People 2nd Generation Vintner Courtney Foley Courtney Foley is 2nd Generation Vintner for Chalk Hill Winery, with a deep respect for the estate, and a keen understanding of its diverse and stunning vineyards. “As stewards of this special property, we take our legacy very seriously. This includes the site-specific wines that we carefully cultivate, but also the large portion of the property that is wilderness and not planted to vines, the bounty of produce from our organic culinary garden, as well as the social sustainability of the people who farm and work to craft the wines in our growing portfolio.” Courtney became Director of Winemaking at Chalk Hill from 2018-2019. She is the youngest daughter of Chalk Hill Estate proprietors Bill and Carol Foley, who purchased the iconic Sonoma County property in 2010. As her family’s home for over a decade, Courtney has been surrounded by and fallen in love with Chalk Hill Estate’s culture of wine, organically-grown farm-to-table food, and its strong connection with family and friends. Courtney is a strong voice for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the culture of the winery, and serves on the Sonoma County Vintners Board of Directors. Winemaker Darrell Holbrook Born and raised in Sonoma County, Darrell Holbrook spent his childhood among the vineyards. By age 12, Darrell often accompanied his father to his job at Lytton Springs Winery, now Ridge Vineyards, driving tractors and helping where he could. The beauty of the landscape and excitement of working in this hands-on industry was of deep interest to him even at a young age. In 1994, after working at Lytton Springs in the vineyards, he began an apprenticeship under world-renowned winemaker, David Ramey and moved into the cellar at Chalk Hill Estate. By listening to his mentors and immersing himself in the winemaking process from the ground-up, he worked his way up from a cellar intern to Enologist and Production Manager, and then Assistant Winemaker in 2009. In 2019, with more than 25 years of experience in the wine industry, Darrell was promoted to Winemaker at Chalk Hill Estate, which he considers a second home. He remains enthralled by its beauty, diversity, exceptional vineyards, and the thrill of harvest time at Chalk Hill. Over the years he’s learned that patience, planning, site-specific viticulture, balance and consistency, and good people make great wine.
