Nancy Walker is one of the most talented winemakers in the business—and one of the most down-to-earth ladies you’d ever want to meet. When we joined the Vintage Wine Estates wine family in July 2014, our greatest desire was to have a smart, funny, gorgeous, dedicated and totally charismatic winemaker we could call our own.  So we are thrilled to announce that Nancy Walker has been appointed winemaker for all the Wine Sisterhood wines—including Middle Sister, Wine Sisterhood, PromisQous, Monogamy, Purple Cowboy and Deep Purple Zinfandel.

A northern California native, Nancy’s father, a science teacher, instilled a love of science and nature in Nancy and her siblings through family nature walks. Her dad would point out species of plants and animals, and talk about ecosystems and the history of the land, which piqued Nancy’s interest in science.

Her winemaking career began in 1984 after graduating from the University of California at Davis with a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) degree in Bacteriology. Bitten by the winemaking bug, she pivoted from a plan to attend medical school and started work in the cellar at McDowell Valley Vineyard. Over the years, Nancy honed her skills at many prestigious California wineries including Geyser Peak, Dunnewood, Clos du Bois, Brutocao Cellars and Fetzer Vineyards. Nancy joined Vintage Wine Estates as winemaker in 2008 for Windsor Vineyards wines, the most successful collection of premium wines sold directly to consumers.

Nancy is recognized internationally as a master blender with an ability to create fabulous wines at any price point from $10 to $100 and beyond. Her deft touch has already received accolades for our wines, with Gold Medal/Best of Class for Middle Sister Drama Queen Pinot Grigio and a Double-Gold for Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red. An entrepreneurial spirit, Nancy enjoys public speaking and sharing her love of wine. We’ll be hearing more from her on social media and as she travels with us to tasting events in the upcoming months.

A busy mom of two boys, Nancy and her husband live in Hopland, California, just minutes from the winery. Nancy and her husband share a Sonoma appellation wine label together, called Stephen & Walker. Still a nature lover, she enjoys fly-fishing, gardening, hiking with the family’s 2-year-old Scottish Terriers (Sweetness & Checkers), olive oil making, foraging for mushrooms, birding, abalone diving, knitting and crocheting.