Winemaking Team

Jeff and Mike understand the needs and concerns of our winery customers, and play a leading role in delivering the quality service that customers have come to expect from McManis Family Vineyards.

Jeff's experience with vineyard-located crushing facilities and satellite wineries allowed him to help guide the design and construction of the McManis Family Vineyards' Winery. After consulting with existing customers and identifying their needs and winemaking styles, Jeff led the design of a five phase winery on the McManis Family Vineyards' property.

"By keeping the lots small, we really can do a number of setups," Jeff says. "We can treat each tank differently with regard to yeast, fermentation, temperature, oak, how long they stay on the lees. We've built as much flexibility as we can into each individual element of the process."

McManis Family Vineyards' President, Ron McManis, says, "The benefit of having two winemakers on staff is that there is always someone here to look after the wines. If they have concerns about a batch of wine, our staff has someone they can discuss the problems with and help them both understand and reach a solution."

Jeff received his B.S. in Fermentation Science from UC Davis in 1980 and worked for wineries in the Sierra Foothills and the Napa Valley before joining McManis Family Vineyards. From 1990 to 1996 he was winemaker at the J. Lohr Winery. Mike has a degree in Enology from California State University, Fresno and has been part of the McManis Family Vineyards team since the 1999 harvest.