Heidi von der Mehden was born in San Francisco and grew up in Santa Rosa, California. She received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Santa Clara University in 1997 and went on to teach high school chemistry in Tanzania, East Africa, while serving in the Peace Corps. When she returned to the U.S. and to Sonoma County, she decided to put her chemistry background to work in the wine industry.

She began working as a laboratory technician for Kenwood Vineyards during the harvest of 2000. Continuing her employment at Kenwood, she completed four harvests, working her way up to enologist. During this time she also took a sabbatical to work the 2002 vintage at Babich Winery in New Zealand.

In 2004, Heidi joined the team at Mauritson Winery as assistant winemaker, where she worked for three harvests making wine and overseeing many of the day-to-day activities of the winery. Heidi then joined Arrowood Winery in 2007, first as an associate winemaker, and continued her education under wine master Richard Arrowood. She was named winemaker at Arrowood in 2010, where she crafted Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, among other varietals.

Heidi joined the Merry Edwards Winery in 2015 as associate winemaker. In this role, Heidi not only worked with another highly experienced winemaker, Merry Edwards, but also broadened her focus to include Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. She was promoted to winemaker in late 2018, when Merry stepped aside as the winemaker at her eponymous winery. In speaking about Heidi, Merry says, “Every day Heidi shows me more of her own attention to detail and passion for the craft of wine growing. Our basic mantra is not resting on our laurels but in continuing to improve.”