Mark Crawford Horvath and Kenneth Joey Gummere
Winemakers - Jorian Hill

Jorian Hill's winemaking program is guided by the gifted winemaking duo of Mark Crawford Horvath and Kenneth "Joey" Gummere. Together, Mark and Joey champion an artisan approach to winemaking at Jorian Hill that emphasizes the diversity of the vineyard through attentive viticulture and numerous small-lot fermentations. At the same time, they work closely with founders Jeanne and Gary Newman, and vineyard manager Jeff Frey, to realize a signature style that captures an authentic sense of place. This style highlights both the elegance and the complexity of Jorian Hill's estate fruit.

Mark and Joey have been combining their winemaking talents since 1999, when they joined the team of Santa Barbara County winemaking guru, Bryan Babcock, at Babcock Winery & Vineyards. Working side-by-side at Babcock as assistant winemakers, Mark and Joey established an effortless and intuitive team approach to winemaking. They also discovered a shared philosophical and stylistic appreciation for cool-climate wines, in particular Syrah from Santa Barbara County. Eager to explore this mutual affinity, they founded their own small winery, Kenneth-Crawford, in 2000.

While nurturing Kenneth-Crawford, both Joey and Mark continued to work for other wineries for several years. In 2000, Joey became the assistant winemaker for Lafond Winery & Vineyards, where he further honed his skills alongside noted winemaker Bruce McGuire. He also expanded his winemaking repertoire as the assistant winemaker for Santa Barbara Winery, Lafond's sister company. At the same time, Mark continued at Babcock, and was promoted to associate winemaker in 2001, a position held until 2004, when he left to pursue Kenneth-Crawford full-time.

In 2007, after a period of focusing exclusively on Kenneth-Crawford, Mark and Joey joined the Jorian Hill team. "For years, Joey and I had been driving by this beautifully terraced hillside vineyard off Highway 101," says Mark. "It had always intrigued us—terraced vineyards are rare and special in this area. When we met the Newmans and realized that this unique vineyard was theirs, everything clicked. There are some vineyards that you crave to make wine from—Jorian Hill is one of those places."

As the winemakers for Jorian Hill, Mark and Joey work in both the vineyard and the winery to optimize quality. Under their direction, Jorian Hill has grafted several sections of Syrah over to Grenache, and has introduced Mourvèdre to augment blending options. They have also advocated a meticulous pruning regimen in Jorian Hill's organically farmed vineyard to lower yields and increase vine balance. Throughout harvest, Mark and Joey guide the picking of the vineyard in small sections to highlight the site's diversity. In the winery, they apply cold soaks to enhance concentration, and ferment in lots as small as a half ton—with as many as 20 individual fermentations each vintage—to maintain the character and purity of each small block. This hands-on, small-lot approach has helped to elevate Jorian Hill to the next level, resulting in wines that combine richness and elegance.