Family is at the heart of this project. Sarocka is Irene’s Lithuanian maiden name and her Spring Mountain vineyard is a gathering place for her children and grandchildren. With a keen eye for beauty and a love for travel, Irene likes to say “It’s better to do it right than do it easy.”
Ask Michael what he’s working on, tasting, or listening to, and you’ll get a long and detailed list. Music and wine are his tandem passions. Fortunately he’s able to make a living with at least one. In addition to consulting on his other winemaking projects, he also runs his own brand, Relic Wines, with his wife Schatzi Throkmorton.
Kelsey’s love of Napa Valley was instilled at an early age during a family trip to Rutherford. That week in August 1997, she had the opportunity to walk vineyards in Rutherford, view a sunset from the terrace at Auberge du Soleil and meet Robert Mondavi at Mustards. Those experiences coupled with the anticipation in the air of the upcoming harvest left a lasting impression. After graduating college at Pepperdine University, a career in real estate took Kelsey to Texas where she spent eight years in pre-sale marketing and sales of luxury condo properties in Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio. In her spare time, Kelsey is a voracious reader, and spent hours soaking up as much wine knowledge as possible. Upon completion of an intro to winemaking class thru UC Davis and the Court of Master Sommeliers Level I, Kelsey realized wine was more than a hobby, and Yountville was calling her name. Kelsey worked with esteemed properties D. R. Stephens Estate and Vineyard 29, prior to joining the Sarocka Team. To quote Kelsey, “Sarocka is a jewel among the extraordinary collection of family wineries on Spring Mountain and I am thrilled to be working once again with Michael Hirby. With a strong track record of exceptional wines, I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence at Sarocka and building on that legacy.”
In his decades long career Jim has planted, managed, and consulted with some of the Napa Valley’s most prominent estates. Away from the vineyard Jim can be found hunting and fly fishing – a true outdoorsman.
