The Tablas Creek Team

Robert Haas, Partner and Founder

Robert Haas has played a leading role in the American wine industry for over half a century. After graduating from Yale in 1950, he joined his father’s firm, M. Lehmann, Inc., a retailer of fine wines and spirits in Manhattan. As a buyer for the company, Haas traveled through the cellars of France, establishing a formidable reputation as a wine taster while forging lifelong relationships with premier wine producers.

In the mid-1960s he set out on his own to import fine estate wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire, Alsace and the Rhône Valley, where he met the Perrins of Château de Beaucastel and became the exclusive American importer for Beaucastel.  As his company Vineyard Brands grew, it introduced the American market to brands such as La Vieille Ferme, Marqués de Cáceres, Santa Rita, Warre’s Port, and Villa Maria. The company also served as a representative for newly emerging California wineries including Chappellet, Freemark Abbey, Clos du Val, Joseph Phelps, Rutherford Hill, Hanzell, Kistler, and Sonoma-Cutrer. He founded the symposium "Focus on Chardonnay" in 1984 to promote dialogue between producers in Burgundy and California.

As Managing Partner of Tablas Creek since its foundation in 1989, Haas has consistently spoken in favor of organic viticulture, minimum-intervention winemaking and wines of terroir and sophistication. He has spoken on wine and winemaking topics at festivals around the country, including the New York Wine Experience, the Boston Wine Expo, Society of Wine Educators annual meeting, Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta, Hospice du Rhône, Central Coast Wine Classic and many others.

Haas is one of four American members of the Académie Internationale du Vin. In recognition of his contributions to the international wine community as an importer, a vintner, and an advocate for quality, he was elected as the AIV president in 2000.  He manages Tablas Creek with his son Jason.

Jason Haas, Partner and General Manager

Jason Haas, the son of Tablas Creek Vineyard founder and renowned importer Robert Haas, learned the wine business at an early age, accompanying his family on yearly European wine-buying trips and spending two summers working at Château de Beaucastel.

After obtaining a Master’s Degree in Archaeology from Cornell and spending a four-year stint managing a tech company in Washington, DC, Jason moved to California to join Tablas Creek in April of 2002. He is a member of the winemaking committee, manages the wholesale distribution of Tablas Creek, and directs the vineyard’s local and national marketing efforts.

In addition to his work at Tablas Creek, he serves on the board of directors of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and the Rhone Rangers, and is active with the Family Winemakers of California. He speaks at events around the country on topics including Tablas Creek, Rhône varietals, organic farming, and the Paso Robles region. He is also the principal author of the Tablas Creek blog, which won the Wine Blog Award for Best Winery Blog in 2008 and 2011.

Neil Collins, Executive Winemaker and Vineyard Manager

Neil was born and raised in Bristol, England. Trained as a chef, he moved into winemaking with stints with John Munch at Adelaida Cellars and Ken Volk at Wild Horse. At Adelaida, Neil met Robert Haas and the Perrins of Château de Beaucastel when they were just beginning the search for Tablas Creek. Neil was so intrigued by the project that he offered his services, and spent a year working and learning at Château de Beaucastel.

Before the year was finished, Neil was offered the winemaker position at Tablas Creek, and he has overseen both the organic vineyard and the winery since 1998.

His philosophy is that great wines can only come from great grapes, and that the art of winemaking is founded on starting out with the very best grapes and bringing their juice through fermentation as naturally as possible.

Chelsea Franchi, Assistant Winemaker

Chelsea Franchi grew up in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California with a family that encouraged (and applauded) her enthusiasm and fascination for wine. She attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo to study Agricultural Business and Wine and Viticulture. While working on her degree, she got a job at Tablas Creek as a Greeter/Hostess and from there, moved into the tasting room. Upon graduation in 2008, she started her production career working hard as a “cellar rat” under the guidance of Winemakers Neil Collins and Ryan Hebert. To further her knowledge and appreciation of wine, she took the first level sommelier exam in the middle of her first harvest. Her hard work and eagerness to learn paid off when she was offered the title of Assistant Winemaker in 2009.

Chelsea writes the Notes from the Cellar series on the Tablas Creek blog and thinks she has the best job in the world.

Tyler Elwell, Cellarmaster

Tyler’s earliest foray into wine making involved his bare feet and bins of whole cluster pinot noir. All foot stomping aside, Tyler’s love of wine making stems from an affinity to create, a wonderment of science and a love of hard work. A native of Santa Barbara, he has worked under the tutelage of gifted winemakers ranging from delicate pinot noir producers to massive zinfandel eccentrics. Priding himself on harvesting different philosophies and methodologies from those that inspire, Tyler strives to impart some of his finite wisdom to the cellar.

Most days, Tyler can be found in the Tablas Creek cellar, with wine stained hands, disheveled hair and the will to help make the best Rhone wine in the United States.

When not hunkered down in the winery, Tyler passes his days listening to vinyl records, planning travels while staring at maps and smiling when thinking about how fortunate he is.

Levi Glenn, Viticulturist

Levi Glenn was born and raised in Healdsburg, California. Having grown up surrounded by the Old Vine Zinfandel vineyards in the bucolic Dry Creek Valley, Levi always knew he would end up working in the wine industry. At age thirteen, Levi started to work in a next door neighbor’s vineyard. He has never held a job that didn’t involve a grapevine or emptying a fermenter.

Graduating from Cal Poly in 2004 with a degree in Viticulture and Enology, Levi went on to manage vineyards first in Napa Valley and later in his native Sonoma County. Levi joined the Tablas Creek team in July 2011 to fill the new position of Viticulturist. He and his wife Katie were eager to return to the central coast. They recently moved to Paso Robles, and are delighted to rediscover the area. They also enjoy gardening, bluegrass, and their aging beagle Abner.

David Maduena, Vineyard Manager

Nicole Getty, Wine Club and Hospitality Director

Nicole Getty grew up in a sleepy town in northern CA, and in 1990 she moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly. With a degree in sociology, she dabbled in human resources and social work in the bay area and Seattle before finding her way back to the central coast. By the time she returned in 2001, the wine industry was starting to boom and she decided to make a career change to true social work—hospitality!

Nicole quickly started to appreciate and enjoy wine with her first winery position and started to incorporate food and wine by working part-time with caterers and event planners. When the position at Tablas Creek became available that involved all of these things that she enjoyed (plus great wine!), she jumped at it. Nicole joined the Tablas Creek team in 2004 as the Wine Club & Hospitality Director and has the job that her friends who work in the Bay Area are envious of.

Monica O’Connor, Assistant Wine Club and Hospitality Director

Monica O’Connor came to the Central Coast from Southern California where she raised her son and earned her degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising from FIDM. While working as General Manager at Tara Graphics, she attended the 2004 Paso Robles Wine University. She enthusiastically pursued more wine education and started working in the Tablas Creek tasting room in 2008. With over 15 years experience in sales, management, hosting food and wine events and catering, it was a natural progression to Tablas Creek’s exemplary Wine Club and Hospitality team.

Monica enjoys hiking and yoga, cooking, recipe development, and designing.

Dani Archambeault, Wine Club Assistant

Dani Archambeault, originally from the central valley of California, relocated to Paso Robles from Southern California in 2010. Eager to get out of the big city to pursue new careers in the wine industry, Dani and her husband bought an Airstream travel trailer and headed to wine country!

Since living in the Paso Robles area, Dani has taken on every opportunity that has come her way in the wine business. Working in a tasting room, assisting with winery events, completing educational wine classes and taking on the small side project with her husband of making their first vintage of wine (2010 Syrah).

Dani joined the staff of Tablas Creek in March of 2011 where she works with our successful and growing VINsider wine club.

John Morris, Tasting Room Manager

After growing up in the culinary wasteland of 1970’s Flint, Michigan, John landed in Seattle and spent 20 years discovering and developing a love for food and wine (ok, it was beer first) all the while playing music and working in the burgeoning specialty coffee business. John relocated to the Central Coast in search of sun in 2005, and has been the tasting room manager at Tablas Creek since the summer of 2007. When not at the winery, John can be found working on his ½ acre hobby farm and orchard in East Paso Robles.

Jennifer Bravo, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

A lifelong Paso Robles resident, Jennifer Bravo developed her palate for wine naturally, by working and tasting in the growing local wine business. Her background includes restaurant, retail wine, and of course, tasting room and event management. A long-time fan of Tablas Creek, she was thrilled to come on board as Assistant Tasting Room Manager at the beginning of 2011. Aside from a serious food and wine fetish, other interests include a love of the outdoors, and spending time with her two children.

Sylvia Montague, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

Sylvia has been living on the Central Coast for the good part of four decades. She has watched the area change immensely in the last 20 years as the wine industry has made a name for itself. In 2002 Sylvia began working in a tasting room at another local vineyard and from that point forward she has never looked back. She has always had a passion for good wine and food and is proud to see that the Paso Robles area can now boast an array of excellent wineries and restaurants.

After taking a tour in 2003 Sylvia was impressed by the quality and taste that set Tablas’ wines apart from the rest in the area. She joined the Tablas Cru in October 2004 as the assistant tasting room manager. She claims to be Tablas Creek’s biggest fan and a big believer in the Tablas philosophy. She is now Tablas Creek’s assistant manager in charge of merchandising and still enjoys meeting, greeting and pouring for all those who come to the vineyard.

When not at Tablas Creek, Sylvia can be found critiquing the wines from her husband’s private vineyard and keeping her two standard poodles out of mischief.

Deanna Ryan, Tasting Room Team Lead

Born and raised in London, England, Deanna came to Los Angeles as a 19 year old for a 3 month stay and decided to extend her visit. She settled in Santa Barbara where she married and had 2 children, later moving to San Luis Obispo. She became interested in wine around 2002 due to a love of good food, cooking and organic gardening. The industry was rapidly growing in San Luis Obispo County and it seemed like an exciting field to get involved with. She was drawn to Tablas Creek Vineyard because of their commitment to organic farming and excellent wine making practices, plus the fact they were (and still are) a small, family owned business. She was one of the first tasting room staff hired, so it has been especially rewarding for her to be a part of our recent expansion.

Gustavo Prieto, Tasting Room Team Lead

Gustavo was born and raised in Chile were he developed his love of agriculture on his grandfather’s farm. In 1982 he came to California and earned a degree in fruit science from Cal Poly. His early career was spent in the produce business and he worked for many years in the Netherlands and Chile. He returned to the Central Coast in 2000 and decided to pursue his passion for wine. Gustavo obtained his wine certificate from Cal Poly in 2008 and has worked the harvest at Wild Horse and Bianchi wineries.

Today Gustavo is one of our tasting room’s team leaders and in the fall of 2010 worked the harvest at Château de Beaucastel, Tablas Creek’s sister winery in France. He has been with Tablas Creek since 2007 and continues to share his love of wine with our international clientele.

Darren Delmore, National Sales Manager

Darren Delmore was raised by restaurateurs in San Luis Obispo, California. After stints in competitive surfing and publishing as an editor at Surfing Magazine, he embarked on an oenological odyssey that steered him through ten wine harvests in California, Oregon and Australia. He worked with Rhone varietals at Bonny Doon Vineyard, punched down Pinot Noir at the Hirsch Vineyard, and blackened his palms at Two Hands in the Barossa Valley of Australia. Most recently, he represented Goldeneye Winery in Anderson Valley as a Wine Educator.

Darren's love of Tablas Creek began with the 2002 vintage of Esprit de Beaucastel, and his humble personal collection boasts a consecutive vertical of the flagship blend going back to 2003.

Darren’s written work on wine has been published by Wine Spectator, Vine Times, Anderson Valley Advertiser, and Wine Country this Week. He is currently is living in Cambria with his partner Jillian and celebrating the fall 2012 arrival of their son Shea.

Meghan Dunn, Publications

Meghan Dunn grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where the beverage of choice was Coca-Cola.  She attended Williams College, where she met husband Jason Haas and began her wine education thanks to her father-in-law’s extensive cellar.  She earned a PhD from Yale University in Social Psychology in 2000, and researches policy issues for the federal court system. 

She and Jason moved to Paso Robles in 2002 to be more involved with the winery, and Meghan now splits her time between her federal court work and Tablas Creek.  At Tablas Creek, Meghan produces the quarterly newsletter, coordinates the label printing and approval processes, and writes all other promotional materials. 

When not advocating for fewer words on the wine labels, Meghan enjoys reading, running and travel.  She and Jason have two sons, Eli and Sebastian, who are also happily learning the family business.

Lauren Cross, Marketing Coordinator

Denise Chouinard, Controller

Heather Hildenbrand, Assistant Controller

Local to the Central Coast Appellation, Heather Hildenbrand grew up in San Luis Obispo. After high school, Heather moved to Malibu to attend Pepperdine University where she graduated with a degree in Accounting. After 4 years in public accounting at Ernst & Young, she transitioned to the private sector working for ValleyCrest Companies, a national landscape company based in Calabasas, CA.

After marrying her kindergarten sweetheart, Heather and her husband Kenny were eager to get back to the SLO life. They returned home and Heather took a position as the Controller for Weatherby Firearms. Excited to be part of the wine industry, she joined the staff of Tablas Creek Vineyard as the Assistant Controller in June 2010. Her passions include family, friends, reading, and of course, wine!

Eileen Harms, Accounting

Eileen Harms is the self-proclaimed “excel queen” of the accounting team at Tablas Creek. Her excel-lent duties include accounts payable, wholesale and export orders and documentation, off premise wine inventory, storage and transporting, bottling, planting and harvest reporting. If it fits on a spreadsheet, it’s probably on Eileen’s desk!

Prior to her husband’s career relocating them to Paso Robles, Eileen owned and operated an upscale restaurant in Lincoln NE for sixteen years, appropriately named Inn Harms Way. Once in Paso Robles she continued to manage restaurants for several years before decided to fall back on her accounting degree and took on work with local developers. Eileen jumped at the chance to get involved in the wine industry when an accounting position opened up at Tablas Creek.

Her professional passions in cooking, wine tasting, and food and wine pairings is now her hobby. Eileen is blessed to have a wonderful husband, two daughters, son-in-laws and two grandsons. When the family gets together, it is all about food and wine!