Gamble Family Vineyards is home to some of the most talented and passionate people working in the Napa Valley today. From our tireless production crew to our vivacious Market Managers, every bottle is made possible by the wonderful people behind the scenes. Read on to learn a little bit more about our Proprietor Tom Gamble, Winemaker Jim Close and our Market Managers.
Tom Gamble’s (ad)venture in wine can be seen as a natural progression of history. As a third generation Napa farmer, he has been influenced all his life by his forebearer’s lives in agriculture. As part of their legacy, they left a deep and abiding affinity for the land from which came not only their livelihood, but a life full of purpose. Given such a legacy, one would not continue farming for dispassionate reasons alone – there are easier ways to make a living. Thus, the decision to put one’s family name on a bottle of wine does not come lightly.
It was in 1981 that Tom first began farming professionally, while still attending the University of California at Davis. Gamble Family Vineyards first appeared on a bottle of wine with the 2005 vintage – Tom hasn’t looked back since.
Winemaker Jim Close grew up in a family that enjoyed collecting and imbibing French wines at his childhood home in South London. Upon graduating from the University of Edinburgh, Jim traveled and worked around the globe, spending time in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and Australia. Pursuing his passion for wine, Jim returned from his travels to attend the University of Brighton’s Plumpton College, home of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious wine program and also attained his Level 4 diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. After a harvest in France at Domaine du Poujol, he headed to the Napa Valley in 2000.
Jim met Tom Gamble in 2003 and crafted the first vintage at Gamble Family Vineyards in 2005. Jim makes wine that he and Tom love to drink: balanced, nuanced, elegant and structured in style. The wines are food-friendly with a sense of place, inspired by the Old World, utilizing New World techniques.
Our National Sales Manager, Michael Kasper, and California & International Sales Manager, Lauryn Bradley, have been at the helm of Gamble Family Vineyards Broad Market Department since 2017. Joined by Kristin Hamlin, our South Central Sales Manager, in 2019, our team works diligently behind the scenes to bring our wines to new markets. From coast to coast, Michael, Lauryn and Kristin oversee every bottle of Gamble Family Vineyards sold outside of our Oakville winery.
Our tireless production team is made up of some of the finest talent the Napa Valley has to offer. Winemaker Jim Close has the invaluable support of Assistant Winemakers Lomber Mora and Jaime Medina, as well as the cheerful cellar leadership of Juan Borrayo.