Dave first attended New York University to study film, and went on to work production in Hollywood. After years of working in the industry he approached his father about working on the small vineyard he had established in the “Templeton Gap” near Paso Robles. After re-igniting his interest, Dave decided to pursue his passion and began taking local classes at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. From there, Dave went on to study at University of California, Davis earning his degree in Viticulture and Enology. Since graduation, he has worked for Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley and Byron Winery and Cambria Winery in the Central Coast. His most memorable harvest was spent in the RhoneValley of France in Côte-Rôtie.
Dave joined Firestone as Assistant Winemaker in 2015 and was promoted to winemaker in the summer of 2017. He describes the Firestone property as, “Not only visually stunning, but also happens to be in that ever elusive ‘Goldilocks’ zone. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been driving to work worried about the weather I’m seeing. Then, just when I go up that last hill by the vineyards, the weather changes to perfect conditions.” He believes the unique climate and different soils found in the Santa Ynez Valley offer some of the best grape growing conditions. He attributes Firestone’s superior grape quality to the vineyard sites and vineyard management team which he describes as, “one of the most experienced, dedicated and hard-working crews I’ve seen.” When time allows, Dave enjoys walking the vineyards and tracking their development.
Dave lives in Arroyo Grande, California with his wife, Kristen who is a local bread baker. When he is not at Firestone, he can be found grilling on his wood fired oven, restoring vintage motorcycles, or at the farmer’s market with his wife.