Our Team

Our Team

Management Team

brittany rice

Brittany Rice

Director of Winemaking

The 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 Manager

As 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 Manager

Growing 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 Manager

Don 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

Aaron Cherny

Senior Finance Manager

Originally 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 Lead

WSET 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 Lead

WSET Level 1

Genesis Negrete

Sr. Customer Service Specialist

Bryce Seguine

Tasting Room Associate

WSET Level 1

Gina Verkamp

Tasting Room Associate

WSET Level 2, Court of Master Somms Level 1

Isaac Saldana

Tasting Room Associate

Berenice Mejia

Tasting Room Associate

WSET Level 1

Megan Dant

Tasting Room Associate

Gladis Barboza

Tasting Room Associate

WSET Level 1

Lulu Corral

Tasting Room Associate

WSET Level 1

Karen Delphina-Ortiz

Tasting Room Associate

Holly Griswold

Tasting Room Associate
jen malkin

Jen Malkin

Tasting Room Associate
Andre Baltazar

Andre Baltazar

Tasting Room Associate

Jonathan Poindexter

Tasting Room Associate

Anthony Jamison

Tasting Room Associate

Ian Ramos

Tasting Room Associate
Nathaniel Keating

Nathaniel Keating

Tasting Room Operations

Ethan Ramos

Tasting Room Operations

Alex Ives

Tasting Room Operations

Nick Bisinger

Tasting Room Operations

Nick Cabugos

Digital Media Lead

With over 15 years of experience in the creative industry, Nick brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team.

WINEMAKING TEAM

brittany rice

Brittany Rice

Director of Winemaking

The 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 Assistant

ESTATE OPERATIONS TEAM

Nick Ocampo

Groundskeeping & Maintenance

Cynthia Bisinger

Housekeeping

Mike Wilfing

Groundskeeping & Maintenance
Jenny Toler

Jenny Toler

Housekeeping

Board of directors

Djamila Cabugos, Esq.

CEO, Director
teddy cabugos

Teddy Cabugos

President, Director
john price

John Price

Director
fred rice

Fred Rice

Founder, Director