Our People
Don Van Staaveren, Head Winemaker
Don has been making wine and planting vineyards for over 30 years. With stints as Head Winemaker at Chateau St. Jean and Artesa before joining Three Sticks, Don has a long tradition of making exceptional wines. His wines include the 1996 Chateau St. Jean, Cinq Cépages: named Wine Spectator’s ‘No. 1 Wine in the World’ in December of 1999. Don has been making wine from Durell fruit for almost 20 years so he knows the best spots for every varietal.
Tracey Bledsoe, Assistant Winemaker and Enologist
Tracey approaches winemaking from a scientific perspective, having earned her MS in Microbiology from UC Davis. She has been working in Enology and Winemaking for 8 years and comes to us most recently from Artesa Vineyards and Winery where her primary focus was on the production of world-class Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Steve Hill, Vineyard Manager and General Manager
Steve has been with Durell Vineyards since the first vine was planted in 1979. He is one of the most experienced grape growers in Sonoma and has consistently delivered award-winning grapes to Kistler, Patz & Hall, Chasseur, Chateau St. Jean, Loring, Tor, Lioco, Realm and many other super premium wineries. In addition, he has established his own award-wining vineyard: Parmelee-Hill.
Bill Price, Owner
Bill is the owner of Durell Vineyards and an investor in numerous wine businesses over the last 20 years. Bill has a passion for premium wine from Sonoma County. He founded Three Sticks in 2002 in order to produce world-class wines from the renowned Durell Vineyards. Now located in a state of the art facility near the town of Sonoma, Three Sticks has added a Cabernet Sauvignon to its original Burgundian style wines.