Doug Margerum

Owner / Director of Winemaking

Doug started his food and wine explorations at a young age while traveling with his parents in France. His passion for food and wine was enhanced as he worked in restaurants as a cook and server throughout his high school and college years.

Coinciding with his graduation from UCSB in 1981, his family purchased WINE CASK – which quickly expanded to include a simple bistro adjacent to wine store. In 1994 the WINE CASK became one of 74 restaurants in the world to earn the Wine Spectator Grand Award. He sold the WINE CASK in 2007 after deciding to devote all of his energies to wine making. Margerum Wine Company began in 2001. His philosophy is to return to wine making in its previous form of production – handcrafted and personal. In 2009 he re-opened the Wine Cask with new partners Mitchell Sjerven (bouchon) and Anda Ashkar.

Doug is the wine maker for Jamie Slone Wines and Happy Canyon Vineyards, which produces wines under the BARRACK, PIOCHO, CHUKKER, and HCV labels. He is also the consulting wine maker for CENT’ANNI, a new vineyard planted with a variety of clones of Sangiovese and located in the heart of the Santa Ynez.

He now devotes all of his energies to the production & promotion of Margerum wines and to the raising of his two children – Remy & Evan.

Hugh Margerum

Website / Wine Club

A Santa Barbara resident since 1978, Hugh Margerum is an abstract artist, mobile app developer, squash player, author, and has been involved in the food and wine business since 1981 when he and his brother Doug opened the Wine Cask Restaurant in Santa Barbara. He currently is in charge of the website, online sales and is the wine club manager for Margerum Wine Company. Most recently, Hugh has spearheaded the branding and promotion of the Presidio Neighborhood, the historic area of downtown Santa Barbara that is now home to Margerum Tasting Rooms and the Wine Collection of El Paseo, along with a wide range of restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and cultural destinations.

Brooks Van Wingerden

General Manager

Raised in Santa Barbara, Brooks attended college at UCLA where she studied sociology and communications. While there, she worked for Sports Illustrated handling sales and marketing programs as well as market research for prominent advertisers. Upon graduation, Brooks worked at UBS Financial Services where she managed client relations and marketing programs for a high net worth wealth management team. After finishing her Certified Financial Planning degree at UCSB, she realized she wished to follow her passion for wine. Since joining Margerum Wine Company in 2010, she has used her financial background to quantify sales goals, manage the brand nationally for the company, and oversee the daily operations. Brooks and her husband, Ivor, live in Nipomo where they grow cut flowers, avocados and greenhouse vegetables.

Michael Miroballi

Winemaker

Michael Miroballi graduated from Sacramento State with a degree in Geology and wanted to pursue a career connected to the earth near his beloved home, the Santa Ynez Valley. His first harvest with Margerum Wine Company was 2009. He believes in hard work, patience, and a commitment to excellence. Michael’s focus on producing wines of the highest quality and his passion for Santa Barbara County wines are tremendous assets to Margerum Wine Company.

Lucas Meisinger

Assistant Winemaker

Lucas studied Business Marketing at Sonoma State University, graduating in the Spring of 2012. While in college, summer break was spent working in his family’s Paso Robles tasting room, which is where he discovered his passion for wine. After graduation, Lucas decided to take his ambitions to Santa Barbara, where he sought out a career in the wine industry while also returning to his roots on the central coast. Lucas feels fortunate to have learned and worked in the wine industries of Santa Barbara County and Paso Robles for the last three years. He expanded his skills in many aspects of the cellar as a year round assistant winemaker and in 2015, Lucas joined Margerum Wine Co. He is excited to be working with the diverse microclimates and grape varietals found in Santa Barbara County.

Christina Panameno

Office Manager

Armed with her degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Christina landed herself an executive assistant position to the CEO of a prominent investment company located in the heart of San Francisco's financial district. Although she loved the experience that this afforded her, the beautiful central coast, a place where she is deeply rooted, was calling her back home. She set out in search of a career with a company that embodied the perfect ratio of hard work and good living and found a perfect fit with Margerum Wine Company.

Rani Mclean

Tasting Room Manager

Rani Mclean received her Ph.D in Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focused on wine production and wine tourism in the Napa Valley. She brings her experience of researching the wine industry as well as working in tasting rooms throughout the Napa Valley. Her dedication to hospitality drives her philosophy and the practice of all tasting room associates who thrive to educate each customer in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Her passion for knowledge has led to her enthusiasm for wine. When she is not in the tasting room educating customer about wine she is practicing her third love, teaching at Santa Barbara City College.

Sharyn Alexander

National Sales Manager

With over 25 years of experience in the wine industry, Sharyn Alexander brings to Margerum an extensive background in sales, distribution management, account management and marketing. She has a career track record of successful achievements in areas such as annual business planning and market expansion, with consistent recognition as a top sales manager. The leadership and interpersonal skills Sharyn brings to the company help to build key account relationships, and her strong relationships with distributors is valuable in achieving the goal of expanding the footprint of Margerum Winery.