Fred Brander - Owner & Winemaker |
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C. Frederic "Fred" Brander,
owner and winemaker, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At
a young age he moved with his family and settled in Santa Barbara,
California. Fred graduated from Harvey Mudd College with a
degree in Chemistry, and then went on to pursue studies in
Enology at UC Davis. Fred started his career in the wine business
by working for a Santa Barbara wine merchant, and later went
to work in the wholesale business. While attending college,
he started his own small wine import company, bringing in wines
from France and his native Argentina.
Wishing to make his own wines,
and with a fondness for Santa Barbara, Fred and his family
established The Brander Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in
1975, where he quickly developed a reputation for making outstanding
Sauvignon Blanc. Fred's passion for this varietal has committed
him to be California's top producer of Sauvignon. With over
30 vintages "in the bottle," he is a pioneer of the
Santa Barbara wine country.
Contact
Fred |
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Kathy Forner - Office Manager
Kathy Forner joined the Brander Vineyard family in 1987. Starting part time
in the Tasting Room when her children were young, she developed
a passion for fine wine. With her background in business and
banking, she quickly found her way into the office to take
over the bookkeeping, administrative duties, and our Vintage
Clubs.
Contact
Kathy |
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Julie Hayek - Sales & Marketing
Julie Hayek comes to the Brander Vineyard with 13 years of
management experience in the hospitality industry. Julie worked
at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club for six years starting out
as the Food & Beverage Manager/Catering Manager, was then
later promoted to General Manager. She then branched out to
further her career and worked for Robert Half International
as a staffing/recruiting manager in Accounting & Finance
for 1.5 years. After realizing her passion was food & wine,
she was happy to accept the General Manager position at The
Little Town Club located in downtown Santa Barbara, Julie made
that her home for 5.5 years. Julie now resides in the Santa
Ynez Valley and is so happy to be a part of the Brander team.
Contact Julie |
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Fabian Bravo - Assistant Winemaker
Fabian Bravo joined Brander in 2007. He graduated from Cal Poly,
San Luis Obispo with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Fabian
worked in aerospace for a few years and enjoyed life as an
engineer but had a growing interest in winemaking. With the
help a good friend, Fabian found himself working harvest at
Siduri in Santa Rosa. While working at Brander, Fabian is involved
with production, cellar crew management, bottling and assisting
with our private label marketing.
Contact
Fabian |
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Megan Cutler - Assistant Tasting Room Manager
Megan Cutler joined Brander in 2011. She has an extensive background in international and domestic wine from working in the retail wine business for over six years. Her background with international Relations and philanthropy coupled with a passion for all things food and wine has led her to have a love for creating a welcoming atmosphere for our guests. We're happy to have Megan leading our tasting room staff, assisting in event planning and the Brander Vintage Club.
Contact Megan |
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