San Diego native makes fine wine in Napa

Who knew that 2008 Torrey Pines High School grad Brooke Bobyak Price would wind up as the winemaker at Napa’s well-regarded Bella Union? Price certainly didn’t. “Growing up in San Diego, I didn’t know this was even possible,” she reflects as we chat in The Gallery tasting room overlooking Bella Union’s barrel room. But Price later studied abroad in France. And in Burgundy, she “fell in love with pinot.”

Returning to UC Davis, Price earned a degree in viticulture and enology (the science of wine and winemaking) while also visiting renowned wine regions all over the world. In 2018, she became an assistant winemaker at Nickel & Nickel, part of the Far Niente Wine Estates portfolio. Two years later, due to hard work and talent, Price was named winemaker at the company’s Bella Union, where she specializes in crafting small lot blends of Napa Valley’s cabernet sauvignon and aromatic whites. The company credits her passion and precision as winemaker and notes that her dedication to identifying the ideal components of each blend has helped elevate Bella Union’s portfolio.

Price is thrilled about Bella Union’s new renovated spaces for sipping, socializing, and educational tastings. “Opening our doors and welcoming guests into Bella Union Winery is a surreal milestone for me and my team,” she says. “We’re so excited about having a physical space to showcase our collection of wines and share our passion for the art of winemaking.” She says Bella Union now offers “endless opportunities to bring the wines to life through a range of sensory experiences, and in a lively setting that encourages conversation and curiosity.”

Price’s winemaking philosophy is simple: “Less is more” and making sure that wine “reflects the purity and character of its origins.” So, she “listens” to the vineyards. The job can be grueling, especially during the harvest when “winemakers are on call day and night,” Price says, but she enjoys the anticipation and excitement of the harvest season.

As for women in the wine industry, she says, “We’re still in the minority when it comes to winemaker roles. But there is definitely opportunity.” Price credits “a great community of female winemakers,” including trailblazers Cathy Corison and Heidi Peterson Barrett, both winemakers and entrepreneurs with their own wineries and labels. “They paved the way for the next generation of women winemakers,” says Price.

She also points out that winemakers, whether women or men, are very inclusive and that building a great team is key to a winery’s success.

When she’s not in the vineyards or the wine cellar,  Price likes to hike, and, not surprisingly given her SoCal roots, surf.