Amista Vineyards (Winemaker)

Bacigalupi Vineyards (Winemaker)

CAST Wines (Winemaker)

Ashley Herzberg came to love wine early in her life. Her parents had a role in this, instilling in her the importance of cooking and eating together as a family and having wine on the table at mealtime. Despite this exposure, however, Ashley initially intended to attend medical school after earning her university degree in chemical engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. Four years of working in a hospital convinced her that medicine was not her calling, however, so she modified her career goals by turning to the wine industry.

Her background in science and engineering came in handy when she accepted a job in mid-2006 as a laboratory technician at Owl Ridge Wine Services in Sebastopol. Ashley quickly moved up from lab technician to lab manager there, benefiting from valuable mentoring by some of the top Pinot Noir vintners in California such as Merry Edwards, Anthony Austin, and Scot Covington. Because it is a custom-crush facility with over 40 clients at the time, Owl Creek provided her with the opportunity to gain the perspective and knowledge that would prove invaluable as she moved on in her career.

By mid-2007, Ashley found herself at Mauritson Wines as enologist and soon was named assistant winemaker. In 2011, after four years at Mauritson, she decided to take the leap into consulting. She started making Chardonnay for Bacigalupi Vineyards for their inaugural vintage of 2011. Among others, she is now the winemaker for Amista Winery, Bacigalupi Vineyards, CAST Wines, and Innumero, all of which are in Sonoma County. Ashley is involved in crafting a number of varietals, including Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and sparkling wines.

Wine is a lifestyle for Ashley and her family. They enjoy backpacking, mountain biking, and traveling to visit wineries in other wine regions. She also loves to garden, cook, ski, and spend lots of time outdoors in any capacity possible.