INSIDER California Dreaming CONTINUED
NI: What made you decide to be a winemaker? Mikkelsen: My mother is from England and my father is from Denmark, so I grew up appreciating food and wine and the pairing of both. In high school, I had a friend who owned a winery in New York’s Finger Lakes region. I spent summers working there, and it came together for me. How did you end up in Paso Robles? After I graduated from UC Davis in 2015, I worked two harvests each year. I spent the winter at the Howard Park winery in western Australia, then worked at Ovid and Williams Selyem in California and O. Fournier in Spain’s Ribera del Duero region. Next, I spent three years at Epic Wines in Paso before I got the job at Villa Creek. What appealed to you about Villa Creek? Cris and JoAnn Cherry, the owners, were pioneers in the area. They opened a restaurant in Paso Robles in 1996, which became a local hangout for winemakers. Cris tried his hand at making a house wine for the restaurant, which became the Villa Creek Avenger; they purchased the property in
2003. They have a deep commitment to sustainability and biodynamic farming. What’s special about Paso? I love Napa and Sonoma, but those areas are practically monocultures; all you see is grapevines. There are cattle ranchers here, along with people growing barley and other agricultural crops. They call Paso “the last cowboy town.” It’s close to the ocean and I can fish, hunt, and hike. In addition to being more diverse and interesting, there’s more opportunity here to start a career. Describe a typical day. During the summer months, I spent most of my time doing vineyard work: tilling, mowing, and crop thinning. Since we farm biodynamically, we have sheep that we use as grazers—most of my morning is spent tending to them and moving them around
PERSONALITY
OPENINGS
Great Scott!
BIG GOALS
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ANDRES HERRERA
There’s a new girl in town The stylish fashion and jewelry brand Kendra Scott opened a store in the Waterside Shops in April 2021. Loyal customers were eager to shop in person rather than online, while shoppers unfamiliar with the brand were interested to see what it was about. Sarah-Butler McKinney, marketing and philanthropic manager of Kendra Scott, says, “The great thing about Kendra Scott is we have products that appeal to 15-year-olds and 80-year-olds, so there is something for everyone.” Naples is an ideal location for this store because of the brand’s philanthropic focus. “Naples has a heart for philanthropy,” McKinney says. “Making ourselves an integral part of the community through philanthropy and retail is exciting, as is finding a customer base that feels as passionate about giving back as we do.” One unique aspect of this location is that all staffers are local. Keep your eyes out for a men’s line called Scott Bros, which launched in June 2021. (kendrascott.com) —Alexis Carson
to different parts of the estate. In the winter, when the vines are dormant, we’re monitoring different wine lots and blending the wines ready to be bottled. What’s your total case production? It’s small, about 3,000 cases between Villa Creek and Maha Estate. The two brands are marketed separately. Maha is the luxury line, retailing around $150 per bottle. Both labels are mostly blends of Rhône grape varieties such as Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, which thrive in Paso Robles; for Villa Creek, we also bottle a Fiano, an Italian white wine. What does the future hold? I’d like to launch my own wine brand someday, but I’m sure I’d have to hold onto a full-time job in the beginning, so I plan to stay at Villa Creek. Land is extremely expensive now in California, though, so it’s not a good place to start out. Who knows— someday, I might even end up back in the Finger Lakes. —Mark Spivak
Joaquin Acuna has been playing soccer since he was five years old in Argentina, where he practiced in his backyard with his family. Now, this Golden Gate High School graduate is off to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville to play Division 1 college soccer. “My dedication grew once my dad told me I had something special,” Acuna says. Other family members also shaped Acuna into the player he is today and continue to fuel his drive to improve with healthy competition. “My brother and my cousins push me to play and dedicate myself more,” Acuna says. Putting in countless hours per week training, practicing, and conditioning, Acuna received interest from multiple colleges but chose to stay in-state. “UNF is for me,” Acuna says. “They embody the way I play soccer and I love the family sense they have.” After meeting his high school goals, Acuna hopes to stand out at UNF and advance the team’s trajectory. —Maddie Laufer
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