Name: Lindsay Kampff
Age: 28
Location: Eugene, Ore.
Education: Chemistry degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara; Winemaking certificate from the University of California, Davis
Job Title: Winemaker, King Estate Winery
What She Does: Lindsay has been in the winemaking business for seven years in locales as close as California and as far-flung as Australia. Today, she’s settled down at King Estate Winery, where she specializes in making red wine. “My main role as red winemaker is to make sure that I am doing the best job possible to put the best wine out into the market,” she says.
How She Got Her Gig: After graduating with a Chemistry degree, Lindsay headed up to California wine country and began working at Jordan Vineyards and Winery under winemaker Rob Davis. From there, she went on to learn the tricks of the trade through harvests with J Vineyards and Winery and at Houghton Winery in Western Australia before she joined the team at King Estate.
Slave to the Grapes: Long hours are common for a winemaker, especially during the harvest season (summer and fall), which demands 12-to-16-hour days, seven days a week. During the off-season (winter and spring), she typically puts in between 40 and 50 hours per week. For Lindsay, the seasons also dictate her tasks. “Managing the fermentations, the wine movements, and the vineyards are my key responsibilities during the harvest months,” she says. “As for the off-peak months, tasting is still a huge aspect, and I’m monitoring the wines on a daily basis, visiting vineyards at various times during the growing season and managing various projects at the winery.”
Multiple Mentors: Lindsay names many mentors who have helped her move forward in her career, but one in particular truly shaped it. “Rob Davis is a huge inspiration to me as both a winemaker and viticulturist and has enabled me to be where I am today,” she says. Lindsay has also found many mentors at King Estate and has begun networking with notable winemakers in the Walla Walla area as well.
Wine Words: To supplement her education and guidance from mentors, Lindsay reads Wine Business Monthly on a regular basis, and also stays current on industry trends by reading local reviews and stories about Northwest and California wineries and winemakers.
Mission Accomplished: At only 28, Lindsay has achieved a great feat: She’s made wine in three different states, and in Western Australia as well. “I always secretly had this desire and goal to be in a winemaker position by the age of 30. I never imagined that my drive, perseverance, and love for this industry would bring me my dreams at such a young age,” she says.
This Job’s for You if: You have a passion for wine. Also, winemakers must be willing to network and seek out mentors who can educate them, because the winemaking presents a huge learning curve. “You have to be open to that learning curve and the new challenges that come with each vintage, each vineyard block, and each wine you make,” she says. “But it’s a great feeling to be able to put a product in the marketplace that both my friends and family can enjoy with me.”
