At Bell Wine Cellars, above and beyond is second nature. We encapsulate these efforts as Napa’s most prolific researcher and producer of Single-Clone Cabernet Sauvignon, a labor of equal parts love and diligence to express cabernet sauvignon as its own purest ingredient. We know that added effort in the vineyard and cellar leads to greater enjoyment among our visitors and wine club members during their Napa wine tasting. Our passion is infectious and powers everything we do, from the close-knit bonds we’ve forged with growers to the way we present the wines from our Yountville estate.
The Berberian Family
Proprietors
Scott Ayliffe
DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP & FULFILLMENT
Scott brings a unique blend of technical expertise and hospitality to his role at Bell Wine Cellars. After starting his career in web design and development at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA, he pivoted to follow his passion for food and beverage, spending over 20 years in the restaurant industry. In 2021, he joined Bell as an ambassador, earned his WSET Level II certification with distinction, and quickly moved into operations, now overseeing membership and fulfillment. Scott is passionate about wines from around the world and is dedicated to creating memorable experiences for Bell’s community of wine lovers.
Rob Vasquez
TASTING ROOM MANAGER
Throughout his 18 years in the restaurant industry, Rob has developed a deep passion for wine and hospitality, which he loves to share with guests in the tasting room. In 2016, he became a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, marking the beginning of a transformative journey in the world of fine wines. In 2021, Rob fully transitioned to the wine industry by joining Bell Wine Cellars as the tasting room supervisor. Since then, he has grown in his role and become the tasting room manager by combining years of hands-on experience with genuine enthusiasm for wine culture.
Ashley Mckenna
WINERY OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION
Ashley came to love the world of wine through travel. A first trip to France in the 80’s set her feet on a path of learning geography through wine and creating lifetime memories. Having come to Napa via the Finger Lakes in New York she has worked in many aspects of the wine industry. Excited to work at Bell Wine Cellars for the wonderful education focus that is a huge part of the Bell experience, she continues in a monthly wine night group full of like-minded wine lovers that all continue their personal wine education journeys. Cheers to wonderful wine!
Adrian Rincon
GUEST AMBASSADOR
Adrian is a Napa native with 27 years of experience in the local wine industry. He lives in Browns Valley with his wife and their 12-year-old son, Anthony, along with their Aussie dog Hendrix and two Persian cats, Gumbo and Churchill. A fan of history, alien theories, and all things unexplained, Adrian proudly believes in Bigfoot. He has a deep appreciation for crisp, mineral-driven white wines, particularly Sancerre and Chablis. Fun fact: he once auditioned for Jeopardy! at the age of 23. He didn’t make it on the show, but he is confident he would do well in a wine category.
Lori Reed
GUEST AMBASSADOR
With more than 15 years in the wine industry, Lori brings a deep passion for wine and the winemaking process. She has worked closely with wineries that specialize in mountain-grown fruit from various Napa Valley appellations, developing a strong appreciation for bold and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Drawn to Bell for its focus on these styles, Lori believes that if wine tasting cannot be fun, something is wrong.
Our Winemaking Team
John Hazak
WINEMAKER & GENERAL MANAGER
After spending a number of years in archaeology, a fortuitous series of events brought John to his true passion, winemaking. Upon finishing his M.S. degree in Viticulture and Enology at U.C. Davis, John spent some time working in the Cotes-de-Nuits, Burgundy.
Returning from France in early 2005, John honed his skills at Provenance Vineyards under seasoned winemaker Tom Rinaldi, specializing in wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc from Rutherford. Several years later, John joined Sterling Vineyards as an Associate Winemaker, contributing to a rebirth of quality and era of investment there. In May of 2015, John returned to Rutherford, where he directed luxury production of Provenance and Hewitt wines, and ultimately moved to Beaulieu Vineyards in 2017, with a focus on scaling back quantity for the sake of further increasing quality.
John joined Bell Wine Cellars in February of 2020. His previous experiences paved the way to Bell, where founder and winemaker Anthony Bell had recently retired. John hopes to honor Anthony’s vision of craft winemaking and constant improvement, while starting a new chapter with this team, and continuing the focus on highlighting the clones of Cabernet. He has been known to join a tasting where his passion as a wine educator shines through. A visit to Bell Wine Cellars is an immersive experience as the cellar is a working winery with the winemaking team hard at work. John enjoys sharing his knowledge and is happy to answer guests’ questions.
Rafael Garcia
Rafael immigrated to the United States from Tampico, Mexico at a young age looking for a better life. He has been in the wine industry since 2003.
Throughout his 17 years at Bell Wine Cellars, Rafael has developed a keen palate and ability to distinguish minimal changes in quality thereby setting the bar as our gold standard for Bell wines. Currently, Rafael manages the cellar and shares his knowledge in working with and training the next generation.
Jorge Funes Palomino
Jorge grew up in the city of San Francisco del Rincon in Guanajuato (central Mexico), a city known for being the origin of Mexico’s cry for independence from Spain, and famous for their craftsmanship of hats. In 1996, seeking to find more opportunity in life, Jorge emigrated to Reno, Nevada. Starting out in restaurants and landscaping, he eventually moved to Fairfield, California and met Rafael through mutual friends. Jorge’s search for a new challenge and a growing interest in wine became a perfect fit for Bell Wine Cellars, and he joined us at the start of harvest in 2021 to see if he would enjoy the winery environment. His consistent smile and outwardly friendly nature won us all over, and he was invited to become a full-time employee at the end of that harvest. He now has two harvests under his belt as of 2022, and has become a solid part of our family.
In his personal life, Jorge enjoys time with his family, and often travels to coastal southern California to visit extended family. Though he left the restaurant scene, he still enjoys cooking – his favorite dishes being molé chicken and ceviché. We’ve also converted him from beer to wine, and he absolutely loves Sauvignon Blanc!
