# Meet Our Wine & Culinary Experts | Early Mountain Vineyards | Early Mountain Vineyards

https://www.earlymountain.com/about-us

> Marketing/about page for a winery — use it as a primary source for who works at Early Mountain, their roles, the estate history, and official contact/careers instructions. Attribute claims (e.g., awards, nominations) to Early Mountain Vineyards rather than treating them as independent verification.

## Summary

The page presents Early Mountain Vineyards' leadership and wine & culinary team with short bios, gives a brief history of the estate, notes visitor/tasting opportunities, and includes careers information and contact details.

## Audience

general (visitors, wine customers, and prospective employees)

## Prompts this page answers

- Who are the key team members at Early Mountain Vineyards?
- Who is the winemaker at Early Mountain Vineyards?
- How do I apply for a job at Early Mountain Vineyards?
- What is Early Mountain Vineyards' address and contact information?
- Has Early Mountain won any notable awards?

## Purpose

Introduce the winery's people and history, promote visits and wine/tasting experiences, and recruit for hospitality/catering roles.

## Highlights

- Jean Case is listed as Owner and is described as the Chairman of the National Geographic Society and CEO of the Case Impact Network and the Case Foundation.
- Maya Hood White is identified as Winemaker & Viticulturist and was nominated for Wine Enthusiast’s and VinePair’s Winemaker of the Year in 2024.
- Early Mountain Vineyards was reopened under the Early Mountain brand in 2012 and expanded in 2015 (Quaker Run Vineyard added).
- Early Mountain Vineyards was voted the number one tasting room in the nation by USA Today in its 2016 10 Best Readers Choice contest.
- Careers inquiries are directed to JOBS@EARLYMOUNTAIN.COM and a catering team service member role is described on the page.

## How to cite

Early Mountain Vineyards — https://earlymountain.com/about-us

## Publisher

**Early Mountain Vineyards** — Early Mountain Vineyards, a winery and tasting room located in Madison, Virginia (contact and copyright info appear in the page footer).

## Topics

- Early Mountain Vineyards team
- winemaker Maya Hood White
- Early Mountain careers
- tasting room award 2016
- Early Mountain history Madison VA

## Key entities

- **Early Mountain Vineyards** (organization): Winery and tasting room located in Madison, Virginia; publisher of the page. — https://earlymountain.com
- **Jean Case** (person): Owner; Chairman of the National Geographic Society and CEO of the Case Impact Network and the Case Foundation (bio on page).
- **Jon Ruel** (person): President of Early Mountain Vineyards (bio on page).
- **Maya Hood White** (person): Winemaker & Viticulturist; nominated for Wine Enthusiast’s and VinePair’s Winemaker of the Year in 2024.
- **Julia Graves** (person): Assistant Winemaker (bio on page).
- **Jenny Desormeaux - Farrell** (person): Cellar Lead and Lab Manager (bio on page).
- **Bekah Erkel** (person): Director of Marketing (bio on page).
- **Ian Rynecki** (person): Director of Sales and Hospitality (bio on page).
- **Tim Moore** (person): Executive Chef (bio on page).
- **Kristen Hall** (person): Chef de Cuisine (bio on page).
- **Paige Burnett** (person): Tasting Room Manager (bio states 'Full bio coming soon').
- **Peggy Kearns Dean** (person): Sommelier & Brand Ambassador (holds WSET Level 4 Diploma).
- **Sophia Sharp** (person): Events Manager (bio on page).
- **Nikki Sarver** (person): Event Coordinator (bio on page).
- **Jessica Sapin** (person): Sales Coordinator (bio on page).
- **Quaker Run Vineyard** (other): Vineyard added to Early Mountain's acreage in 2015 (mentioned in history).
- **JOBS@EARLYMOUNTAIN.COM** (other): Careers contact email provided on the page.
- **Early Mountain Vineyards address** (location): 6109 Wolftown-Hood Road, Madison VA 22727