Hudson Napa Valley (www.hudsonranch.com), a 2,000 acre estate in the Carneros region of Napa, is pleased to announce the hiring of Andrew Holve to the position of Winemaker and Director of Winery Operations
Napa Valley, California, April 22, 2024 — Lee and Cristina Hudson announced today the appointment of Andrew Holve as the new Winemaker and Director of Winery Operations for Hudson Napa Valley.
Holve, a seasoned winemaker with extensive experience crafting Chardonnay and red Bordeaux varieties, most recently served as Head Winemaker for Newton Vineyards. He has a master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis, and prior experience at wineries such as Ridge, MacRostie, and Patz & Hall. Holve will succeed winemaker Clayton Kirchhoff, who is departing to pursue other opportunities after more than a decade with Hudson.
As winemaker, Holve will work alongside owners Lee and Cristina Hudson, and closely collaborate with John Kongsgaard, Hudson’s founding winemaker and current consulting winemaker who has had a hand in every Hudson wine since the first vintage two decades ago. Holve will report to Hudson CEO Peter Willmert.
“Andrew’s background making Chardonnay and Bordeaux-variety red wines at Newton completes a 40-year circle started in 1984, when John Kongsgaard was then the winemaker at Newton. John used that very first harvest of Hudson heritage vine Chardonnay in the wines he was making with my good friend Peter Newton,” said Lee Hudson. “It gives me great pleasure to warmly welcome Andrew to Hudson Napa Valley.”
“Andrew is a rising talent here in Napa,” said Cristina SP Hudson, veteran of the Slow Food movement and former leader alongside Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. “His experience and dedication to fine wine is the perfect match for what we do.”
Commenting on his new role, Holve said “Making wine with world-famous Hudson grapes alongside John Kongsgaard is a rare opportunity for a winemaker. I am thrilled to build on the history of excellence that has been established at Hudson.”
Lee and Cristina Hudson expressed their appreciation for the years of service of outgoing winemaker Clayton Kirchhoff: “We are grateful to Clayton for all of his efforts moving us forward in wine quality and style over the past decade, and wish him great success in his next endeavor.”
About Hudson Napa Valley
Situated deep in the heart of the rolling hills of Napa Valley’s Carneros District, Hudson Napa Valley this year will celebrate its 40th harvest, part of a rich history growing wine grapes for the most respected winemakers in Napa and Sonoma. Hudson crafts its wines from many parcels of distinction from the estate, and continues to grow fruit in dedicated rows and blocks for more than 25 wineries from the 2,000-acre contiguous property. Guests enjoy the serenity of the Hudson state-of-the-art winery and hospitality center, and Hudson distributes wines in fine restaurants and wine purveyors in North America as well as export markets across Europe and Asia. Hudson Greens & Goods full-service grocery store in the Napa Oxbow Market sets the standard for quality, freshness, curated assortment, and service, supplied by the diversified Hudson Ranch, producing California olive oil, honey, heritage breed livestock and seasonal produce.
About Andrew Holve
Born in Sebastopol, Andrew Holve’s California roots run deep. “My family has been in California a long time,” he notes. “My great-grandparents were orange farmers in Anaheim in the early 20th century, and farming was something my immediate family did together as a hobby. We planted a small vineyard in my yard and I was making wine at 10 years old. But when you’re a kid, you don’t recognize that wine can be a job.” After receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California in 2009, Holve joined Americorps, where he worked on a wide range of hands-on projects, from building homes with Habitat for Humanity to riparian restoration with the Bureau of Land Management. In 2012, he took his first harvest internship at Church Road Winery in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. He followed that with roles at Patz & Hall, MacRostie, and Ridge, before arriving at Newton in time for the 2015 harvest, having completed his Master of Science degree in Viticulture & Enology at the University of California Davis. Andrew lives in Napa, CA with his wife, Domitille, and their young son.
