Our People
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Chuck Tauck – Senior Managing PartnerChuck was attracted to the Finger Lakes wine industry during his graduate work at the Cornell Hotel School and was instrumental in the transformation of the old abandoned dairy farm to today's winery and vineyard. As principle owner, he assumes all the risk of the venture and personally sees to its priorities and requirements. His usual focus is on the management and company's systems and processes and, when not in the office, he may also be tending vines, troubleshooting phones or computers, weeding the gardens, or chatting with visitors. |
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Bob Madill – Winegrower & General ManagerBob was part of the team that founded Sheldrake Point in 1997 and became winegrower and general manager in 1999. He spent 20 years in the international hi-tech field. His expertise and experience in the wine industry ranges from work in the cellar, as a winemaker, in sales and as a wine judge who is WSET Advanced, AWS and AWO qualified. Bob’s travels have taken him to many winegrowing regions of the world for tastings, presentations and competitions. As winegrower, he provides the strategic direction for our vineyard, winery and wines. As a passionate Pinot fan, Bob produces our BLK 3 Pinot Noir. Bob is past president of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail and chair of the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. In 2009, he was awarded the prestigious Unity Award from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. |
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David Breeden – WinemakerWith experience developed in wineries throughout the Finger Lakes, Dave can always be found in our winery or lab, gently and patiently tending to the fermentation and aging of our wines while caring for our tanks, barrels and equipment. Armed with two degrees in chemistry and two in philosophy, Dave not only brings us expertise in the wine lab and on the crush pad, he also can be heard waxing poetic virtues of everything from Plato's cave to contemporary third-party politics. |
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Tyler Tauck – Winemaker's AssistantEquipped with a degree in Environmental Sciences and a sincere passion for the Finger Lakes Wine Industry, Tyler joined the team in Spring of 2012. If you can't find Tyler at the winery, chances are you can find him on an outdoor adventure, most likely mountain biking and getting dirty around Cayuga Lake! |
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Dave Weimann – Vineyard ManagerDave's background includes four years of grapevine management at Cornell's Geneva Agricultural Experiment Station and two years of honeybee research in Ithaca. His love of our vineyard is second only to that for his own farm across the lake. Dave and his vineyard crew take great pride tending the 40 acres of vines and new plantings at Sheldrake Point Vineyard, while planning and preparing for new acreage each spring. |
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Lisa Morton – Business ManagerWith significant experience in finance and operations in the food and wine industries, Lisa provides the true glue that holds this place together - just ask anyone here at Sheldrake! Behind that smile is an acute accommodation for accuracy, a knowledgeable knack for numbers, and a spry spontaneous spirit that keeps everybody on their toes. |
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Antoinette Di Ciaccio – Wine Club ManagerA friendly smile and a warm welcome is what you can expect when you encounter Antoinette. She joined Sheldrake Point in the fall of 2008 after having worked at wineries on all three "great lakes" of the Finger Lakes. She is thrilled to be applying her background in marketing communications to such a fun and vital part of life in the region. Stop by for a visit and Antoinette will be happy to provide a lesson in pronouncing her last name as she pours Sheldrake Point’s fine wines. (HINT: dee-CHA-cho) |
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Jamelle CallonTasting Room Manager, Cayuga LakeYou may know Jamelle from her time working at the Sheldrake Point Winery booth at the Ithaca Farmer's Market for the past few years, or you may have seen her in our Cayuga Lake Tasting Room pouring you a few of our award-winning wines. With her strong background in horticulture and passion for viticulture, Jamelle brings a fresh and unique perspective to the tasting room. In her spare time Jamelle loves spending time with her son, gardening, and playing with her dog, Reese. |
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Christine McAfeeTasting Room Manager, Seneca LakeChristine McAfee is a familiar face in the Finger Lake wine industry. While working at a number of wineries on Seneca Lake, she has gained experience in many aspects of the wine industry from the vineyard and winery to tasting room and wholesale management, as well as being WSET Certified. With the addition of our Seneca Lake Tasting Room, Christine joined the team at Sheldrake Point as Tasting Room Manager. Chances are when you stop into Sheldrake’s second location you will get a chance to meet Christine and share in her enthusiasm for the regions abundance of food, art and most importantly…wine! |
