations to sales management.
Active in the community and with their three daughters, René’s wife Laurence focuses on the guest experience at Merryvale. She works with the hospitality team to offer inventive and entertaining events and manages all of the social media interaction for the family of wine brands. Her eye for design and interesting local artisans keeps things fresh for visitors and guests. That Laurence’s family has owned a winery in Switzerland for six generations provides a special sense of tradition. “It’s very rewarding to continue this family heritage at Merryvale,” says Laurence.

For nearly three decades, the Schlatter Family’s dedication to quality has propelled Merryvale forward, producing an unparalleled Bordeaux-focused portfolio of complex, balanced and classic wines that are truly reflective of the region’s terroir. Employing sustainable farming practices in the estate vineyards and superior standards at the winery ensures that the wines live up to their full potential. Both the winery and estate vineyards are Napa Green Certified supporting the Schlatter Family’s commitment to the environment and to future generations.