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WINE INDUSTRY NEWS LE SS. WeHaveAnAnswerForThat.com CALIFORNIA Central Coast pioneer, Nicky Hahn, dies at 81 Nicolaus (Nicky) Hahn, founder of Hahn Family Wines and pioneer of California's Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, died Friday at his home in Zu- rich, Switzerland. He was 81 years old. According to an obituary re- leased by the company, Hahn was a successful businessman in Paris, New York and London. He arrived in Monterey County in the 1970s in search of a new area to transform into an acclaimed winemaking region. In 1979, he purchased the Smith Vineyard and Hook Vineyard, which were planted to Cabernet Sauvignon at the time. The following year, the family made their first vintage of wine. In 1988, Hahn rallied his neighbors on the eastern slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountains to firmly define and promote the quality and charac- teristics of the region. Their efforts were rewarded with the approval of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in 1991. Earlier this year, he re- ceived Wine Enthusiast magazine's "American Wine Pioneer" Wine Star Award for his essential role in establishing the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. Nicky Hahn is survived by his wife, Gaby Hahn, and his two children, Philip Hahn and Caroline Hahn. New assistant winemaker at Steele Kathryn Finn is the new assistant winemaker at Steele Wines in Lake County. Finn joined the winery in 2015 as a lab assistant and has a degree in biological science from the University of Central Florida and a masters' degree in environ- mental resource management from the Florida Institute of Technology. Before joining Steele, Finn was a viticulture intern at Conn Creek Winery in Napa Valley. Promotion at TH Estate Wines Phillip LaMontagne is the new as- sistant winemaker at TH Estate Wines in the Willow Creek AVA of Paso Robles, Calif. LaMontagne worked at the winery as a harvest intern in 2015 and has since worked in the cellar before his promotion. LaMontagne graduated from Cali- fornia Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with an enology degree and will assist owners Jen- nifer and Terry Hoage in overseeing all winemaking operations for estate wines as well as the new District 8 and Decroux brands. Saint Helena hires associate winemaker Lindsey Wallingford is the new as- sociate winemaker and vineyard manager at Saint Helena Winery. Wallingford will work alongside consulting winemaker Aaron Pott at the winery founded in 2000. Wall- ingford has 10 years of winemaking experience and has worked in wine regions across the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Prior to joining Saint Helena, Wallingford worked at Bryant Family Vineyard and Screaming Eagle. Phelps names new president Robert Boyd has been promoted to the position of president of Jo- seph Phelps Vineyards. Boyd has been a member of the winery's management team for the past seven years and most recently was senior vice president and chief financial officer. As president, Boyd will oversee Joseph Phelps' Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast wineries. Regional News Kathryn Finn