Our Team

Our winery is driven by a dedicated team of individuals united by a common goal — to make and share remarkable wines in a spirit of gracious hospitality.

• Hans Nef – Founder and Owner

  Hans Nef is an entrepreneur, engineer, developer, and restaurateur — but his greatest passion is wine. Growing up in a rural village outside Zurich, Switzerland, he gained an early appreciation for agriculture. Having studied civil engineering, Hans eventually founded his own civil engineering consultancy firm. He later became a collector of fine Bordeaux wines, and ultimately branched out into the wine importation business. As his interest in California wines intensified, he dreamed of establishing a New World winery dedicated to the production of distinctive estate-crafted wines. That dream was realized in 1996 when he acquired prime viticultural land in Paso Robles and established Vina Robles. “I want Vina Robles to express a unique balance of European heritage and American opportunity,” Hans says. “Both worlds bring value to what we do, and we endeavor to capture this distinction in our wines.”

• Hans–Rudolf ("Hans") Michel - Managing Partner

  As a young man, Hans worked on a diversified family farm near Zurich, Switzerland. He graduated from the Technical College of Agriculture in Zollikofen, Bern with a degree in Agricultural Economics, having already gained diplomas in Commerce and Agriculture. In 1982, he came to the United States to work for a farm management company, and later started his own agricultural consulting and management firm. Hans met Hans Nef in the early 1990s, and they eventually partnered in laying the agricultural and business foundation of Vina Robles. “I want Vina Robles to be known for producing distinctive, high-quality wines, and for providing excellent service to the guests who visit our hospitality center,” he says.

• Nick de Luca – Winemaker

  Nicholas “Nick” de Luca is a versatile winemaker who has gained extensive experience working with a number of notable wineries. Nick grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz. Prior to joining Vina Robles in 2011, Nick honed his winemaking skills at various wineries and vineyards in California and New Zealand since the early 1990s. “I aim to make wines that force you to rethink everything you thought you knew about fine wine before,” he says. “For me that means crafting a wine that is inventive, distinctive and true to its terroir. The real trick is to never believe in your own voodoo so much that you can’t change your mind.”

• Sukhy Sran – General Manager of Vineyard Operations

  Sukhy grew up on his family’s farm in the San Joaquin Valley, where he helped grow almonds, raisins and wine grapes. As far back as he can remember, he has always been actively involved in farming. Sukhy later earned his degree in Agricultural Business and Farm Management from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. After working in the local wine industry for several years, Sukhy joined Vina Robles in 2003 and now oversees the management of our four estate vineyards. “By dedicating our finest vineyard blocks to the Vina Robles winemaking program, we can grow and select the very best fruit for our wines,” he says. “We are relentless in our pursuit of quality throughout the growing season.”

• Marc Laderriere - Director of Sales

  As a native of France, Marc has always been an avid student of his homeland’s culture of food and wine, a passion that ultimately led him to the wine regions of the West Coast and to Paso Robles. Marc today wields more than 20 years of experience in wine marketing and sales. Since joining Vina Robles in 2003, he has engineered exponential growth in the winery’s distribution channels and overall sales. “This is a very exciting time for both Vina Robles and Paso Robles,” Marc says. “People are really starting to take notice on a national and international level.”