David and Ellen King
Ellen, from Houston, Texas and David, from Abilene, Texas, met at
Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and were married in 1977.
Law school, a law practice and three growing boys kept the Kings
busy until their move to Crozet in 1996.
Ellen enjoys gardening and the outdoors and helped put in the original
vineyard plantings. She can occasionally be found on a horse or in the
barn helping with the horses. She is also enjoying her more recent
role as a grandmother of three grandaughters; she is known to them
as "E".
David put in all of the original vineyard and is currently helping
sons Carrington and Stuart along with Martin and Ray to add to the
vineyard acreage. David's hobbies include flying and of course, the horses. He is also enjoying spending time with the three princesses in the family who call him "D".
Carrington and Corie King
The
King's oldest son Carrington graduated from the University of Maryland, College
Park, where he played lacrosse for the Terps and obtained a degree in Horticulture
Production. Now working full time at King Family Vineyards, Carrington is learning
every aspect of the operation both in the vineyard and the winery. Carrington
is married to the former Corie Shanks of Danville, Virginia, who graduated from
the University of Virginia with a degree in Biology. Carrington loves to hunt
and his German Shorthaired Pointer, Pancho, is a fixture here on the farm. Corie
is an avid runner and is certainly the family best in this department. Corie
and Carrington are the proud parents of three beautiful daughters, Lellie Grace, Stuart Caroline, and Virginia Carrington.
Stuart and Ali King
Stuart is a 2006 graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, where he played lacrosse and majored in economics. He assists brother Carrington in managing the vineyard and running the winery operation. His passions include hunting and fishing with his black Labrador, Chester.
Ali is also a Washington College graduate with a degree in studio art and art history. She enjoys riding her horse, taking long walks on the farm with her Weimaraner, Reese, yoga, and working in the tasting room. Ali and Stuart are looking forward to welcoming a beautiful baby boy, James Leslie King, in the early spring.
James and Kelly King
James
is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in history and played
lacrosse for the Cavaliers. James is currently a first lieutenant in the United Sates Marine Corps and is serving our country on a second tour overseas. He married the former
Kelly Truax, also a graduate of the University of Virginia, in July 2007. Kelly
is serving with the United Sates Navy as a nurse at the San Diego Naval Hospital.
Amanda
Gee-Taylor
Born
in Feilding, New Zealand, Amanda first came to the United States in 1986 as
a nanny. In the intervening years she has worked as a horse trainer in both
the United States and Australia and graduated from Marcus Oldham College, Geelong,
Australia with a degree in Horse Business Management. Amanda returned to the
U.S. in 1997 to work for the Kings as a horse trainer and in 1998, she and
Ray Wyant were the mainstays of the crew that put in the first eight acres
of vineyard. Knowledgeable in all areas of the operation, Amanda anchors the
Tasting Room on Saturdays and can often be found in both the winery and vineyard.
Completely at home out of doors, Amanda is a pilot, has skydived, still rides
polo ponies daily and is never far from her dogs, Mack and Houdini.
Matthieu Finot
Matthieu
Finot was born in Crozes Hermitage in the Rhone Valley. From a family of viticulturists
and wine lovers, Matthieu was predisposed to continue his family's pursuit
of winemaking and enjoying. He first studied viticulture and oenology at Beaune,
in the heart of Burgundy. After successfully receiving his advanced BTS degree,
Matthieu worked in many different wine regions around France including Rhone
Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Provence, and Jura. Matthieu then wanted to gain
world-wide experience. He worked in Italy and South Africa before settling
in Virginia. Since arriving in 2003, Matthieu has worked with wineries throughout
the state. He enjoys working in the Monticello Appellation most because he
likes being close to Charlottesville, and the excitement of the regions
growth. He also teaches classes on winemaking and taste analysis at
Piedmont Valley Community College. When not at the winery, Matthieu likes
to play rugby, rock climb, cook, snowboard and drink wine with his friends
Christopher Hill
With a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a B.S. and M.S. in Horticulture
from Virginia Tech, Chris started his grape growing career at Glendower Vineyard, Scottsville,
Virginia in 1981. A consultant to a wide range of clients since 1993, Chris' easygoing
manner masks an encyclopedic knowledge of the vagaries of viticulture in Virginia. A
champion of the Smart- Dyson trellis system, Chris has seen it all and was instrumental
in the site selection and varieties chosen for the King Family Vineyards. Chris continues
to accept the Kings' late night pleas for help with the spray program in good humor.
Chris is married to Kathy Jaquette. Chris has a son Ryan and four busy grandchildren.
When he has a rare day off, he can sometimes be found fishing in the Roseland Farm lake!
Ray Wyant
Raised only a few miles north of the winery, Ray has worked on the property that now includes the King Family Vineyards for almost 35 years. His complete knowledge of farming in general, and this property in particular, has allowed the Kings to put all of the spraying, mowing, soil maintenance, equipment maintenance, trellis construction and general problem solving into his capable hands. Ray is also an avid hunter and fisherman.
Martin Powley
Born and raised in Crozet, Martin joined the team in July 2010. After
graduating from Roanoke College in 2009 with a degree in Business
Administration, Martin knew he wanted to return to his roots. Having been raised on a farm, he is at home in the outdoors. He loves to hunt and fish and often can be found fishing in tournaments at Lake Anna. Martin helps run the farm and vineyard.
Will Rucker
Will joined the King Family Vineyards team in 2009 while a student at the University of Virginia. He has worked in the hospitality industry since he was a high school student, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in drama in 2010. Will has directed several plays and frequently serves as a guest educator at Live Arts in Charlottesville, Virginia. His experience as a stage manager of large-scale theatrical productions and an east coast tour serves him well in the tasting room as he coordinates staff, interacts with customers, and maintains knowledge of all aspects of the winery.
Brooke Willard
Brooke has lived in Crozet for 20 years and joined King Family Vineyards in 2011. A graduate of the University of Virginia with a concentration in social sciences, Brooke has experience in the hospitality industry, the non-profit sector, and has been a small business owner. She uses the skills and knowledge acquired from these trades to provide great customer service and foster teamwork in the winery. When away from work, she can be found in the kitchen making cookies with her daughter.
Anne Kirk
Anne recently joined us after several years in the Virginia wine industry. She holds a master’s of science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, but her heart is in hospitality and special events. Having had the chance to travel to many different places, Anne brings a unique perspective, attention to detail, and a love for people and creating great memories to her role as our events manager.