He’s the former VP/COO of California Grapevine Nursery, one of the state’s largest growers and sellers of young vines. Though he’s recently stepped back from that position after nine years to concentrate on the family business, he remains with the nursery on a consulting basis. Rich is also a former president and current board member of the Napa County Farm Bureau. Over the years, he’s chaired committees focusing on land use and farmworker housing and labor. He remains on the oversight committee for farmworker housing issues.
In his downtime (yeah, right…), he favors hunting and fishing and recently participated in a charity golf tournament benefiting the Bureau’s “Ag in the Classroom” program. “I play in two or three charity events a year, but other than that, there never seems to be time,” he laments. Rich also enthusiastically coaches two of his three daughters in little league girls softball.
Are you a creature of habit?
No. There’s a sort of routine you follow when you’re on a schedule, but I reallydon’t feel like I’m in a rut. When you have a lot going on and a lot of ground to cover, it tends to keep life interesting.
List three words that describe you in high school.
Friendly, determined, confident.
List three words that describe you now.
Friendly, determined, confident.
What are the hardest and best things about your job?
The hardest part of my job is making time to get everything done and “making everyone happy.” The best thing is appreciating the finished product.
What have you done in your life that required the most courage?
Becoming a father to my three daughters. My proudest moments are watching them grow and succeed at what they try.
What value or virtue was most emphasized in your home when you were growing up?
“Do it right the first time” and “If
it’s worth doing, do it well.”
What would you like to be known for?
Doing it right.
What’s in your garage?
Just about everything I own. We’re remodeling.
What’s your idea of a great dessert?
Mom’s peach pie.
What was the worst job you ever had?
You have to take everything for what it’s worth. I can honestly say I’ve learned something everywhere I’ve worked.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I took accordion lessons when I was in grade school.
What’s the greatest invention the world has ever seen?
I don’t think there’s just one greatest invention. There have been so many that it’s hard to even keep track, especially in the recent past. But as far as recent inventions, I would have to say the Internet and the ability to have information at our fingertips at any time.
Who is your favorite author and why?
I read a lot of technical journals and articles and financial news, so I don’t read for recreation all that often. But the last book I read cover-to-cover was The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. I thought it was a great book—very detailed writing. It was so vivid it just drew me in.
If you could have a conversation with anyone from history, who would it be and what would you want to talk about?
I would like to talk to Thomas Jefferson about many things, but in particular what he thinks about being able to ship wine directly to consumers nationwide.
How can the wine industry reach the next generation of consumers—the ones headed for the beer aisle right now?
I think the wine industry has been successful reaching the next generation of consumers for some time now, which is why wine is outpacing beer in the marketplace. To continue the trend we need to keep making tasty, food-friendly wine that’s reasonably priced—and market, market, market.
If you could ask God any single question, what would it be?
Are we there yet?
