Let’s start from the beginning! Tell us a little about the journey that led you to where you are now.

Wine has been in my family longer than I’ve been alive. My great-great-grandfather, Pietro Carlo Rossi, was one of the early winemakers at Sonoma’s Italian Swiss Colony, so in a way this story started more than a century ago.

I started my career in New York in digital commerce at Theory and Tory Burch. I loved the pace and learned a lot about building a brand people actually connect with. But Sonoma kept pulling me home. My parents and I had a shared dream of building something in Sonoma County. When we found the property in Windsor, that dream started to become Bricoleur, and it felt like the right moment to bring everything I’d learned back to where my family’s story began.

We founded Bricoleur together in 2015 and made our first vintage in 2017. I started as VP of Marketing, moved into the COO role, and became CEO in 2025. Along the way, I had my daughter in 2021, and in 2023 I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Going through treatment while building a business changed how I think about everything: what matters, how I spend my time, and what I want Bricoleur to stand for. That’s where Sip With Purpose came from, our commitment to supporting cancer research.

Today Bricoleur is a 40-acre property in Windsor with about 20 acres of organically farmed, sustainable vineyards, an estate garden that feeds our kitchen, and a team that feels like family. It’s a place where people can slow down, eat and drink well, and feel at home. That’s always been the goal.

Bricoleur means “one who builds something by cobbling together bits and pieces.” How does that philosophy show up in the way you’ve built the vineyard—and in your own life?

It shows up everywhere, honestly more than we planned when we picked the name.

We didn’t start with a master plan. We started with one estate and two varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Over time we grew to two estates, Bricoleur Vineyards and Kick Ranch, with around 14 varieties across both, because we wanted to experiment and see what this land does best. The garden feeds the kitchen, the kitchen brings out the flavors in the wine, and the wine and food together shape the experiences that bring people back. Nothing here exists on its own. It’s a lot of different pieces that work because they fit together.

The business is the same. I brought pieces from fashion and e-commerce, my dad brought his sales experience, and our team brings its own strengths. Bricoleur wasn’t built on the traditional wine-industry path, and I think that’s a strength. We’re not trying to look like anyone else.

In my own life, being a bricoleur has meant making something whole out of what you’re handed, even when it isn’t what you planned. Motherhood means constantly flying by the seat of your pants, and my cancer diagnosis was definitely not in the plan. But I took that experience, my family’s history, and my love for this place, and turned them into something that gives back. Sip With Purpose is probably the most “bricoleur” thing we’ve done.

It’s also a reminder that nothing has to be perfect to be good. You build with what you have, you stay curious, and you keep adding pieces.

How would you define the perfect glass of wine?

I don’t think there’s one perfect glass of wine. It depends on where you are, what you’re doing, and who you’re sharing it with.

On a warm afternoon in the vineyard, it might be a crisp, chilled Sauvignon Blanc. At a birthday dinner, it’s a bottle of Isla Rose, because bubbles make everything feel like a celebration. On a cozy night at home after my daughter’s gone to bed, it’s a glass of Pinot Noir on the couch.

What never changes is quality. To me, quality means everything, and it starts in the vineyard. Our vineyards are organically farmed and sustainable, so what ends up in the glass is an honest expression of the land. When you start with healthy soil and fruit grown with care, you can taste the difference. That’s the foundation every perfect moment is built on.

From there, the setting, the food on the table, the conversation, and the people you’re with shape how that wine tastes and how you remember it. That’s what we try to create at Bricoleur: wines grown the right way, made to fit the moments that matter in people’s lives.

How do you think about the relationship between food, wine, and design when creating an experience for guests?

We design them together from the start, never separately. Food, wine, and design should complement each other, with each one making the others better.

It starts in the vineyard and garden. What we grow shapes what we pour and what we cook, so the menu and the wine are always developed side by side. A dish should bring out something new in the wine, and the wine should do the same for the food. When a guest tastes our Sauvignon Blanc next to something picked from the garden that morning, it makes sense right away because they were designed to go together.

Design is part of that same process. The setting, the table, the light, the pacing, even how a space makes you feel when you walk in, all of it should support the food and wine, not compete with them. A picnic on the lawn, a seated tasting, and a long dinner under the stars each call for different food, different wines, and a different feel, and we plan all three as one.

When everything is designed to fit, guests don’t notice any single piece. They just feel like everything belongs, and that’s what makes them feel at home and want to come back.

Bricoleur has such a strong respect for winemaking tradition while still feeling fresh and forward-thinking. How do you approach honoring the past while embracing thoughtful evolution?

For me, tradition is personal. My great-great-grandfather, Pietro Carlo Rossi, helped shape winemaking in Sonoma more than a century ago, so I grew up knowing that wine is something you inherit and then pass on. We take that seriously. But honoring the past doesn’t mean copying it. It means keeping what matters and staying open to what comes next.

Our winemaking team is a great example of that balance. Bob Cabral has more than four decades of experience. He spent 17 years at Williams Selyem, made the first 100-point North American Pinot Noir, and was named Wine Enthusiast’s Winemaker of the Year. He brings a deep respect for the vineyard and an instinct you can only build over many vintages. Tom Pierson started with us as assistant winemaker and learned alongside our Founding winemaker Cary Gott and Bob. Now as our winemaker, he brings fresh energy and curiosity to everything we do. Watching the two of them work together is my favorite picture of what Bricoleur is: experience and new ideas at the same table, learning from each other.

That philosophy shows up across the estate. Our winemaking is rooted in classic, gentle techniques. We let the fruit guide us, use oak with restraint, and focus on purity. At the same time, we’re always experimenting. We grow around 14 varieties across our two estates because we want to keep discovering what this land can do. We farm organically and sustainably because the next generation deserves healthy soil. And we’ve built Sip With Purpose into the business because a winery today should give back.

Tradition gives us our roots. Evolution keeps us growing. You need both.

Tell us what a typical day-in-the-life looks like for you.

My days start early. I like to get a workout in before anyone else is up, then it’s coffee, getting ready, and getting my daughter, Isla Rose, ready for school. School drop-off is one of my favorite parts of the day. It’s our time together before things get busy.

From there, I head to the winery, where I’m usually on the property from about 8:30 to 5. No two days are exactly alike, which is part of what I love about it. I work with every department, so my day is a mix of meetings with the team, jumping in wherever support is needed, and spending time with our guests. I always try to stop by tables to say hello, and if someone needs a tour, I’m happy to take them out.

I’m also always looking ahead. I keep an eye on trends, tasting room traffic, and what’s working, then plan with the team what comes next. The part I love most is working on partnerships and finding new ways to build our brand, whether that’s a collaboration with another brand, a charity event, or a new experience on the estate. That’s where my background in fashion and e-commerce comes in, and it’s where I feel most creative.

Evenings are for family. I usually cook dinner at home, and we sit down together to talk about our day. My husband and I take turns at bedtime, and once Isla Rose is asleep, we’ll usually pour a glass of wine and play Rummikub or start a new show.

What are your favorite rituals around wine and sharing it with others?

For me, community is everything, and that’s what I love most about wine. It gives people a reason to come together. A bottle can be a chance to share, connect, tell stories, or just sit quietly and relax. It can be the center of a celebration or part of an ordinary night. Either way, it’s usually there when memories are being made.

Some of my favorite rituals are simple. At home, it’s a glass of wine with my husband once our daughter’s asleep, usually over a game of Rummikub or a new show. It’s our time to slow down and catch up after a busy day. When there’s something to celebrate, big or small, we open a bottle of Isla Rose. Bubbles make any moment feel special.

At the winery, my favorite ritual is stopping by tables to say hello. I love hearing where people are from, what brought them to Bricoleur, and what they’re celebrating. Some of our guests have become real friends, and a lot of that started over a glass of wine.

And I love opening a bottle with friends and family at a long table with good food, lots of stories, and no rush to be anywhere. Those are the nights I remember most. Wine doesn’t have to be fancy to be meaningful. It just has to be shared.

What’s next for you? How do you hope to see the impact of your work take form?

There’s a lot ahead, and I’m excited about all of it.

For Bricoleur, the next chapter is about growing slowly and intentionally, and always keeping our mission and pillars at the front of everything we do. We’re bringing our wines to more people, expanding on the East Coast, and growing our partnerships with restaurants, country clubs, wine bars, and brands that share our values. Whatever we do, we want to grow without losing the warmth and sense of belonging that make Bricoleur what it is.

Sip With Purpose will always be close to my heart. We’ve raised a lot for cancer research, and this year our goal is to bring our V Foundation total to $150,000. But the impact I care about most goes beyond the number. I want people to see that a business can do well and do good at the same time, and I want other women going through a diagnosis to see that it doesn’t have to be the end of their story.

Personally, I want to enjoy this chapter of life. I’m grateful for my health and don’t take a single day of it for granted. I want to be present with my family and enjoy this time with our daughter while she’s still young. I hope my impact shows up in the people around me: a team that grows with us, a community that feels at home here, and a daughter who grows up seeing that you can build something meaningful from whatever life hands you. I’d love for Bricoleur to be something future generations are proud to carry forward.

Red wine or white wine?

White wine.

Morning person or night owl?

Both!

Favorite wine for the fall season?

Our Founders Block Pinot Noir

One product that’s always in your bag?

Touchland hand sanitizer! 

How do you relax and unwind?

A workout class, early morning walk or watching a movie in bed with my daughter.