John is a veteran Napa Valley winemaker having served as winemaker at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars from 1985 to 1993 and then at Vine Cliff Winery from 1994 to 1997. John left Vine Cliff to focus on individual small winery projects, including his own Chardonnay and Merlot project, Salexis.
John has been the guiding light for winemaking at Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards. With the support of Viticulturalist Rex Geitner, John has laid out the path for the future of Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards' wines. A strong believer in letting the vines mature gradually and evenly, John worked with Rex to target the appropriate amount of fruit each vine should be allowed to produce in the first 5 to 7 years, thus keeping the vines in balance. The holding back of the vine production has already paid dividends by yields of intense fruit and giving John a wide variety of varietal blending options from the vineyard.
John also has started a program of fermenting and barreling each of the clones separately, to further add to the blending options to make the best Andrew Geoffrey wine possible,without regard to quotas for production. Each varietal clone is kept separate and allowed to mature in the barrel for at least eight months before blending.There are no formulas for Andrew Geoffrey wine. The blend will vary year to year, but will always be a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine. Simply put, whether it be one case or two thousand cases, John will only allow the highest quality wine be bottled as Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
Rex had been involved in wine making and viticulture in the Napa Valley for over twenty-five years. He was a member of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture, Napa Valley Vineyard Technical Group (Past President), and Napa Valley Pierce's Disease Task Force.
After relocating to the Napa Valley in 1973 from Southern California, Rex had the opportunity to be involved in a complex mountain vineyard development now known as Sterling Vineyard's Diamond Mountain Ranch. He then continued upon a wine making and viticultural career that is highlighted by such illustrious names as Diamond Creek Vineyard, Robert Keenan Winery, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Domaine Carneros, and Spring Mountain Winery.
The combination of twenty-four years of hands on experience and in depth studies of viticulture and enology at Napa Valley College, Fresno State College and University of California Davis has enabled Rex to provide the critical guidance needed in order to develop premier vineyard properties in Northern California. His experience and research was focused primarily on hillside development. Using the best of cutting edge technology woven with the wisdom of traditional methodology he developed and built vineyard systems that are environmentally sustainable and sensitive.
Rex passed on June 12, 2013 after a brief fight with cancer. He is remembered and missed every day.
At age 25, Andrew is the older of winery owner Peter Thompson's two sons. He graduated from the University of California, Merced, with a degree in Business. He attended the University of San Diego School of Law and graduated in May 2016. Andrew passed the California Bar Exam on his first attempt and is a fifth generation lawyer in the Thompson family in the San Diego area. Andrew continues to have a passion for computers, and is a video and computer game master. He recently completed a two month backpacking trip around Europe. Andrew currently works with the firm of Dunn, DeSantis, Walt and Kendrick in La Jolla, California practicing Corporate and Business law. Andrew continues to be an important ambassador for Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards' and recently poured the AGV wines at the USD Wine Classic.
Geoffrey, age 22, is the younger son of winery owner Peter Thompson. Geoff has had a passion for cooking since he was 12. At 15, he began working on the line for Chef Michael Chiarello at Bottega Ristorante in Yountville and thereafter with Chef Nick Richie at Restaurant Alex in Rutherford. Geoff attended and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY with his Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Arts. While at the CIA, Geoff interned for Chef Frank Stitt at Bottega Cafe and Highlands Grill in Birmingham, Alabama. Geoff is now cooking for Executive Chef Paul Kahan and Chef de Cuisine Ryan Pfeiffer at Blackbird Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Geoff speaks kitchen Spanish and Italian, and aspires to become chef/owner of his own restaurant. Geoff is often the chef for Andrew Geoffrey Vineyards' private home dinners across the country.