As hands-on vintners, Pat and Anne Stotesbery have worked shoulder to shoulder for more than two decades building Ladera into one of Napa Valley’s most highly regarded wineries, with a reputation for making compelling mountain Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as sophisticated Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. While many wineries have embraced the potential of mountain grapes to create extremely big and powerful wines, the Stotesberys have long championed a more balanced and layered expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, where bright fresh aromas and pure varietal flavors are supported by silky tannins and a lovely structure—a style that they have also embraced in the other varietals they work with. “We have always made wines that are authentic to what we value and appreciate—wines that we are proud to share over a meal with fellow vintners and other friends,” says Anne.

The seeds for Ladera were planted in the early 1970s, when Pat and Anne fell in love while attending university in Northern California. Among their many shared interests, they discovered a passion for wine, and were soon taking wine classes together, and traveling to wine country for tastings. Though the next
two decades took them to Minnesota and Montana, where they ran a 3,200-acre ranch with 750 head of cattle, their interest in wine only grew. As it did, they found that they had a special interest in elegant Bordeaux-varietal wines—most notably Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. 

In 1996, after a trip to California rekindled their appreciation of Napa Valley and the Bay Area, Pat and Anne acquired their first vineyard property on Mount Veeder. The following year, they purchased the Lone Canyon Vineyard, which would become the source for Ladera’s acclaimed early wines. They found that they loved the challenges and rewards of growing grapes and making wine. They also recognized that like Montana, a life in Napa Valley would allow them to raise their four children in an agrarian environment, where they could have a deeper connection with the land and their surrounding community. In 2000, this desire led the Stotesberys to acquire a historic property on Howell Mountain. Moving their family to Napa
Valley, they dedicated themselves to Ladera fulltime, embracing their role as vintners. 

Sharing desks side by side (as they have done for more than two decades), Pat focused on the vineyard and winemaking side of Ladera, while Anne guided its hospitality, direct-to-consumer and wine club programs. With Pat actively involved in every aspect of production, and Anne hosting guests and guiding the visitor experience, Ladera flourished, recognized both for the exceptional quality of its wines, and the warm, inviting nature of the winery. Beyond Ladera, Pat has also embraced the role of community advocate. He has served as a past president of both the Howell Mountain Vintners and Growers Association and the Napa Valley Vintners, and is the current chairman of the St. Helena Hospital Foundation, which has raised millions for the hospital.

In 2016, with their children grown and pursuing careers of their own, Pat and Anne decided to sell their Howell Mountain property. “As empty nesters, it was too big for us, and taking care of it was a fulltime job,” says Pat. “We wanted to focus our energies on doing what we love the most—making balanced, age-worthy wines. Today, with 20 years of experience under our belts, and deep relationships in the community, we are fortunate to be able to partner with Napa Valley’s greatest winegrowers in pursuit of this vision.”

As second-generation family members, the husband-and-wife team of Dan and Kacey Stotesbery are passionate advocates for Ladera, working alongside founders Pat and Anne Stotesbery to build on the winery’s two-decade legacy of excellence. In guiding Ladera’s national sales program, Dan and Kacey embrace the tradition established by Pat and Anne of building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with Ladera’s trade and distributor partners. At the same time, with diverse professional backgrounds in food, wine and hospitality, Dan and Kacey bring a unique perspective, and a wealth of experience, to their roles guiding national sales.

As one of Pat and Anne’s four children, Dan began working at Ladera during summer vacations as a teenager, where he learned about the business from the ground up. After earning a degree from DePauw University, he spent two years working for the Chicago Board of Trade, before returning to Ladera to help oversee the winery’s national sales program. Over the following eight years, Dan helped to establish Ladera’s national distributor network, which today includes more than 50 distributor partners across the United States. In 2014, Dan joined the team at GOVINO as director of global operations and supply chain management, and in 2016, he was named the COO of GORIGHT PPL. After contributing to the success of both companies, Dan returned to Ladera in 2017, eager to help guide the future of his family’s winery.

Kacey Stotesbery grew up in Houston, Texas, and studied at Sam Houston State University where she focused on history of agriculture and food production. After earning her degree in 2002, her interest in food and wine led her to a career as a chef and wine buyer in Houston, where she worked at several
acclaimed restaurants, including Tiny Boxwood’s and Fox Hollow. In 2011, following her growing love of wine, Kacey joined the on-premise wine team at Republic National Beverage. There, she utilized talents gained from her time in the hospitality industry, and her WSET Level 3 accreditation, to build
relationships between top wineries and key accounts.

Kacey and Dan met during a sales call, while Kacey was working for Republic and Dan was representing Ladera. After being married in 2012, Kacey and Dan moved to St. Helena to start a family. Like Pat and Anne, Dan and Kacey approach their roles at Ladera as a team, combining their skills and experience, while working collaboratively to help guide Ladera’s future. “One of the threads that connects most of the world’s great wineries is family involvement, with each new generation building on what has come before,” says Kacey. “As parents ourselves, we are honored to join Pat and Anne as the stewards of Ladera, knowing that our contributions will help to ensure that it thrives for decades and generations to come.”

Since 2012, Ladera’s acclaimed wines have been made by gifted Winemaker Jade Barrett. An internationally trained winemaker, with extensive experience throughout New Zealand, Australia and California, Jade is recognized for making structured and sophisticated mountain Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. To create wines that embody their vineyard roots, Jade works alongside proprietor Pat Stotesbery to oversee the selection and farming of the sites Ladera owns and works with, including Ladera’s Pillow Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. “Because we only make a handful of wines, we apply an incredible amount of attention at every stage of viticulture,” says Jade. “When you combine this kind of attention to detail with grapes from the finest
vineyards, the results are something special.”

Jade was raised on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island, which is famous for producing some of the country’s finest Bordeaux-varietal wines. Growing up surrounded by wineries, Jade began cultivating a love of wine while working in the local vineyards, while also studying viticulture and winemaking. In 1998, Jade joined the team at Te Motu Estate, where he gained invaluable hands-on experience in both the vineyard and winery. Next, Jade traveled to California, where he worked at Napa Valley’s Truchard Vineyards and Vine Cliff Winery. In addition to gaining an international perspective, Jade also fell in love with the vibrant Napa Valley winemaking community, and the diverse character of its wines.  

Returning to the Southern Hemisphere to gain further experience, Jade spent the next two years at New Zealand’s Craggy Range Winery and Amberley Estate in Western Australia, before coming back to Napa Valley to take a position as the assistant winemaker at Lewis Cellars in 2004. There, Jade refined his approach to making luxury Napa Valley wines, while also developing a passion for Cabernet Sauvignon from
hillside and mountain vineyards. In 2006, Jade was named the associate winemaker for Calistoga’s Jericho Canyon Vineyards, where he spent the next six years crafting hillside-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc before joining Ladera in 2012. 

In the years since, Jade has guided Ladera’s vineyard and winemaking programs, further enhancing the remarkable quality of the wines, while staying true to Ladera’s vibrant and sophisticated style. Whether he’s driving the steep, winding roads of Napa Valley in search of great new vineyards, traveling to France to evaluate the finest oak cooperages, or introducing new fermentation and tannin management techniques, he is constantly working to create wines that are benchmarks for their depth, elegance and aging potential.

As our CFO, Chris Artley has helped to guide the business side of making exceptional mountain-grown wines since 2010, while also contributing his insights into the strategic vision of Ladera. A highly respected financial executive with a quarter-century of experience, Chris approaches his work with an entrepreneurial, idea-driven mindset.

In addition to his role at Ladera, Chris is a principal at Strategic Property Development Group and The Venerable Group, both of which are real estate investment firms based in Arizona. Chris has also served as vice president of operations for Arizona Entertainment Group where he directed operations for hotel properties throughout the Southwest.

Chris earned his bachelor of science degree from Lake Superior State University and holds his insurance producer’s license and a residential real estate license in the state of Arizona. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Chris has previously served on thePhoenix Advisory Council for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Great West Division as well as serving on the Board of Directors of Boxer Luv Rescue, a not-for-profitanimal rescue organization dedicated to saving boxers throughout Arizona.

A Napa Valley native, and a seasoned wine industry professional, Russell Craigie guides hospitality at Ladera, ensuring that our visitor experience is every bit as memorable as our wines. Beginning his career in retail sales, Russell spent years developing his skills in customer service, business operations and software.

In 2010, he brought his talent for hospitality and computers to the wine industry when he joined Beaulieu Vineyards. There he helped to guide the wine club, built new teams, transitioned the company into new software and led a robust event program. He later moved to Provenance Vineyards where he managed their direct-to-consumer program, while also creating new winery partnerships and unique visitor experiences.

In 2015, Russell joined the Ladera team as the wine club manager, and today, he oversees both our direct-to-consumer and hospitality programs. An avid animal lover, he enjoys traveling and hiking with his wife and two dogs.

At Ladera, we are fortunate to have the wonderful Leslie Erickson as our office administrator. Raised in Napa Valley, Leslie received her higher education at universities in California and in Jerusalem, Israel, and traveled extensively before returning to Napa to raise her son.

After an early career as a newspaper reporter, Leslie honed her office management skills in the non-profit world, where she worked in the areas of higher education, healthcare and historic architectural and cultural preservation. She spent many years as the business manager for Napa County Landmarks before entering the wine industry.

Before joining Ladera in 2014, Leslie applied her numerous skills in the areas of licensing and taxes for both an internet wine sales company and a local winery compliance firm. While Leslie’s main area of focus is overseeing our office, she also greatly enjoys working with our club members and other customers.