Management Team
Brittany Rice
Director of WinemakingThe daughter of Sunstone’s founders, Fred and Linda Rice, Brittany helped plant the first Merlot vines on the family property in 1990. At the age of 16, she began serving wine to visitors and guests in the Sunstone tasting room. At 21, she worked in the cellar alongside Sunstone’s winemaking team and learned from her mentor Dan Gehrs from 1999-2006. Brittany continued as Sunstone’s winemaker until 2010, when she decided to launch her own her own high-end, small portfolio wine brand, Millesime Cellars. Brittany’s background in fine arts, small business and being a Cordon Bleu trained chef has helped to influence her wine and food education through her knowledge of the artistic approach in the discoveries of chemistry within the food and wine creations she and her team produces
Neil Redmond
General ManagerAs GM, Neil oversees the day-to-day operations of Sunstone’s robust direct-to-consumer and hospitality business, including the world-renowned Sunstone Villa and Santa Barbara County’s most visited tasting room. Neil’s primary focus is ensuring our guests receive a world-class customer experience on every visit. Neil joined Sunstone in 2021 after 12 years at Beckmen Vineyards, where he worked closely with the winery’s owners, serving in various roles, including Winery Production, West Coast Wholesale Sales Manager, and Tasting Room Sales & Education Manager. Neil earned his B.S. in Environmental Horticulture Science from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo in 2002.
Angela Rose
Assistant General ManagerGrowing up with the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in her “backyard,” Angela naturally held an affinity for Santa Barbara wine country. As a matter of course, she was struck by a curiosity for wine and local vinicultural practices which prompted her to pursue a career in the wine industry. Immediately after earning a WSET Certification, Angela joined Santa Barbara County producer Brewer-Clifton as Lead Associate, and over the course of her career has served as Hospitality and Events Manager prior to joining Sunstone. Angela is currently pursuing a CSW Certification and is a strong believer in always remaining a student in wine, and in life. Angela’s favorite varietal is Pinot Noir, which she attributes to continuing to drive her fascination for wine to this day.
Don Hall
Sr. Hospitality ManagerDon has worked in luxury hospitality for more than 25 years. From Michelin-starred restaurants to world-class resorts and wineries, Don’s resume includes stops at such venerable venues as Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, French Laundry, Pebble Beach and more. Don brings this high level of service to Sunstone as he leads our Tasting Room and Private Experiences team as they provide a world-class guest experience at Sunstone.
Aaron Cherny
Senior Finance ManagerOriginally from Chicago (the greatest city in the world… according to him), Aaron started out his career working in Finance – Mergers & Acquisitions for Industrial Manufacturing and Automotive clients. In 2017, a severance check propelled him to take advantage of a lifelong dream, to work the Harvest in California. After working harvest for Roche Family Winery in Sonoma he was recruited to Huneeus Vintners (owners of Quintessa, Faust, Flowers) to run the business operations and began his 2nd act as a wine business advisor. After Huneeus, he went on to work in almost every aspect of the wine trade from vineyards to wine sales with such companies as: Back Room Wine Shop, Beam Suntory, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Mayacamas Vineyards, Quince Restaurant Group, Restoration Hardware and Vinfolio. Aaron earned his B.S. in Finance from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.
Tasting Room & Wine Club Team
Jessica Lim
Tasting Room LeadWSET level 1, Court of Master Somms Level 1
Shannon Hall
Tasting Room Lead
Josue Mejia
Tasting Room Associate
Mario Leon
Tasting Room Associate
Jon Flores
Education & Experience LeadWSET Level 1
Genesis Negrete
Sr. Customer Service Specialist
Bryce Seguine
Tasting Room AssociateWSET Level 1
Gina Verkamp
Tasting Room AssociateWSET Level 2, Court of Master Somms Level 1
Isaac Saldana
Tasting Room Associate
Berenice Mejia
Tasting Room AssociateWSET Level 1
Megan Dant
Tasting Room Associate
Gladis Barboza
Tasting Room AssociateWSET Level 1
Lulu Corral
Tasting Room AssociateWSET Level 1
Karen Delphina-Ortiz
Tasting Room Associate
Holly Griswold
Tasting Room Associate
Jen Malkin
Tasting Room Associate
Andre Baltazar
Tasting Room Associate
Jonathan Poindexter
Tasting Room Associate
Anthony Jamison
Tasting Room Associate
Ian Ramos
Tasting Room Associate Nathaniel Keating
Tasting Room Operations
Ethan Ramos
Tasting Room Operations
Alex Ives
Tasting Room Operations
Nick Bisinger
Tasting Room Operations
Nick Cabugos
Digital Media LeadWith over 15 years of experience in the creative industry, Nick brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team.
WINEMAKING TEAM
Brittany Rice
Director of WinemakingThe daughter of Sunstone’s founders, Fred and Linda Rice, Brittany helped plant the first Merlot vines on the family property in 1990.
Jose Gomez
Cellar Master
Lupe Chavez
Assistant Cellar Master
Maricela Gomez
Cellar AssistantESTATE OPERATIONS TEAM
Nick Ocampo
Groundskeeping & Maintenance
Cynthia Bisinger
Housekeeping
Mike Wilfing
Groundskeeping & Maintenance Jenny Toler
HousekeepingBoard of directors
Djamila Cabugos, Esq.
CEO, Director
Teddy Cabugos
President, Director
John Price
Director