Dave is responsible for overseeing viticulture and compliance operations, constructing annual farm plans, annual vineyard evaluations, water rights reporting and managing third party certifications for sustainability, organics and Biodynamics. Additionally, Dave assists with project management activities which includes detailed proforma and cash flows, laying out the vineyard designs, designing the trellis/irrigation/frost systems, procuring vines and trellis pricing and a project schedule. Dave grew up as a kid on a tractor farming olive, prune, and walnut orchards in Northern California with his family. He moved to Mendocino County in 1994 after working as a post graduate researcher at UC Davis to work for the Fetzer Family as a vineyard manager on certified organic vineyards in Mendocino County, which were also some of the first in the county to be certified Biodynamic. From there, Dave developed the mountainous Butler Ranch for Bonterra vineyards where he eventually became Vineyard Director, overseeing as many as 1,200 acres of certified organic and Biodynamic vineyards on 15 different ranches, growing 20 different varietals for large production wines, as well as highly rated vineyard designate wines. Prior to joining Atlas, Dave served as Vice President of Viticulture for Noble Vineyard Management for five-years. Dave is a graduate of the University of California at Davis, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science/Plant Pathology, as well as Cornell University, with a Master’s Degree in Plant Pathology where he researched the effects of environmental conditions on plant disease development. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, California Land Stewardship Institute, which runs the Fish Friendly Farming program, and Committee Chair for the Mendocino County Farm Bureau Water Committee. Dave and his wife farm 15 acres of their own certified organic Chardonnay in the Ukiah valley, where their twin boys are learning farm management from the ground up.
