Sideways-inspired winemaker takes top role at Napa Valley estate

A winemaker who began his journey after watching the film Sideways has taken a top role at the Odette Estate Winery in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District.

Over the past eight years, Andrew Haugen has progressed from cellar master to enologist to assistant winemaker, and now will take on the role of head winemaker at the winery.

Originally from Southern California, Haugen’s journey into the world of wine began with a “serendipitous encounter” with the wine-centric movie Sideways during his time at California Polytechnic State University, the winemaker said. Intrigued by “the allure of wine”, he began taking wine classes at the same time as the biology curriculum, and explored the burgeoning wine-growing regions of the Central Coast of the USA.

After gaining experience at wineries across the globe, including Stonestreet in Sonoma County for his inaugural 2012 harvest, Church Road Winery in New Zealand, Howard Park in Australia, and Gran Moraine in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Haugen then joined Odette Estate Winery in 2015.

Haugen will now oversee all the daily winemaking operations for the Odette and Adaptation labels in his new position, including collaborating closely with long-time vineyard manager Oscar Renteria at Oso Vineyard − the 129-acre site located in Pope Valley —  which was acquired by the PlumpJack Collection of Wineries.

John Conover, partner and general manager of Odette Estate Winery and the PlumpJack collection, said: “Andrew’s expertise with Odette’s vineyards and years of international experience, coupled with his proven experience producing wines of superlative quality, positioned him as the standout candidate.

“We are confident that Andrew will uphold and enhance the winery’s standard for excellence and environmental responsibility, which has been Odette’s guiding philosophy since the Estate’s 2012 debut.”

Napa acquisitions

The news follows the PlumpJack Collection of Wineries’ acquisition of Oso Vineyard last year, an investment which has resulted in it becoming one of the largest estate wineries in Napa Valley.

The PlumpJack Collection’s significant estate footprint includes CADE Estate and 13th Vineyard by CADE on Howell Mountain, Odette Estate in Stag’s Leap District, and PlumpJack Estate Winery in Oakville.

It is now one of the largest estate wineries in Napa Valley with access to high-quality Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as well as Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot.

The PlumpJack Collection has historically sourced fruit from Oso Vineyard’s previous owner, the Michael Mondavi Family Estate, who purchased the Pope Valley property in 2006. Roughly a third of the 129-acre (52-hectare) vineyard’s grapes have been purchased for The PlumpJack Collection’s Adaptation label in recent years.