Denis Malbec
Denis Malbec was born at Château Latour in Pauillac, France. Denis learned to walk in between barrels and bike in between the vines as a child. Denis also learned vineyard and winery management early on from his father, Jean-Noel Malbec. Both Denis’ father, Jean-Noel Malbec, and grandfather, Camille Malbec, served as Cellar Master and vineyard manager for Château Latour.
Denis started at Château Latour as one of the cellar workers in 1993 and took the position as Enologist and Cellar Master at Château Latour in 1994 and crafted the vintages from 1994 to 1999.
In 2000 Denis and his partner May-Britt Malbec started a wine consulting company that would allow both Denis and May-Britt to express their knowledge and philosophy of wine in a personal and more diversified way.
Today Denis serves as winemaker for Captûre Wines.
Mike, his wife Carol, and their children, moved to Pine Mountain in the Spring of 2008. They have made Tin Cross Vineyards – with its 36 acres of mountain vineyards, five ponds and a family of swans – their home. Mike‘s greatest joys are teaching his children the virtues of working in the vineyard and the wine cellar, and sharing Captûre Wines with friends, both old and new.
Ben Sharp
Ben was introduced to wine as many children in Europe are, with small, diluted glasses of Beaujolais, served over the course of a 3-hour dinner. His love and appreciation for the cultural connections fostered through conversations over a glass of wine have stayed with him his entire life.
Ben has lived in several countries, all of which make great wine, and he currently resides in Sonoma County with his wife and 3 year old Labrador. Most recently prior to tackling this Pine Mountain wine country adventure, Ben developed a new lifestye brand for Jess Jackson’s Artisan & Estates portfolio and also worked with several of the wine industry’s most revered winery estates, including Verite, Lokoya, Cardinale, and The Napa Valley Reserve. Today, Ben is the President of Captûre Wines.
Glenn Alexander
Glenn Alexander began his wine career as a passionate consumer. Working and traveling around the country and Europe he had the opportunity to dine at some great restaurants and drink some wonderful wines. It became clear early on to him, to enjoy any wine at its best, it had to be made in harmony with its environment and it had to be paired with the right foods.
Glenn and his wife, Melissa, moved to Sonoma County to pursue their dream of making great wines and enjoying wonderful cuisine. They bought a vineyard in the Russian River Valley. Glenn serves as the vineyard manager for Tin Cross Vineyards and Captûre Wines.
May-Britt Malbec
May-Britt Malbec has been in the wine business for 17 years. May-Britt began her career as a sommelier in Sweden, and worked in many of Stockholm’s top restaurants. May-Britt started her own restaurant “Le Bateau” on the Royal Star, a yacht built in 1964 for King Frederic of Denmark.
In 1992, May-Britt won the Prince Henri-Melchior de Polignac award, which acknowledged her as the best sommelier in the Nordic countries, with Serena Sutcliffe as foreman of the jury. It enabled May-Britt to become part of important juries such as “Le Mondial” for the best sommelier in the world as well as the Trophée Ruinart for the best European sommelier.
May-Britt moved to France in 1995 to oversee public relations at the well-respected Château Latour in Pauillac. At Latour May-Britt met Denis Malbec, Château Latour’s Cellar Master and enologist.
In 2000 May-Britt and her partner Denis Malbec started a wine consulting company. Today May-Britt and Denis oversee winemaking for Captûre Wines.
Tara Sharp
Tara has a passion for delicious food and fine wine and has traveled the world in search of tasty treats. A certified sommelier, Tara worked with Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates and Artisan & Estates wines for many years building and launching wine brands before joining Captûre. Tara and her husband nurture a 100 year old organic Gravenstein apple orchard in Sonoma County, California. Tara oversees marketing and brand development for Captûre Wines.
Dylan Klymenko
Dylan studied Marketing/Advertising at Emerson College where he graduated as Salutatorian of his class on May 2008. This Summer, he took a break from Advertising to work in the fields of Tin Cross Vineyards among close friends. While working on the land, his active curiosity helped him learn all he could about the wine process. Now out of the field, he still looks back fondly on his time spent among the vines. Today, Dylan blogs actively for the site so others can share in his experience.
