You never know when a great glass of wine will change everything.

It was 1992 in New York City when a glass of Perrier-Jouët La Belle Époque sparked a curiosity that has never faded. I was early in my career, and I was tasting well above my pay grade. While the table moved on to still wine, I wasn’t ready to let go of that glass. It opened a door I didn’t yet realize I was walking through.

In the years that followed, I immersed myself in food and sparkling wine. I studied culinary arts at the French Culinary Institute and pursued formal wine education through WSET, the Wine Scholar Guild, and UC Davis. I tasted across California, Europe, South America, and Asia, and spent hundreds of hours in conversation with winemakers whose generosity shaped how I think about this craft. All of this unfolded alongside a thirty-year career in corporate operations. AERILYN is what I built in the margins. Now it has my full attention.

I love sparkling wine, and I am drawn to the traditional method because it demands patience, restraint, and trust in time. Every decision calls for discipline. The transformation that unfolds in the bottle, shaped by farming, winemaking, chemistry, and time, is what I find endlessly compelling.

AERILYN is my answer to thirty years of curiosity.  It is my love of Champagne expressed through the lens of cool-climate coastal fruit.

Ever curious,

Inside the Name

AER-uh-lin. Beautiful air.

Pacific breezes, morning fog, and the dramatic temperature swings from day to night that preserve acidity and build complexity. The invisible force that makes growing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay possible in the coastal places we love most.

Inside the Logo

Our logo is a watermark, the quiet trace a glass leaves behind on the table. A simple impression, and yet it holds everything: the meal that lingered, the conversation that didn't want to end, the wine that made the evening worth remembering.

Guiding Principles

  • Start with research

    Before I committed to the project, I studied the wines I love most. They showed care at every step: thoughtful farming, intentional winemaking, and the patience to let the wine evolve. That standard became the foundation for everything I set out to build.

  • Anchor in experience

    I spoke with more than 100 wine professionals to understand what it would take to build this project the right way. Those conversations clarified my approach: prioritize exceptional cool-climate fruit, work with technically skilled partners, and hold a consistent standard at every stage.

  • Source quality fruit

    I select fruit for its ability to develop flavor while retaining acidity. I work with conscientious growers in cool coastal sites who take stewardship of the land and the people who farm it seriously. Sparkling wine magnifies every decision, so I start with the best fruit I can afford.

  • Be hands-on

    I am involved at every stage: vineyard selection, harvest, pressing, fermentation, blending, tirage, and dosage. I stay close so the decisions are my own and the wine is tuned to my palate. This work is done alongside skilled collaborators whose standards and ambition match mine.

  • Let taste lead

    I make the wines I want to drink. My palate has been shaped by years of tasting sparkling wines from around the world. They must be fresh, balanced, alive, and built for the table. That standard is non-negotiable. If I do not love it, I will not bottle it.

  • Embrace the wait

    Traditional-method sparkling wine demands time. We have worked quietly and intentionally to ensure each cuvée meets our standards. As we move toward our first release, we are ready to welcome you in as we prepare these wines for the moment they reach your hands.