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McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery

 

Tucked away in the enchanting rolling hills of Carneros AVA, you'll find McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery. Established in 1989 by husband and wife team Robert Mueller & Karen McKenzie, McKenzie-Mueller has continued to passionately produce small lots for over 25 years. Currently, production is around 2,000 cases annually with 9 different single varietal labels. This is a family owned and operated winery in which every drop of wine and every single vine is tended to by those hopelessly in love with the craft. 

 

Meet the Family

 

Bob Mueller

 

FOUNDER & WINEGROWER

Bob Mueller has been growing grapes since he was a young boy, and making wine in the Napa Valley for over 50 years. His passion for farming was cultivated first;  Bob helped his family farm an assortment of crops including cattle, hay, and grapes at their Rutherford district farm. As a teenager, Bob would take and sell his family's fruit at the Napa CoOp. Eventually his incredible work ethic caught the eye of the Mondavis and they hired him to travel between locations to check on fruit and do barrel topping. Eventually he was promoted to Director of Oenology at Mondavi where he would directly influence the creation of some of Napa's most inspirational wines.  Bob stayed on to be a consultant winemaker for Mondavi and Opus One while he and his wife Karen established McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery in 1989. 

Photo of owner Robert A Mueller

Karen Mueller

 

FOUNDER & CFO

Karen McKenzie was raised in Monticello, the mythical city that now sits under forty feet of water at the bottom of Lake Berryessa. The two Napa County locals met while attending an art class in San Jose. They shared similar passion for working with the land, and creating something that would be an authentic representation of the land they chose to raise a family on. While setting the foundation for McKenzie-Mueller, Karen took a third job at Napa High School where she would teach, ceramics, photography, and drawing. McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery unmeasureably benefitted from Karen's persistence, creativity, and dedication. 

 

 

Photo of Karen McKenzie Mueller

German Valdez

 

CELLAR MASTER & VINEYARD

Originally from Oaxaca Mexico, German moved to the states, initially finding work on a Christmas tree farm up north. He eventually settled in the Napa Valley with his wife and two kids. German plays an integral part in the success of the vineyard & winery.

 

Photo of German Valdez, Cellar Master

Samantha Mueller

 

CEO
Samantha's love of wine has taken her around the globe in search of history and tradition of wine making and grape growing. She is fortunate to be able to continue McKenzie-Mueller into the future with the hopes of presenting the family business to a third generation some day....

 

 

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Annuar Martinez

TRACTOR OPERATOR & VINEYARD

Originally from Mexico, Annuar is an important member of the McKenzie-Mueller team. If you visit, you'll often see Annuar operating the tractor and tending to the vines! 

Photo of Annuar Martinez

Max Bonick

WINE CLUB COORDINATOR

A Napa native and a resident of beautiful Carneros, Napa Valley since 2002, Max joined the team as wine club manager in 2015. In addition to managing the wine club, Max is also a full-time Jazz musician with an Ethnomusicology degree from UCLA. He is always happy to talk jazz and wine! 

 

Photo of Max Bonick

Steve Kemble

 

CO-MANAGER

Steve recently moved out to the west coast from Baltimore, Maryland. His passion for wine and his thirst for knowledge led him to Sonoma in 2015 where he completed his first harvest. We are happy to have him on our team and enjoy the opportunity to share with him a little bit of our small winery perspective.

 

 

Photo of Steve Kemble
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