We’re smart, we’re fun, and some of us are a little quirky, but what we all have in common is a love for wine and Rominger West! Meet our wonderful owners and staff:
Mark West - Winemaker
Mark is a vital component of the Rominger West collaboration. His background includes a B.S. from UC Berkeley, a PhD from John Hopkins School of Medicine and more than 14 years of winemaking experience. Mark grew up in Davis and has returned, bringing with him a passion for handcrafted artisan wine and a dedication to the local community. He has a love for music, and spent 4 years as a percussionist in the University of California Marching Band (Yes, he was one of those crazy Cal Band kids). Mark can be found all over the winery doing a variety of tasks, but one of his favorite duties (besides making the wine, of course) is leading tours and tastings. He loves interacting with customers and having the opportunity to share his connection with each of our Rominger West wines, especially our Rosé, which he claims to make solely for his own personal enjoyment.
Bruce Rominger – Grape Grower
Bruce brings fruit to the Rominger West table … literally! Bruce, his wife Robyn and their 3 children reside in Winters, CA where Bruce oversees the production and harvest of our delicious grapes. With many different types of grapes to watch over (Syrah, Malbec, Tannat, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon, the list goes on) as well as the Rominger Brother’s Farm operations, Bruce keeps himself very busy. His B.S. in Plant Science from UC Davis has proved quite helpful as he and his brother Rick have continued to implement more sustainable growing and production practices on the farm. On the rare occasion that he has some time to relax, Bruce enjoys hiking with his family, cheering on the SF Giants and listening to some good ol’ ’70s rock n’ roll!
Elizabeth Caravati - Wine Club Manager, Office Manager
“What better way to experience California than wine?” explains Elizabeth. Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, she wound her way to Washington University in St. Louis where she received her bachelor’s degree in English. With her expertise in languages and organization, Elizabeth has made our lives here at Rominger West Winery a whole lot easier. Elizabeth enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and various outdoor activities, and absolutely loves peanut butter and pickle sandwiches. Don’t be fooled by her calm and serene persona however, this one has many hidden talents. In college, Elizabeth was a beast in the pool: she swam at Nationals and won an “All-American” award in butterfly (which is ridiculously difficult if you ask me). When she wasn’t dominating in the pool, Elizabeth spent her free time writing and publishing poems. As children, most of us want to be doctors, princesses or dolphin trainers, but not our Liz; she had grand dreams of becoming a plumber. Her ambitions have definitely changed since she was a kid. She wants to travel the world and would love to visit Australia or Thailand someday. Elizabeth is excited to be here in Davis and is enjoying the small college town atmosphere. She really likes that Rominger West Winery is dedicated to being an integral part of this community and we really enjoy having her on board. Next time you’re at the winery, say hi to Elizabeth; she’d love to meet you!
Brittany Dibb - Enologist
It’s funny what UC Davis, one of the most prestigious viticulture and enology schools in the world, can do to a person. In Brittany’s case, it can make you completely change your area of study! Originally, Brittany had big dreams of graduating with a degree in neurobiology (yikes!) from UC Davis, but she soon developed a love for wine and its surrounding culture, so she made the change to Viticulture and Enology and hasn’t looked back since. Brittany hails from Southern California and brings with her a nautical, beachy flair, as well as a love for southern CA sports teams (Yup, we have some conflict in the office). Brittany has recently been made enologist, so she spends a lot of time in the cellar making sure that everything from fermentation to blending goes smoothly. Stop by to meet Brittany, and she’ll be able to answer any questions you have about winemaking!
Mary Kincheloe – Events Coordinator
Our events coordinator, Mary Kincheloe, is originally from Windsor, California, and is a June graduate from UC Davis with a B.A. in Textiles and Clothing. The middle of five children, Mary is upbeat and outgoing, and loves meeting new people. Following graduation, Mary spent the summer in France and Italy, where she fell in love with wine and decided that she wanted to pursue a career in the wine industry. When prompted for her favorite wine, Mary responded: “Every wine is different from the next and I think that’s the beauty of wine.”
Mary loves her mom’s cooking – especially her stuffed brie (“nothing will ever top it”) – meeting new people, and she also enjoys dancing, composing and playing music on her guitar, along with hiking and playing volleyball. She puts lots of butter on everything, and loves Davis for its friendly atmosphere and the fresh apple juice at the Farmer’s Market. So far the only flaw that we have discovered about Mary’s character is her love for USC football. While the fact that her “parents and…entire extended family all graduated from USC” may explain the genesis of this fault, the ‘Old Guy’, for one, hopes she quickly learns the error of her ways. Be that as it may, we welcome Mary to the team, and whether she is helping you plan an event or just chatting about life, come in and brighten Mary’s day!
Jack – Minister of Mirth
As one of the newest members of our staff, and easily one of the most beloved, Jack has brought a palpable wave of energy and excitement into our tasting room. With a proud, puppy-loving papa in Mark, Jack spends most of his days here greeting friends and customers as they enter the tasting room. He also is keenly interested in the health and happiness of all of his co-workers, often encouraging us to go on long lunchtime walks or rub his tummy (which has been scientifically proven to immediately improve one’s attitude and mood—good thinking, Jack!) Jack will be one of the key players of our events staff, including assisting with everything from Happy Thursdays to private parties. In his spare time, Jack enjoys napping on his squishy bed, snacking on treats, and playing with friends. He is, however, not much of a wine drinker, instead preferring to sip on water from his favorite dish. Stop by for a pat soon!
- Zaryna Gossell - Special Events
If you have ever visited Rominger West Winery for a taste of Yolo County’s finest wine, you have undoubtedly experienced the cheer of Ms. Zaryna Gossell. Zaryna began her experience with the Rominger West crew as a curious newbie to the winemaking process, dying to learn more about the delicious beverage that she had grown to love. As our tasting room manager for three years, Zaryna had the opportunity to meet all of our new friends as they entered the winery. Now working full-time for a dental office, Zaryna pops in a few times a month to lend her expertise to special events. She says that she loves her job because what other job pays you to talk to people and drink wine all day!? On her days off, Zaryna likes to relax, order some pizza and watch a few movies or an SF Giants game with her best bud Cody, a 1 yea- old golden retriever (who can frequently be found hanging out in the winery’s office). A little secret she divulged is her habit of changing her name when making reservations or talking on the phone; She claims that her real name, Zaryna, is too unusual…we all think she is an undercover secret agent with duel identities. When asked if she has a favorite Rominger West wine, her response was “Every time of the day demands a different wine: Breakfast with Rose, Lunch with Rominger Ranch White, and Dinner with Yolo County Syrah.” Now that’s an attitude we can get behind!
Stephanie Towne - Special Events
The first time that Stephanie tried wine, she was 12 years old and took a gulp of water from her mom’s glass, which turned out to be wine! She’s gotten over the shock by now, and enjoys wine so much that she visits us on weekend to help out with special events while balancing a full-time reporter position with SacTown Magazine! Stephanie hails from Fair Oaks, California, and has come to us after earning a B.A. in English with a minor in writing at UC Davis. Stephanie loves her cat Tigger, sticky toffee pudding ice cream from Haagen-Dazs (sadly now discontinued), Nutella (which she eats almost every day–on toast, in a sandwich, with a spoon…), hip hop and R&B music, and anything athletic. She grew up English horseback riding, loves to run, play soccer and ultimate Frisbee, and she absolutely loves skiing. She has admitted that she would drop everything to be a pro skier if she could. Stephanie studied abroad in Paris one summer during college, and would love to go back, so ask her for a glass de vin, and she’ll be happy to oblige! We also have another Giants fan on our hands, so watch out Dodgers fans! Stephanie enjoys wine so much that she visits us on the weekends to help out with special events.
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