Our Story

Meet the Founders

hossein namdar - alberto lataliste

- Ron cantrell

Our Story

Hoseein Namdar

Hossein Namdar came to California in 1978 and went to school at USF in San Francisco and obtained a degree in Theology and Philosophy. In 1982

he was hired by Moet Chandon (Domain Chandon) in Yountville, California where he became a vineyard technician specializing in grafting. After three years, he was transferred to work at their cellar.

At the same time he attended UC Davis. In 1986 he became partners with Domaine Chandon whose CEO at that time was John Wright. They purchased a 214 acre vineyard on Lakeville Highway in an area now known as Petaluma Gap. The newest AVA in the US.

By 1995, ninety acres of Pinot Noir grapes

were planted with Dijon clones.

In 2005 they bottled their first vintage under the label “Robert Goyette” who was also his partner and joint winemaker. They worked together as team and combining their expertise they started Stephen Vincent Wines and Robert Goyette brands.

In 2014 the two brands where sold and in 2017 they launched a new brand called Avid. Over the years of growing Pinot Noir and making Pinot Noir Wine from Avid Vineyard they have come to realization that the style that represents our ethos of winemaking

for the past twenty years is to appreciate what California’s terroir contributes to Pinot Noir, and combined with Burgundian winemaking practices.

Alberto Lataliste

Alberto Lataliste is a Bilingual Senior Sales executive expert

with over 18 years of experience in luxury wine sales and the

restaurant business in the US.

Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he moved to the US in 2001where he co-founded Gaucho Imports, a premium wine import business based in San Francisco, CA. He developed an Argentine, California, Spanish & Chilean wine portfolio with

his partner and subsequently imported the wines into the US market.

He then placed the wines into distribution working with distributors throughout the US and developed different sales and marketing programs to bring the wines into market.

He also developed private label & control brands for national key accounts & distributors. Also he was responsible for all aspects of distribution management, including the setting and monitoring

of pricing levels, programming, allocations, inventory par levels,logistics, and shipment & depletion goals for all markets & states.

In 2012 he moved to Miami, FL where he started working for Blends Inc, part for Alejandro Bulgheroni Estates as the Director of South American Brands and also as the U.S. Southeast Manager being in charge of MD, DC, VA, GA, NC, SC, & FL.

At the end of last year he decided to move back to his beloved Marin County in California. He now lives in Novato, CA and is the National Sales Manager for Avid and Acoya wines.

Ron Cantrell

A NATIVE DETROITER RON CANTRELL, BUSINESSMAN AND ENTREPRENEUR, HAS ALWAYS FOLLOWED HIS PASSIONS AND HIS MYRIAD OF VIRTUES.

RON HAS ACTED UPON ON HIS PASSION AND LOVE OF WINE. HE HAS ALWAYS HAD A FASCINATION AND ADORATION FOR TRAVELING TO CALIFORNIA AND ON ONE OF MANY INCREDIBLE TRIPS TO THE BEAUTIFUL STATE - AN IDEA WAS SPARKED. RON SET OUT TO THE HILLS AND FARMLANDS OF WINE COUNTRY TO FIND A WINEMAKER CAPABLE OF MAKING HIS UNIQUE VISION COME TO FRUITION. AFTER MANY MEETINGS, HE FINALLY MET HOSSEIN NAMDAR AND HE WAS ABLE TO ENVISION WHAT RON HAD SOUGHT OUT TO CREATE; AMAZING WINES FROM THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER APPELLATIONS.

RON HAS SEEN THE LOVE AND EXPERTISE THAT HOSSEIN PUTS INTO HIS PROFESSION OF OVER 4 DECADES. HE HOPES TO KEEP THAT LEGACY OF WINEMAKING, PASSION, AND CREATIVITY ALIVE IN THIS NEW AGE OF GRAN-VINO WINES. THIS WINERY AND RON WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH NEW AND SPECIAL EXPERIENCES FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

email: Orders@gran-vino.com

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