Title Associate Winemaker Company The Hess Collection Bio Kate Ayres brings a world view to her work with The Hess Collection winemaking team, with experience gained not just in Napa Valley, but in Oregon, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand. Along the way, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Viticulture & Enology from the University of California at Davis. She served as a research assistant for four years at UC Davis, part of a team focusing on viruses that attack rootstocks. Prior to joining The Hess Collection as a Laboratory Technician she worked in the cellar at Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley. Over three harvests she worked in the cellars at Astrolabe and Jules Taylor Wines in New Zealand, with Herdade dos Grous in Portugal, and at Grant Burge Wines in the Barossa Valley in Australia. Closer to home, her experience included cellar work for Bethel Heights in Oregon. Kate now works as Associate Winemaker overseeing winemaking for the Hess Select tier of wines, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Red Winemaker’s Blend called Treo. As part of the larger Hess team, she works closely with Associate Winemaker Stephanie Pope and Director of Winemaking Dave Guffy across the broad Hess Family Wine Estates portfolio. She is an avid hiker and backpacker who grew up on the North Oregon Coast, developing a keen hand for fishing and foraging for edible mushrooms. Kate makes her home in St. Helena with her fiancé and naturally enough, a winery dog.