Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom is a fourth-generation San Franciscan who was elected to consecutive terms as Mayor of the city and now serves as Lieutenant Governor of California. Over the years, Newsom has worked tirelessly in the public sector to revitalize MUNI, restore neighborhood parks, combat homelessness and protect diversity.

Also an entrepreneur and wine enthusiast, Newsom, with philanthropist Gordon Getty, opened the retail venue, PlumpJack Wines, in 1992. Their vision was to demystify the wine-buying experience by providing a friendly, helpful atmosphere. Today this vision has expanded to include PlumpJack Winery, CADE Estate Winery, fine restaurants, resorts, and retail outlets.

Newsom lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two children.

John Conover

Longtime wine industry executive John Conover is General Manager of PlumpJack Winery and Partner in CADE Estate Winery. He has overseen the founding and construction of CADE Estate Winery on Howell Mountain, the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified estate winery in Napa Valley. Under his direction, the winery released its first vintages of Sauvignon Blanc and Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, among them the 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon that received 98+ points from Robert Parker.

"Howell Mountain is known for growing great Cabernet," says Conover. "Our goal with CADE is to make wines that are dense, rich, and age-worthy but not rustic or tannic. Howell Mountain terroir is so unique that we had to step back and rethink everything about winemaking from the vineyard to the cellar, so that our wines reflect the power of their terroir with one-of-a-kind approachability. We're calling this characteristic CADE style Modern Howell Mountain."

Conover joined PlumpJack Winery in 1999, after holding sales, marketing, and management positions with Grgich Hills Cellar, Monticello Cellars, and Lockwood Vineyard. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Napa County Land Trust and Napa Valley Grape Growers.

Anthony Biagi

Anthony Biagi has been making wine on Howell Mountain since 1995, when he graduated from UC Davis with a degree in fermentation science. As Winemaker at CADE Estate Winery, Biagi's priority is to let the unique personality of the estate vineyard shine through. He worked hand-in-hand with architect Juan Carlos Fernandez to design a winemaking facility around the traditional and state-of-the-art methods that give our Howell Mountain terroir its purest expression.

"At CADE Estate Winery we try to find the line between ageability and drinkability," says Biagi. "We're after artisanal, dimensional wines that taste like they could have come from nowhere else, wines with all the power of Howell Mountain fruit delivered in an approachable style. It's a privilege to help set this style—what I like to call Modern Howell Mountain—as CADE's founding winemaker."

Biagi is a fourth-generation Californian who comes to CADE Estate Winery from positions at Duckhorn Vineyards, Paraduxx Winery and Neal Family Vineyards. He continues to make wine for PlumpJack Winery with consulting winemaker Nils Venge.

Juan Carlos Fernandez

Architect Juan Carlos Fernandez worked hand-in-hand with CADE winemaker Tony Biagi to create a state-of-the-art winery whose simple, striking design reflects a straightforward, sustainable approach to winemaking. Their shared vision of environmental responsibility helped CADE become the first organically farmed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified estate winery in Napa Valley. Building elements include concrete with integral earth colors, steel made from 98 percent recycled material and hundreds of square feet of glass for a well-lit working environment that conserves energy. "I try to stay away from nonrenewable materials," Fernandez says. "We need our natural resources to continue building into the future."

After earning his Professional Degree in Architecture from ITESO, a private university in Guadalajara, Fernandez traveled extensively for projects all over the world, some of which include a golf clubhouse in Mexico, a concept house in Japan, a guest house in Millbrook, New York, and a residence for a member of the Mondavi family in Calistoga, California. He has also contributed to the design of several professional buildings and residences in Napa Valley, as well as two other wineries. Fernandez has been a registered architect in Mexico since 1992.