Winemaker musical chairs

'I've never fired a winemaker, they've always fired themselves. Every one of them has had their own issues', said Don Bryant, proprietor of Bryant Family Wines, when I called him up to talk about the recent departure of his winemaker Helen Keplinger, after just a single vintage on the job.

For her part, Keplinger chuckled at the notion of firing herself. ‘It is interesting to note that over the last 10 years, five winemakers have departed from Bryant – two of them during harvest. It’s clear to me that there is a disconnect', she said. The roster of winemakers at Bryant...