Will Thiersch, our Assistant Winemaker, has been an integral part of the River Road Family Vineyards and Winery team since 2017. Will’s role at the winery started with general winery duties, from assisting with Harvest, helping maintain barrels and on-site events. Not long after his start at the winery, his career expanded, he was promoted to Operations Enologist. Excited and encouraged by his work, he continued his education. According to Will, “I love that in wine, there’s continuous learning. No matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn.” His most recent educational accomplishment, graduating from UC Davis’ Winemaking Certification Program in early 2022.
His desire to be a part of the wine industry started at a young age. Through his childhood, he watched his father work as Vice President of Operations for Gallo in their glass facility for nearly a decade. Inspired by his father’s dedication and passion for the industry, Will knew he wanted to follow in his footsteps. But rather, creating his own path, towards becoming a Winemaker.
His education and many years with us, has led to Will having well-rounded knowledge of all winemaking aspects and we are excited to now have him as our Assistant Winemaker! He draws encouragement directly from our head Winemaker, Ed Morris. “Working with Ed has been a highlight,” Will notes, “Ed not only knows wine, but from the beginning understood my strengths and took into consideration my limitations while pushing me outside my comfort zone.” Will is an inspiration to our team and others to follow our dreams. We look forward to him continuing his journey with us in the industry.
