We all invent our lives, and perhaps Suzanne has been more inventive than most. Her early education as an art historian brought her two delicious years in Italy and, then moving into publishing, a cover article and related research position in Switzerland. Marriage took her to three years in France where she was seduced, utterly, by the Pinot grape. The unlikely next step was a move to Denver, Colorado and the addition of three darling offspring in the span of five years. As Co director of the University of Denver Publishing Institute, skiing and cycling in alternating seasons, she, very nearly,  lived there happily ever after. But the grape could never be denied, and the place was just exactly right from the very first sight and soil test...and the rest, now nearly a glorious decade in the making, is Left Coast Cellars.

Taylor began working in the vineyards at the age of 15 during the summer break from high school, mowing grass and tending to the vines with the field crew. He attended the University of British Columbia and graduated in 2011 with a degree in History. He worked his first harvest during 2011 in the winery and has been involved with Left Coast ever since, learning about the wine industry from the ground up. He got his MBA in Wine and Spirits from Kedge Business School, based out of Bordeaux, France in 2015. Taylor assumed the position of CEO in May of 2016 and is excited to lead Left Coast into the future with a focus on improved sustainability and wine quality. In his free time, Taylor enjoys snowboarding in the mountainous terrain of the Pacific Northwest.

Cali is the middle child of the Pfaff family. Growing up in the foothills of the Rockies, she loved drawing, dancing and her brothers. Having lived in Boston, San Francisco, and Rio de Janeiro, Cali has returned to Colorado where she works as a landscape architect for Design Workshop and skis on weekends. When on property at Left Coast, she can be seen dorking out with her father about ornamental grasses, tending bees with her mentor, Dave, picking flowers for the tasting room or going on long walks in a rain coat.

Christina worked her first harvest in the lab for 2014. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Human Kinetics in 2011. She has pursued her love of science into the wine industry and enjoys learning the chemistry behind fermentation. 

Christina and Taylor began as high school sweethearts and got engaged in July of 2014. In her free time Christina runs marathons, triathlons, mountain bikes and explores mountainous backcountry wherever she can find it.

Joe joined the Oregon wine industry in 1996 after leaving Aspen, Colorado where he had managed a fine wine shop for several years. When he arrived in Oregon he made wine at Willamette Valley Vineyards, which included the Griffin Creek and Tualatin Estate labels, for 6 years before becoming winemaker at Belle Vallée Cellars in 2002. There he spent the next 9 years producing and blending Pinot Noir from several of Oregon’s premier vineyards.

In 2011, Joe joined the Left Coast Cellars team in Rickreall, Oregon. Drawn by the diversity of Left Coast’s 356 acre estate, of which 130 are devoted to the cultivation of wine grapes he now carefully crafts exclusively estate-grown Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Viognier and Syrah.

Shardul’s foray into the wine industry began at Sula Vineyards – India’s largest wine producer – after moving to his country of birth from Canada where he graduated with a BBA in International Business from Trent University in 2011. Unprecedented career growth at Sula took Shardul to an MBA in Wine & Spirits from Kedge Business School, based out of Bordeaux where he met Taylor Pfaff. Their friendship and like-mindedness grew into an interest to be associated with the Left Coast brand. A year after earning his masters degree, Shardul quit his job as Head of Exports and Travel Retail at Sula Vineyards to join Left Coast Cellars as their National Sales Director. In his free time, he likes to read up on history and is a keen global political observer. Shardul and his wife, Nikita, live in Portland and love spending time at the vineyards as a part of the Left Coast family.

A Texas native, Will came to Oregon in 2017 with his wife to be a part of the Willamette Valley wine industry. The deep love of Oregon wine began while working as the General Manager of Aerie’s Resort in Grafton, IL. In addition to curating a private wine label program featuring locally grown and produced wines, the wine list evolved to feature several Oregon wines, most from the Willamette Valley. After a wine buying trip to Oregon in 2015, the seeds were planted to make the move. Will brings almost 20 years of hospitality industry experience to the team. When not in the tasting room, you can most likely find him out hunting for truffles with his dog, Maeva.

Lisa started her wine industry career at Washington State University, majoring in wine business management and studying abroad in Florence, Italy. After graduating she sold wine of all different backgrounds in Austin, Texas where she met some Australia winemakers. These winemakers led her to learn about the actual winemaking side, offering a vintage job at Yalumba in South Australia. She then partook in "traveling winemaking" for a couple years which ultimately led her to Left Coast Estate for Vintage 2016. Lisa has been with us for three vintages, while becoming an integral part of our Tasting Room and Café staff as well as our sales team in the Pacific Northwest. If you see her out of the tasting room, buy her a margarita!

Originally from Southern California, Mitch moved to Oregon in 2010 to attend Pacific University in Forest Grove. He received a Bachelor’s in Business Marketing. After college Mitch began his career in the wine industry. Mitch has worked in small and large operation wineries leading different roles throughout his career landing him here at Left Coast Estate. When Mitch isn’t around the Estate you can find him enjoying local music, beer and wine, and sporting events from Portland to the coast.

Mark’s deep appreciation for Willamette Valley wines was cultivated from having worked many years in the service industry in both California, and Oregon, and eventually becoming the wine list manager for Duncan Culinary Ventures in Corvallis, OR. 

In 2008, Mark returned to school to pursue the field of Winemaking.  Mark graduated in June of 2011 from Oregon State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Food Science and Technology (fermentation emphasis) and immediately signed on with the Left Coast Cellars team to work the 2011 harvest. After a brief sojourn to work the crush in 2012 in Waipara, New Zealand, Mark returned to Left Coast in June of 2012 to work as Cellar Master alongside winemaker, Joe Wright in the expanding winery facility.

Mark believes the field of winemaking to be the perfect intersection of artistic expression and science and is proud to be a helping-hand in the production of exceptional wines at Left Coast Cellars.

Nick’s introduction into the viticulture and oenology world came as a kid working on his 

father’s 10 acre vineyard near Monroe Oregon. He spent most of his time working in the field. The family vineyard specialized in selling grapes and rootstock cuttings to wineries and vineyards throughout the valley. Nick went out east to college and didn’t return until 2011, when he was encouraged to work a harvest by his brother, who is the winemaker for Brigadoon Wine Co. Nick got a harvest position at Bergstrom in 2011 and was captivated by the intensity of the 1-2month Crush. He felt motivated to continue working in the industry and the next harvest he joined the winery team at Left Coast Cellars. Nick now works all year in the Left Coast Cellars winery and spends his free time helping out his bother and father with Brigadoon Wine Co.

Arturo grew up in Guanajuato Mexico on the family ranch. He got an early exposure to agriculture growing beans, corn, peppers, tomatillos, and tomatoes. He came to US in 1995 at the age of 15 in pursuit of the American dream. His first job was at the Noble Mountain Christmas Tree Farm and he entered the wine industry at Erath vineyards in 2004. In 2007 he followed his younger brother Adon to work in the vineyards at Left Coast Cellars. Through years of hard work, Arturo worked his up to becoming the Crew Chief in 2011. Family is the most important part of Arturo’s life and he appreciates the family atmosphere of working at Left Coast. “We work hard, because we know that we are appreciated and the work we do is important. When I need something, I know that the family (ownership) will always help me.” 

Arturo’s other passion is baseball. He and his brother are on a team and play games every Sunday during the summer season. Arturo plays left field and Adon plays third base. Who’s better? “Well I think he’s better, yea I started too old” Arturo says with a laugh. 

After 15 years of success in their family owned Beaverton glass business, Sheryl Dekruyf joined the Left Coast accounting department. She enjoys learning the intricacies of the wine industry as well as being able to share her new found knowledge of Left Coast Cellars with family and friends. In addition to crunching numbers, Sheryl enjoys getting outdoors for some gardening, camping, and boating.

Nothing is more valuable to a farm than a fellow who can fix just about anything, and at Left Coast Cellars Dave Powers is that man.

From routine tractor maintenance to emergency plumbing repairs, Dave can handle almost anything, plus he tends to our 45 estate honeybee hives as well.