About Us Page
Emphasizing the diversity of each of our estate vineyards is the core of the Derby Wine Estates mission. Our three vineyards are in northern San Luis Obispo County and highlight three very distinct geographical regions. We are committed to showcasing these viticultural extremes under the Derby Wine Estates label. Our vineyards will forever be intimately connected.
Ray and Pam Derby
Ray and Pam Derby moved to the Central Coast area in the early 1990’s with the intention of retiring. In 1998, they purchased their first vineyard property, now known as Derbyshire Vineyard and their thoughts of retirement were replaced by the inspiration of being a part of the wine world. In the years following, Ray next acquired the historic Laura’s Vineyard (in east Paso) and then the westside property, now called the Derby Vineyard. Needless to say, their plans of retirement never came to fruition. After experiencing nearly a decade as a grape grower, the potential strengths of each property became apparent and in 2008, Ray and Pam launched Derby Wine Estates. They are extremely selective in terms of what goes into the bottle under the Derby label. The commitment to the land is appreciable, with only 20 hand-selected acres being used to provide fruit for their own brand. Grapes from the remainder (some 90% of their total acreage) is sold to some of the finest wine producers in California.
Tiffinee Vierra
Tiffinee graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo with a degree in food science and a minor in packaging. During college, a job working in a local wine shop led to a position in the Wild Horse Winery tasting room in 1998. Upon completion of her studies in 2001, her “official” wine career began with a job as a lab technician at Edna Valley Vineyard. By 2003, Tiffinee moved on to a hospitality position at Tablas Creek Vineyard, ultimately touching down as an Assistant Winemaker at Four Vines Winery before joining Derby Wine Estates in 2005. As Tiffinee puts it, “The opportunity to work with fruit from three significantly different vineyards presents me with unique challenges every year. For me, what is most important is to craft wines of complexity and character based on the specific site and the distinct parameters laid out by nature.” In addition to her winemaking duties, Tiffinee also serves as Derby’s General Manager, overseeing all aspects of its operation and making use of her broad range of experience in the wine world. With her passionate enthusiasm, adherence to straightforward operating principles, and her hands-on experience in the winery, Vierra sets out each morning to make Ray & Pam Derby’s vision a reality.
Steve Vierra
Steve Vierra joined Derby Wine Estates in the winter of 2010. Steve initiated his viticultural career at Laura’s vineyard in 1996 while still an undergraduate student at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. After graduating in 1999 from Cal Poly with a degree in soil science, Steve was recruited by Vineyard Professional Services, a vineyard management firm in Templeton, CA. Over the next 12 years, Steve gained extensive experience as a vineyard manager and Certified Professional Soil Scientist. He designed, developed, installed, and managed a number of highly admired Paso Robles area vineyards such as Alta Colina, Caliza, Cass, Epoch, Fetzer 5 Rivers, Hawks Hill, and Law Family Vineyard. Steve’s vintage experience spans almost two decades, which includes his time spent in viticulture and soil science consulting in New Zealand, Chile, and Australia.
As Steve says, “With Derby Wine Estates, I have the challenging and rewarding opportunity to work with each vineyard’s distinct terroir. In the same day, I’m farming cool climate Pinot Noir in San Simeon, Rhône varieties in the Templeton Gap district, and Bordeaux varieties in the Estrella district. My goal is to concentrate on each site’s unique ability to produce truly great fruit with characters defined by each site”.
Steve lives in Paso Robles with his wife, Tiffinee (the winemaker at Derby) and can be found surfing the Pacific during much of his spare time. He is also a collegiate wrestling fan and a devoted hunter, providing the Derby Team with wild boar for our back yard barbeques.
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