People
Producing wonderful wines takes the combination of perfect soils and climate, but it takes the hand of man to realize a vineyard’s full potential. At Huntington Wine Cellars, we have a dedicated team of individuals with decades of experience handcrafting our wines.
William Leigon, PresidentWilliam Leigon, President
Bill Leigon brings with him over two decades of wine industry experience to Huntington’s growing wine programs. Bill has successfully worked in all facets of the industry, from warehousing to sales - from startup to multi-company management Since graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Texas, Bill has been active in the wine industry. After owning his own retail wine shop in Manhattan and working as a sales representative for two import companies, Bill and his family relocated to California. His experience includes co-founder of The Wine Trust, Co-Founder of Ariel vineyards, and Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Associated Vintage Group. In 2000 Bill founded the Wimbledon Wine Company –a national sales and marketing company that represents a selection of prestigious wineries. Bill is a community activist, vocalist and artist. . Leigon was a soloist for the Napa Valley Chorale, a member of the Napa Valley Symphony Chorus, served as president of the Napa unit of the American Cancer Society, was a founding director of the Napa Valley Repertory Theatre and has served as president of the Arts Council of Napa Valley.
Kerry Damskey, WinemakerKerry Damskey, Winemaker
Bigger than life Kerry Damskey leaves a lasting impression on everyone he meets and is best described as the personification of lust for life. Kerry believes that wine is made in the vineyard and the winemaker is merely the "midwife" in the artisan process of winemaking. "It's the winemaker's job to articulate a definable style for a wine but you don't create an identity – that must come from the grapes.” Kerry is the founding winemaker of Huntington, having been personally involved with the brand since its beginning in 1989. He holds a degree in fermentation science from UC Davis, is a graduate of the intensive program for small business at Stanford University School of Business, and additionally is a candidate of the Institute of the Masters of Wine. He is one of California’s top winemakers and one of a very few to win twice, the coveted ‘Sweepstakes’ award from the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.
Barry Gnekow, Consulting EnologistBarry Gnekow, Consulting Enologist
Barry Gnekow, senior winemaking consultant, received his masters in enology from UC Davis in 1976. He has over 30 years experience in the wine industry, most notably with J. Lohr where he created the J. Lohr Estate wines and co-founded Ariel brand non-alcoholic wines. It was with J. Lohr and then Ariel where Barry first collaborated with Bill Leigon. With the numerous accolades and medals garnered by his wines through the years, Barry is considered to be one of California’s most decorated winemakers. When he isn’t in the cellar working on wine one can usually find Barry with surfboard in tow heading for the beach.
Adam LaZarre, WinemakerAdam LaZarre, Winemaker
After completion of six years of service in the Navy, Adam LaZarre decided to pursue his dream of becoming a winemaker and enrolled and graduated from California State University, Fresno, one of California’s top two “winemaker schools.” He is blessed with an unusual ability to taste and smell wine components, highly desirable traits in a winemaker. Even better, he knows how to mentally “blend” theses tastes and aromas to make unique and outstanding wines from every vineyard.
Paul Clifton, WinemakerPaul Clifton, Winemaker
Upon finishing a postgraduate degree of Viticulture/Enology in New Zealand, “one of the only places on the planet where you can surf and ski on the same day”, Paul became involved in winemaking as a hobby. In 1996 he decided to make a career change from firefighting to winemaking. His experience in making wine in New Zealand’s cool climate is excellent background whereby Paul built a solid foundation in the industry.