WINEMAKER

Vanessa grew up in Silicon Valley, a short distance from Napa and Sonoma, where she became fascinated by the romantic idea of growing wine grapes since she was eight years old. As a young adult who knew nothing about wine, she shifted focus in college at UC, Berkeley, where she majored in Neurobiology. After college, she decided to work a harvest in the laboratory as a lark before applying for medical school. Her first harvest was a Ridge at Lytton Springs in Healdsburg, California, and was so inspired that she never left the industry.

Since then, she has worked in wineries in California, New Zealand, Australia, and Italy. Most recently, she earned her master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology in Italy. Vanessa was the enologist at Groth Vineyards & Winery in Napa for several years, before joining the Duckhorn Portfolio as an assistant winemaker with Decoy. Vanessa hopes to continue the long history of quality winemaking at Knapp and use her skills gathered from her worldwide travels. When not making wine, she enjoys cooking, embroidery, and teaching Ham to swim.

VINEYARD MANAGER

Jim is a Finger Lakes native with more than a decade of farming and every other type of wine production work under his belt. Born and raised in North Hector, he spends his time living in and loving the beauty that surrounds him.

After spending some time in a wine cellar , he decided that he needed to know how to grow the grapes that were being made into word-class wines. He was hooked. We are honored to have Jim’s talents and perspective for his 17th harvest season as of 2023.

When he isn't talking about his amazing family, he’s probably talking someone’s ear off about sailing or fishing. In a past life, Bond traveled as a professional sailor along the East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska.

ASSISTANT VINEYARD MANAGER

Johnson got into viniculture during her worldly travels, finding vineyard work while in Central Otago New Zealand, a world-renowned region for wine. She’s worked in vineyards all over the world, including Germany, Spain, Portugal, and even worked in a wine shop while living in Brooklyn.

Being back in the FLX seems like a full circle moment, as Kelly was originally drawn here to get her degree in viticulture at FLCC.

EVENTS COORDINATOR

Shari has been part of the Knapp team for over four years. If you’ve walked in our doors, chances are you’ve been greeted by her smiling face. An FLX native, Shari grew up in Waterloo, NY. When she’s not working on her latest project at Knapp, she’s spending time with her three children, Kaitlin, Kendra, and Michael, and her granddaughter Ila Poppie. If you’re looking for recommendations and fun things to do around Knapp, Shari is your girl.

CELLAR MASTER, FACILITIES MANAGER

Brent quite literally keeps Knapp humming. Any day you visit, you’ll find him hard at work with his Newfoundland, Charlotte, by his side. Brent has two children, Katie and Sebastian–three if you count Charlotte. Brent is retired from the military, having served in the Navy as a submariner for 21 years.

TASTING ROOM & WINE CLUB MANAGER

Tracey began her career at Knapp Winery in the 1980s, working for Doug Knapp himself. Born and raised in Seneca Falls in the heart of the Finger Lakes, Tracey embodies the spirit of the region. Managing her own 12-acre farm and family at home, she values self-sufficiency. An incredible chef, her food challenges the true meaning of farm-to-table cooking. Her intimate knowledge of the land is unmatched, and this expertise has been key for us here at Knapp. Her favorite task here at Knapp? Pruning the vines in the Winter.

Tracey’s admirable spirit and talents aren’t confined to agriculture. Once captain of Romulus NY’s very first varsity basketball team and member of the Romulus Choir (with which she travelled through Europe), she reminds us to live fiercely and try everything. There’s no better way to describe Tracey Beary than a force to be reckoned with.

Fred joined Knapp Winery a just a few years ago, though he’s been part of the family and the FLX wine scene for much longer. He brings with him a wealth of experience, skill, and knowledge. Retired fire chief at the nuclear plant, Fred can do it all. From hunting & angling with his wife to working the fields here at Knapp, Fred is the go-to man to fix it all…though he laments the title when it’s time to fix the lawnmower. His excellence at working the vineyards during growing season is arguably the most important job at the winery––a job that impacts the growing season for 2-3 years to come.

TRUSTED SIDEKICK, ASSISTANT WINEMAKER
Hamish “Hammie” Hoffman joined the team with Vanessa. As assistant winemaker, Ham wears many hats, including hospitality in the tasting room, grape sampling in the vineyards, and micromanaging the Knapp chickens. When he is not in the vineyards with Vanessa, he can often be found near the tasting room greeting guests and sharing snacks. His hobbies include sock theft, belly rubs, and kisses (you have been warned).