Sarah Gott of Joel Gott

Sarah grew up in Marin County and, later, in Knights Valley, a stretch of farmland and vineyards linking Napa Valley with Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County. It was in Knights Valley that Sarah first gained an appreciation of wine that led her study in the University of California at Davis’ Viticulture and Enology Department, where she graduated in 1993 with a degree in Fermentation Sciences.

Following graduation, Sarah worked a few internships including one in Australia and one at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa Valley which later became a full-time position. In 1997, while working at Phelps, Sarah married vintner and entrepreneur Joel Gott, who had launched Joel Gott Wines in 1996 with Sarah as an informal winemaking consultant. Sarah remained at Phelps until 2002, eventually becoming winemaker with day-to-day responsibility for all production activities.

At her next position as winemaker at Quintessa—a Napa Valley winery producing a single, Bordeaux-style red—Sarah was allowed greater involvement in the rapidly growing Joel Gott Wines. In the harvest of 2003, Joel and Sarah had their first daughter, Lucy, and the following year Sarah left Quintessa to focus on their growing family which grew by having two more children.

When Sarah is not at the winery, she can be found competing in various triathlons across the country including Ironman competitions.