Tim Bell, winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyard, has worked with a wide range of grape varieties and wine styles in Napa Valley, Sonoma, and the Central Coast: still wine, sparkling, dessert, even Kosher. Tim’s creativity in blending and extensive experience shaping wine quality in the vineyard made him a great choice for the winemaking team at Dry Creek Vineyard starting in 2011. He graduated with honors in winemaking at UC Davis, learning the intricacies of wine chemistry and microbiology that inform his stylistic choices in creating delicious blends. With this education, and formative experiences in a previous career selling wine, Tim arrived at a balanced, complex winemaking style shaped by his precise palate and preference for wines that define their varietal character.
Early in his career, Tim worked at Freemark Abbey, helping to shape the wine style and vineyard program. Later, he became the Director of Winemaking at Kunde, gaining critical acclaim for his Sauvignon Blancs, Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons. All of this experience has prepared Tim for what he has called “his best winemaking job.”
Away from the winery, Tim spends time outdoors with his family as much as he can, usually somewhere involving bodies of water. His other interests include music of all kinds and good food (and wine!). Weekends often find him grilling the tastiest burgers on the west coast.
Brian Pruett joined Dry Creek Vineyard in March 2017 as Assistant Winemaker, and was later promoted to Associate Winemaker. From laboratory management to cellar supervision, Brian ensures that each and every Dry Creek Vineyard wine is held to the highest standards.
A northern California native, Brian was first exposed to grape growing and winemaking through his first agriculture class at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. From there he went on to earn his degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Wine & Viticulture and set out to develop his career and palate. He worked his first harvest at Justin Vineyards and Winery, which he describes as the hardest, yet most exciting thing that he had ever done.
Brian spent the next two years of harvest seasons traveling between California’s Central Coast and Marlborough, New Zealand. A full-time position at Peachy Canyon Winery in Paso Robles followed for three years where he was a valued contributor to their team as Assistant Winemaker and Director of Production. Most recently, he was the Assistant Winemaker at Ledson Winery and Vineyards in Sonoma, focusing on limited production winemaking from some of the best vineyard sites in Sonoma and Napa counties.
Brian has had a passion for cooking from a young age, and looks to craft wines that are balanced, complex and food-friendly; wines that pair with everyday life. When not at the winery, he can be found hiking or visiting the coast with his winemaker wife, Margaret, or playing a round on the golf course.
Jenny Phan
Marketing & Communications Manager
