Behind every good wine is an amazing team

Cassandra Felix, aka Felix the Cass, arrived on California soil after many years in Palm Beach, Florida where she was a Head Sommelier and led an award-winning wine program. Her accolades could fill up a novel, but to name a few she was a finalist for “Best Young Sommelier” and was a Wine Honoree at the James Beard House Iconoclast Dinner. To say the least, Cassandra is a big deal. As Brand Director, Cassandra lives, eats, breathes, and *drinks* all things, Brendel. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, dining out, and hanging with her pup Pepper. Not to mention, Cassandra recently asked if flossing (as in the dance made popular by the backpack kid in 2017) was still “cool" to do in public. We regretted informing her that the answer was no.

If you ask Brittany Sherwood what her favorite music is she'll tell you "You can take the girl out of Long Beach, but you can’t take Long Beach out of the girl." Brittany originally hails from Long Beach and in her young adult life traded the seaside views for agricultural land and cow fields. Brittany received her Viticulture and Enology degree from UC Davis (which means you know how to make really good wine) and worked at some of the most legit wine regions in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. While simultaneously preserving the legacy of Heitz Cellars' historic estate, Brittany is also making some seriously good Brendel wine for you to crack open. In her free time, Brittany tends to her garden and enjoys the Napa Valley. Her favorite food is anything involving carbs and cheese.

Aaron Huntsberger is what some may call, a napa valley style icon, always sporting leather boots, Portland-coffee-shop-barista-glasses, and a snazzy tee or button-up. Aaron comes to us from Austin, Texas (keep it weird) and inevitably fell into wine here in the Napa Valley after selling wine for a local wine merchant. Aaron was welcomed to the Heitz Cellar team in 2019 and works alongside Brittany as the Associate Winemaker to craft the Brendel lineup. In his free time, Aaron bakes sourdough, shoots film photography, and explores the greater Bay Area.