Wine Characters Interviews

These interviews reveal the people behind the bottle.

I hope these story leads are worth your editorial pursuits.

These wine industry leaders would love to hear from you. Consider these interviews your invitation to work with them. See FAQ/Media Resources to learn more.

Sarah Goedhart, Hedges Family Winery

 Sarah Goedhart is the winemaker for Hedges Family Estate in Red Mountain AVA, Washington State. She was born in Buenos Aires and raised around the world before her family settled in Seattle in 1986 to start Hedges Cellars. She spent summers working in the Red Mountain vineyard and winery. After earning a business and philosophy degree from the University of San Diego, she gained hands-on experience at wineries in Provence, Santa Barbara, and Sonoma, while also studying chemistry and enology.

Roman Roth, Wolffer Wine

Roman Roth is the winemaker for Wölffer Estate on Long Island, N.Y. He has over 30 years of global experience. His winemaking journey began at 16 in Germany’s Black Forest and led him across three continents, with key roles in California, Australia, and Germany before settling in Long Island.

Roman earned his Master Winemaker and Cellar Master’s degree in Weinsberg, Germany. At Wölffer, he has shaped the estate’s signature style and championed the region, including serving as President of the Long Island Wine Council.

Sebastian Hardy, Living Roots Winery

Sebastian “Seb” Hardy is the winemaker for Living Roots Winery in the Finger Lakes, NY. He and his wife, Colleen, founded Living Roots Wine & Co. in 2016, operating in both of their hometowns—the Finger Lakes in New York and Australia’s Adelaide Hills. A sixth-generation winemaker, Seb grew up in his family’s vineyards in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills. He holds a degree in viticulture and oenology from the University of Adelaide, with a six-month exchange at UC Davis, and has worked vintages in Australia, Austria, France, Italy, and the U.S.

Ian Barry, Six-Eighty Cellars

Ian Barry is the winemaker at Six Eighty Cellars in Finger Lakes, NY. He has been in the wine industry since 1997, but what excites him most isn’t the awards or high scores—it’s the 58 (and counting) grape varieties he’s worked with over the years. Since joining Six Eighty Cellars at its founding in 2020, Ian has considered it a dream role: one that allows him to explore minimal intervention winemaking across a broad range of styles. He still works with stainless steel and French oak, but he focus is on unconventional earthenware vessels—constantly experimenting with form and function to let each wine speak for itself.

John Benedetti, Sante Archangeli Wines

John Benedetti is the owner-winemaker at Sante Arcangeli Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. After brewing beer since the age of 19, John Benedetti moved into winemaking in 2008 and founded Sante Arcangeli Family Wines, with a focus on Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Corralitos region. In 2010 he co-founded Sante Adairius Rustic Ales with a focus on Belgian-inspired beers aged in his used Chardonnay and Pinot Noir barrels. Not long after the brewery opened, he left to focus full-time on winemaking, opening his own production facility in nearby Aromas. There, he now produces 2,500 cases annually for the Sante Arcangeli label, while also winemaking for several smaller client labels. 

Blair Gutherie, Gutherie Family Wines

Blair Guthrie is the founder and winemaker of Guthrie Family Wines, based in Sonoma. New Zealand–born and California–rooted, he cut his teeth in South Australia and worked under Paul Hobbs in California.

Blair now crafts small-batch, expressive wines that reflect site, season, and soul. Passionate about honest, handmade winemaking, he produces wines that are raw, real, and never replicated.

Casey Graybehl, The Grenachista

Casey Graybehl is the founder/winemaker at The Grenachista in Dry Creek, Sonoma, CA. He was born and raised in the Bay Area, and has turned a lifelong love for wine—and a laser focus on one remarkable grape—into something truly special. As the founder and winemaker behind The Grenachista, Casey has made it his mission to champion Grenache in all its expressive, versatile glory. From bright, juicy reds to textured rosés and elegant, unexpected whites, The Grenachista is a boutique label devoted entirely to Grenache, elevating a grape that’s often overlooked in California.