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26 WINES&VINES February 2016 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS focused portfolio and has more than 15 years of experience mak- ing Bordeaux varietal wines. Monticello founder dies Jay Corley, a Napa Valley grape- grower for nearly 50 years and founder of Monticello Vineyards, died Jan. 11 in Napa. He was 84 years old. Corley founded and managed a number of success- ful business ventures in Southern California in the 1960s before pur- suing his dream to start a vineyard. Corley established his vineyard in 1969 in the cooler southern end of the Napa Valley, now known as the Oak Knoll District. In 1981, after more than a decade of grow- ing and selling his grapes to other wineries, he built the winery at Monticello Vineyards and began to produce his own estate-grown wines. Corley took great pride that the winery he founded had entered into its second generation, with the third generation showing early in- terest in the family wine business. Changes at Zaca Mesa Eric Mohseni was promoted to director of winemaking and vine- yard operations and Kristin Bryden was promoted to winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery in Los Olivos. Mohseni joined Zaca Mesa as enologist in 2001 and has been the winemaker since 2008. Bryden started at the winery in 2011 as assistant winemaker and was pro- moted to associate winemaker in 2013. In a statement announcing the promotions, the winery's gen- eral manager Paul Pease said Zaca Mesa had transitioned from an estate winery focused producing wines from Rhône varieties to one that now purchases grapes such as Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sau- vignon while selling some of the fruit from its 150 vineyard acres to other wine companies. Pease said the promotions of Mohseni and Bryden reflect this transition, which requires "more specialized roles in this shifting business model." Monterey mourns Smith Richard Smith, a founder and leader of the Monterey County wine industry, died of pancreatic cancer Dec. 27. He was 69. Smith came to Monterey County in the early 1970s to grow grapes and soon after founded Valley Farm Management and a custom- harvesting business. After the success of those ventures, he pur- chased 350 acres to form Paraiso Vineyards in Soledad. He released the first Paraiso-labeled wines in 1989. Smith was active in the local community and led the effort to es- tablish the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in 1991. He was a founding member and future president of what was to become the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. Balletto Vineyards hires viticulturist Bill Francis is the new viticulturist for Balletto Vineyards & Winery in the Russian River Valley AVA. Francis fills a newly created posi- tion and will oversee all aspects of viticulture for Balletto Vine- yards' more than 650 acres of estate vineyards, including the sustainability program, vineyard inspections and pest and fertility management. Francis will report directly to John Balletto, owner and founder of Balletto Vineyards. Prior to joining Balletto Vineyards, Francis was a branch manager with Wilbur-Ellis specializing in agronomy within Napa and So- noma counties. Francis has been a C H A R L O I S C O O P E R A G E , U S A 1 2 8 5 S . F O O T H I L L B L V D C L O V E R D A L E , C A 9 5 4 2 5 P H : ( 7 0 7 ) 2 2 4 - 2 3 7 7 F A X : ( 7 0 7 ) 2 2 4 - 2 3 9 0 P R E M I U M A M E R I C A N O A K B A R R E L S Contact: Michael Mercer Nor th American Sales Manager Cell: (707) 508-5006 michael@char loiscooper ageusa.com Bill Francis Jay Corley