Merry Edwards Winery

MERRY EDWARDS • MERRY EDWARDS WINERY • Owner/Winemaker

One of California’s first women winemakers, Merry Edwards began her career at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1974. She went on to become the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek in 1977 and remained there until 1984. For the next decade, Merry consulted for numerous wineries, large and small, in Oregon and many diverse appellations of California.

In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus on producing Pinot Noirs with a sense of place from Russian River Valley. Living her dream, she and her husband, Ken Coopersmith, now manage five estate vineyards: Coopersmith, Cresta d’Oro, Flax, Georganne and Meredith. They maintain collaborative relationships with several other dedicated growers to supplement this estate production.

Merry and Ken completed their winery facility in 2008 on the site of Coopersmith Vineyard. In this venue, tastings are hosted to educate visitors about Merry’s handcrafted wines and site-specific viticulture. Merry’s wines are available direct from the winery and in fine restaurants throughout the United States.

Two regional blends and six vineyard designates are bottled. In 2001, a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc blend was added to the portfolio and has been lauded as the best Sauvignon Blanc being made in the United States. In spring 2012, Merry released her first single-vineyard Chardonnay, 2010 Olivet Lane, under this label.

2013 marked Merry’s 40th vintage, and she had a stellar year. Not only was she inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America, she also received the coveted James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional, becoming just the fourth woman to win it.

Joe Gambrell - National Sales Liaison

Joe Gambrell’s background includes 20 years in the distribution, supplier and restaurant industry. Before joining Merry Edwards Winery as National Sales Liaison, he was Vice President of Sales for Grapevine and Sales Manager for The Country Vintner, both in South Carolina. Before that, he held the position of District Manager of South Carolina for Kendall Jackson Wine Estates and owned Saluda’s Capital City Grille in Columbia, S.C. He was State Fine Wine Manager for The Capital Group of South Carolina, Marketing Manager for RNDC and Area Manager for World Wines in Florida. In 2007, he earned his Certified Sommelier designation from the Court of Master Sommeliers.