Our Team
CHRIS KAJANI
PRESIDENT AND WINEMAKER
Chris is a proud Napa native who grew up raiding her parents’ wine cellar and riding the neighbors’ horses (though not necessarily in that order). She started her career in biotech, but wine drew her inevitably home. A few too many trips to European wine regions led to wistful dinner party comments, which led to working harvests — and she was back at UC Davis for a Masters in Viticulture and Enology before she knew it.
Like the Copelands, Chris fell hard for Burgundian wines, and she built her winemaking career around crafting worthy California cousins. After almost a decade working with Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as Saintsbury’s winemaker, she joined the Bouchaine family as head winemaker and general manager in 2015. Today, her passion and authenticity set the tone for her team. Pick for flavor. Get serious about the details. Don’t take shortcuts. And above all, enjoy the wine.
ERIK GOODMANSON
director of operations
How does a kid from southern Minnesota, with intentions of going to dental school, end up among the vineyards of the Napa Valley? Winemaking wasn’t on Erik’s radar until someone told him at a dinner party about enology classes at a local community college. Once it registered that people actually could get paid to make wine, he was all in.
After many years as Associate Winemaker at Bouchaine Vineyards, Erik now skillfully serves as its Director of Operations. Still an ever-present fixture in the winery and vineyards, Erik also enjoys a good brainstorming session, scheming up ways to create the “wow factor” from winemaking to a visitor’s experience. “Bouchaine has always been a place that encourages and demands creativity, and that fits nicely with my personality and desire to be a part of something special. All of us are able to make changes happen here, and as Director of Operations, I get to be a part of so many of those projects and processes.”
SCOTT STOWE
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
What does citrus, cattle and surfing have in common? That is how Scott Stowe spent his childhood in Southern California, splitting time between a ranch and the sea. Throw in a lot of time on the baseball diamond, a love of science, and a mother who believed “you should always cook with a glass of wine in your hand,” resulted in Scott’s distinguished career in the wine industry. He has held positions on both coasts, working with Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, St. Supery Vineyards, Mendocino Wine Company, Truett-Hurst, Luna Vineyards and Pacific Highway Wines before joining the Bouchaine family.
Social by nature, Scott enjoys his career as it allows him to meet new people, drink delicious wines and then sell even more. When he’s away from the winery, Scott spends as much time as possible cooking with his family, walking with his dog and, if possible, playing a round of golf.