t h e l a w t e a m
Don and Susie Law
We are lifelong skiers, cyclers, and wine devotees. So what is the common denominator? The zest to "have game" at the highest level. After making the decision to pursue the art of wine, we searched throughout California for the perfect place to establish a Rhonish focused wine project. We were blown away by the beauty of the Central Coast, and even more by the terrific wines of West Paso. After two years of scrutinizing different potential sites, we found the perfect ground, now the vineyards of Law Estate Wines. Our goal is to blend the terroir, the winery facility, and our talented team to create a memorable and site specific offering of ultra-premium wines.
Philipp Pfunder
Philipp joined us just in time for our 2016 vintage. Philipp is originally from Munich Germany, making the move to Miami at age ten. In 2008, he traveled to New Zealand to pursue his Masters in Wine Science. Splitting his time between the northern and southern Hemispheres has allowed Philipp to work at some incredible producer’s in New Zealand such as Kumeu River, and Dry River, as well as Château Angélus in Saint Émilion and Screaming Eagle in Napa. Wanting to find a place to settle down in the industry, Philipp knew that Paso Robles was where he wanted to be and these were the incredible wines that he wanted to craft. He is excited to continue to produce premium wines that will continue to put this area on the map.
Pedro Vazquez
Well versed in wine production, Pedro Vazquez is a huge asset as our Assistant Winemaker. Diligent as he is energetic, Pedro has proven faithful to his craft by continuing his education in any way he can and by always striving for professional growth. When he is not playing, watching or praying for the Dodgers, he is happy to help with anything and everything asked of him at the winery and his passion for wine is apparent in all he accomplishes.
Levi Glenn
Levi Glenn grew up near Healdsburg where he started working in a neighbor’s vineyard at the early age of 13. After completing his Viticulture and Enology degree at Cal Poly, Levi returned to the North Coast to manage vineyards in Napa and Sonoma. Missing the vibe of the Central Coast, he and his wife Katie returned when he accepted a job at Tablas Creek Vineyard. Levi is excited to be one of the driving forces of the Law team and he feels privileged to look after this amazing vineyard site.
Kelli Law
While a mathematician by trade and expert skier on the side, Kelli Law has a passion for everything Law Estate Wines, and is devoted to her family's legacy. On any given day, Kelli and her daughter Sophia, can be found driving the mule in the vineyard, tasting grapes and or in the tasting room pouring wine and sharing stories of their family with all of our members and guests.
Oliver Esparham
A fanaticism to be a part of a spectacular vineyard site and winery, Oliver's professional transition began at the first planting in the Law Family Vineyard. In years of cellar work with Scott Hawley, the enology and viticulture program at UC Davis, and walking the vineyard rows with the youngest grape lover, Sophia Snow Esparham, Oliver is always excited to help in sharing the wines with everyone that he can.
Adelaida Pitts
With a degree in Ag Business and a concentration in Marketing from Cal Poly, Addie’s love for all things wine and hospitality is apparent in everything she does. She joined the Law Estate Wines team in October 2013, prior to opening the tasting room, and has been a true asset in making the Law experience what it is. She came to us with years of hospitality experience from some of the best wineries in Paso Robles. Born and raised in the area, she is great at sharing her knowledge of Paso Robles history and evolution of the growing wine region with the team and guests!
Tim Gray
After a 30 year career as a college tennis coach, Tim fell in love with all things wine! His passion for wine lead him to leave coaching and move to California, working in the cellar for some of Napa's most sought after, boutique producers. The desire to explore California's Central Coast wine region lead him to the Law Estate. When Tim's not sharing his knowledge and passion in the tasting room, he is his wife Christine and his trusty dog Pliny, enjoy hiking and exploring the beautiful beaches this area has to offer.
Averi Kerr
Growing up in Paso Robles, Averi’s first exposure to wine included her parents dragging her to tastings in promise of getting grape jelly or grape juice. Fast forward to becoming a young adult, she found her passion for wine! Upon graduating from Cal Poly, Averi moved to Napa, where she immersed herself in learning top-notch hospitality. Missing home, but wanting to continue this career path, she packed her things and immediately fell in love with all things Law! When Averi's not chatting about wine or our amazing industry, she can be found hiking, shopping or painting her nails (which are true pieces of art)!
Amaris Solis
Amaris joins the team at Law with a diverse background in event planning, organizational development, and luxury hospitality. Her love for wine and people is embodied in her passion for building memorable experiences that translate into lasting relationships. With an education in psychology and leadership, she has a humble demeanor and puts her whole heart into all she does. Born and raised in the DC metropolitan area, Amaris and her family enjoy hiking and discovering new places to eat and explore on the Central Coast.
Scott Wilkie
Scott joins Law Estate Wines after nearly 30 years living and working in Chicago, IL and is thrilled to be in the Central Coast and out of the snow, sleet, and below zero Midwest winter temps! A digital native, spending his formidable years working in the technology industry for some of the world's most recognized leaders, Scott shifted careers to work as a Wine Educator and In-Home Consultant. He relocated to Paso Robles because he and his wife fell in love with the wineries, beaches, restaurants, and locals during their first visit back in 2007. His passion for wine started as a result of business and personal travel, eating and tasting his way through many of the iconic wine regions across Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, and the US and that passion grows daily here in Paso Robles. When not at the winery, you'll find Scott and his wife exploring all the central coast has to offer.
Nicole Dougherty
Bio coming soon!
Renee Vida
Renée believes life is a journey where constant learning and reinvention meet an underlying Oingo Boingo soundtrack. Having spent 3 decades working in the sales aspect of the garment industry in Los Angeles, Renée threw fabric to the wind and relocated to her favorite wine region, and the town where her best friends live, Paso Robles. After experiencing wine in the Paso Robles AVA countless times, she is excited to learn and grow under the Law Estate Wines influence. In her free time, you might find her doing yoga on a paddle board in the middle of Morro Bay when she’s not studying up on her grape varietals.
Peggy Krall
Peggy, along with her husband Ron, has been an enthusiastic Black Label member for many years. Her passion for wine and all things Paso led her to our hospitality team. Family gatherings, full of laughter and wine, are life affirming for her. She loves to dabble in freelance interior design and is an HGTV junkie! The visual appeal of the Law facility was a real selling point in her decision to come out of retirement to join the team. Since moving to the area in 2020 she is now referred to as “Paso Peg!”
Keith and Cindee Van Vleck
Keith and Cindee Van Vleck are both retired executives from the high tech and medical device industries in the bay area, Silicon Valley. They have been traveling together to find great food and stellar wines to share with friends for many years. Both love to cook and entertain at their home in Templeton. They first tasted the 2010 vintage at Law in 2013, prior to the tasting room even being completed, and have been happily collecting the wines ever since! This gives them an excellent perspective on how well the wines age -- if Keith hides them in the cellar!
Gianna Berlingeri
Being born and raised in Paso Robles, Gianna remembers her earliest experiences including wine were by being dragged from wine tasting to wine tasting with her parents and how she would pass the time by running through the vineyards sneaking grapes off of the vine. Fast forward a bit to when she began deciding what she wanted to study in college, Gianna realized just how passionate she was about the entire winemaking process and simply needed to know more. That’s when she decided to start studying enology & viticulture at UC Davis. She is so stoked to be a part of the Law Estate Wines team where she is eager to learn and grow.
Sophia
Sophia, granddaughter of Don and Susie Law, has grown up around the winery eating grapes and catching lizards. Her early position as "kitty wrangler" began when Law adopted two cats in 2018. Sophia enjoys coming to the tasting room on the weekends or after school to tell one (or two) of her infamous jokes to guests and signing bottles of our white wine, Soph, named after her. You can also catch Sophia at our annual Black Label Dinners, performing comedy to start each evening!