Embedded Files
David Lecomte
Chief Winemaker
David was born in Tournon, the heart of the Northern Rhône Valley, He was raised in Tain L’ Hermitage across the river. His first contact with the vines was at 16, working at “Porteur” during the harvest for the Delas & Fils estate as did his two older brothers. After a few years in Lyon to get a degree in Biology, david went back “home” working for the vineyard at Chapoutier and in the cellar of Delas and Fils.. He validated his “wine drive” by getting a Degree in Viticulture and winemaking in Davayé (Bourgogne).
After a few vintages in the Rhône, odd luck and love made him working in China for 2 years (as vineyard and harvest manager for Dragon Seal. It was just the “opening” of China (1997-1999) : first real manager position at large scale : 2000 Tons harvest.
He went back to France for 3 years to complete the “DNO” : Winemaking’s master in Montpellier.
France was too “small” after China, he decided to move with Sochenda in the US, after two years on the East coast (Blue mountain in VA and North Fork of Long Island , NY ) the call for CA was too strong: he moved to Southern California to Work for Herzog wine cellars handling many hats and raising to #2 under Joe Hurlimann.
David knew about the “urban winery” project of Michael Dorf and was ready to do something “different”. The first meeting with Michael Dorf was in April 2008, 3 months after, David moved his family to NYC to implement the “production” concept of City Winery with a first harvest of 80 tons in 2008 before the first Convert of CW (Dec 31th 2008)
David created the first “tap” wines at CW with a 3 spouts “home made” system in the Barrel room of Varick street (budget of $350 ) and develop over the opening of the different CW.
The concept of not bottling wine for David changed everything, it opened the door for no fining, and no filtration, low So2 wines.
Aurelien Gousse
Vineyard Liaison
Aurélien originates from a charming Medieval town nestled in the heart of the Loire Valley, surrounded by serene farms, meandering rivers, and lush trees. From an early age, he found himself immersed in the vineyards of his parents' friends. For him, the harvest season was synonymous with a joyful celebration, where everyone came together to share laughter over a well-deserved, hearty meal after picking grapes.
While maintaining a profound pride in all that France embodies, Aurélien’s adventurous and insatiable curiosity prompted him to embark on a journey that took him halfway around the globe to Australia. He found his haven in the breathtaking coastal embrace of McLaren Vale, a region he has grown particularly fond of within South Australia, where he pursued a variety of educational endeavors.
Aurélien’s bond with nature and the essence of terroir runs deep and with City Winery, he found he was able to tap into his worldly experience in wine and continue to fuel his passions, where he has been with the company as a winemaker since 2015.
The moment you meet Aurélien, you'll swiftly grasp why he has chosen to intertwine his journey with New York and the creative and vibrant City Winery. His fervent passion for crafting wine knows no geographical bounds, and his affinity for the act of creation extends seamlessly to the realm of gastronomy. His playful audacity and an unapologetic zest in his personality is directly manifested in his winemaking.
Caroline Schrader
Winemaker - Chicago
Caroline Schrader is an award-winning winemaker in Illinois, dedicated to creating wine reflective of true craft and care through hands-on and focused production. Her work is built on the old school philosophy that great wine is made from working with your hands, patience, and creativity. As the winemaker, Schrader brings her craft to both the West Loop and Chicago Riverwalk locations. Prior to City Winery, she worked at Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood and authored a monthly wine column for the Chicago Sun Times Media Group.
Previous to her career in wine, Schrader was an architect at Chicago firm, Solomon Cordwell Buenz with a masters education from the Illinois Institute of Technology and bachelor's education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After beginning her career in the wine industry, Schrader returned to academia and studied enology and viticulture through the University of California, Davis. Schrader joined the City Winery Chicago team in 2014.
Favorite variety: Pinot Noir
Travis Van Caster
Winemaker - Hudson Valley
Travis’s first wine job came from a Craigslist ad in Oregon’s Willamette Valley in late summer 2007. After working his first harvest as a cellar rat, he was hooked and immersed himself fully in wine (metaphorically, not physically). During and after his three harvests in the Willamette Valley, Travis was determined to pursue a scientific understanding of wine and studied wine at five different schools - one in Oregon, three in France, and one in New York, finally graduating with a degree in Enology and Viticulture from Cornell University. After school and a vintage in Chablis, Travis moved to California in 2012, where he made wine for the E&J Gallo Winery and the Miller Family Wine Company, before returning to the East Coast to join City Winery in 2020.
Travis says, “I feel that City Winery presents a very unique luxury within the wine world - a chance to work hands-on with incredibly high quality grapes from diverse regions, in a myriad of varieties and with excellent winemaking equipment. Perhaps more importantly, the goal for each of our wines is to produce the highest quality wine possible and we have the tools to do so. Finally, the opportunity to build something by working for an established company at a new location was not to be missed. Overall, making wine for City Winery is a privilege that I greatly enjoy.”
Travis believes that the best cuisine comes from simple preparation with the highest quality ingredients and that winemaking is no different. Simply put: to make a great wine, buy the very best grapes that you can find and don’t mess them up.
Michelle Foletta bell
Winemaker - Nashville
A California native, Michelle Foletta Bell was born with a spirited passion for the history, art and skill of winemaking. She brings nine years of experience in the industry to City Winery Nashville as the winemaker.
Prior to a career in wine, Michelle was a professional actor, including national tours and a stint at the Grand Ole Opry. Wine became a fast passion and after tasting her way through major wine regions around the world, Michelle studied wine with the Guild of Sommeliers and started her career in winery tasting rooms across California including Ancient Peaks—located on the historic and esteemed Santa Margarita Ranch, Tanner Vineyards, and the Hatcher, Chatom and School Street Brands. She managed wine clubs, bulk grape sales and tasting rooms for the beginning of her career in wine. However, her passion has always pushed her to pursue a career in winemaking. In October of 2017, Foletta jumped at the chance to move to Nashville and in January of 2018 joined the City Winery winemaking team. Michelle brings her California air to the downtown area of Music City. Education has been the biggest theme of her career, giving knowledge and leadership to all staff and customers. Michelle’s flagship wines are definitely her edgiest—Whiskey Barrel-aged wines are in high demand.
Bell lives in East Nashville with her husband, son, and their two dogs, Duck and Lucy. They spend their free time working on their century-old house, and of course enjoying fantastic bottles of wine.
Tristan Bowling
Winemaker - Atlanta
Having been an active participant in the service and culinary world since the time he could walk thanks to his father who was a Chef that served the metropolitan Atlanta area for over 30 years, Tristan first began his wine journey in the summer of 2015. In between selling and serving wine to guests in both retail and restaurant settings, he was given the opportunities to work harvests for west coast wineries that include Amici Cellars of the Napa Valley and R.Stuart and Co. Winery of the Willamette Valley, where he found the most fulfillment in the industry. It was then in 2019 where he began pursuing options to dip his feet into winemaking in his home state of Georgia and stumbled upon City Winery Atlanta! From there he worked his way up from CWA's Tasting Room Associate, to Wine Technician, to Winemaker where he currently resides.
Rachel Navarro
Assistant Winemaker - Chicago
Rachel Navarro is a passionate, detail-oriented winemaking professional with a strong educational background in enology and viticulture from California State University, Fresno. She has supported field research with professional work experience in wine & general chemistry, lab organization, data collection, molecular technique, entomology, plant pathology, and general horticulture knowledge.
Navarro has an established history of bringing her expertise to government administration at the USDA and premium estate winemaking. Prior to City Winery, she worked in California’s Temecula wine region at Ponte and Bottaia Winery and The WIne Group in Central CA. Navarro joined the City Winery Chicago team in 2022.
Favorite variety: Riesling and Italian varietal
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