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A serious guy with a great understanding of people and wine combined with a parched sense of humor, Robert hopped onto Longboard after meeting winemaker Oded Shakked at J Vineyards & Winery.
Born outside of London (yes, he’s a Brit!) Robert moved to New York as a young boy. His family raised him with an appreciation of good wine, good dining and good conversation. Needless to say, his slumber parties were quite popular.
During high school and college Robert worked in several fine-dining establishments, which led to managing three different restaurants in Maryland and the DC area. It was during his restaurant days that Robert accepted his first wine industry job, as a sales representative with the Kronheim Company. It was also here that he started surfing the waves of Potomac Harbor. Okay, we lied about that last one; just wanted to see if you were still paying attention.
In addition to his work as the former Vice President of Sales and Marketing at J Vineyards & Winery, Robert enjoyed stops at Matanzas Creek, King Estate, and Trefethen Vineyards. And now that he’s caught Longboard fever, we think he’s hooked on the brotherhood of the board.
Robert’s escape is being on the water and he keeps two fine ketches that are always ready to set sail on the San Francisco Bay. Robert lives with his wife and young daughter in the East Bay. |
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A walking melting pot, Oded was born in Israel to a family of German and Czech origins. He grew up a hundred yards from the beach just north of Tel-Aviv, splashing in the warm waters of the Mediterranean for the first time at age two (months, that is), and later became one of the first surfers in the area.
Building surfboards for a living in his early twenties led to countless surfing trips along Europe’s Atlantic coast. In Portugal Oded discovered (much to his delight) that it was easier, cheaper and safer to drink good red wine than bottled water. Life was never the same after that.
Oded’s twin loves of surfing and wine brought him to sunny California, where he studied winemaking at UC Davis (can’t beat the homework!). While in school, he worked harvests in Napa and in Bordeaux, but his heart was captured by the diversity of Sonoma County––the soils, the climate and the people.
Feeling roots growing “from the bottom of my feet,” Sonoma County is his second native home––half a world away, yet a spiritual neighbor, of his birthplace.
Passionate about his craft, Oded is also is a great believer in perspective, saying, "Relax, it’s only frickin' wine... enjoy it with food you like and trust nothing but your own palate" |
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Born with a silver calculator in his mouth, Bruce grew up in Portland, Oregon. He earned his BA in Accounting & Business at Linfield College, followed by an MBA from the University of Portland (with honors, we may add).
Bruce’s first job out of school was Staff Accountant at International Paper in Longview, Washington. From there he joined AAA Western Skyways as Accounting Supervisor. After three years in the air, Bruce returned to solid ground as Controller at IFA Nurseries in Portland, followed by the role of Controller & Treasurer at Tillamook Cheese, located in Tillamook, Oregon, oddly enough.
After five years as the big cheese at Tillamook, Bruce joined California Gold Dairy in Petaluma (wondering how he got to California weren’t you?) as CFO of this $300 million dairy cooperative.
When, after three years, the dairy industry underwent massive changes and consolidations, Bruce chose to get out of dairy but stay in Petaluma. Trading his milk glass for a wine goblet, he joined J Winery & Vineyards in 1996 as Business Manager and was made General Manager and CFO in 1999, a position he held until wooed away by the siren song of Longboard.
Bruce still lives in Petaluma, with his wife Denise and their six — count ‘em, six! — children. Not surprisingly, in his “spare” time, Bruce coaches youth sports teams, helps with homework, and does a lot of laundry. |
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