Meet the Sierra Vista Team

Jim, his wife Sherry and daughter Savanna are incredibly excited to be the new owners of Sierra Vista. Jim & Sherry have dreamed of owning a vineyard since their first trip to Tuscany back in the early 2000s. Jim built and grew a commercial tile company called Great Lakes Tile & Contracting into one of the most successful and respected tile contracting companies in Michigan. Prior to being in the tile business, he spent 12 years working at General Motors World Technical Center as a Journeyman Wood Model Maker, building patterns and models for prototype vehicles. He was also very fortunate to grow up with a father that was a mentor and best friend. Together with Jim’s brother Bob, the three of them restored many old cars, fixed and built everything around the home and work together in the plastic injection molding trade for some time.

Coming into the wine business is a new venture for Jim and his family, but pride, passion, tenacity, and hard work are nothing new to him. His personality traits and business sense are what drives success, teamwork, camaraderie and customer experience. When not being involved in the business side of things, Jim enjoys time spent with family especially their 11-year daughter Savanna who models, acts, plays piano and violin, and successfully competes in pageants.

Ryan was born and raised in Placerville. While pursuing a degree in Forestry, at the age of 22, he began working part time at a winery. He began on the sales side, then quickly shifted into the cellar, and a few years later he became the assistant winemaker. In this position he began to develop and explore his own winemaking style- with opportunities each year to make one or two of his own wines. Having an insatiable appetite for knowledge in all things wine making- he considers himself a constant student of the industry. His passion for winemaking is only rivaled by his love for vineyard care and management. So, if you can’t find him in the cellar- you are likely to find him on a tractor or in the vineyard.”

Natalie was born and raised in Shelby Township, Michigan. She graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. She spent a few years working in the marketing field until she met Jim and started working at his other business, Great Lakes Tile, as an Estimator. When Jim purchased Sierra Vista, Natalie took on the Marketing role with her previous experience and began redesigning all of the new event flyers, website, marketing materials and updating social media.

When Natalie isn’t working she’s spending time raising her thirteen-year-old son who plays football, basketball and runs track and her seven-year-old daughter who cheers on a competitive team. Natalie’s multitasking abilities, organizational skills, and eye for detail are what makes her so great at her job.

​Lauren, born and raised in Northern California, joined our team after graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2020. She loves learning about all aspects of the wine industry and sharing her knowledge with others. When she is not at work, Lauren enjoys hiking, camping, and snowboarding.

She always has a positive attitude and energy and provides great customer service to all guests who come in. She has become an integral part of the Sierra Vista team and we are very happy to have her here. She is also (according to her) Lucy’s best friend.

Lucy was a feral kitten who started hanging around the winery and eventually became an important team member. She sleeps inside at night and has food, water and a couple beds, but spends her days mostly roaming around the property keeping an eye on things. She is very friendly and enjoys attention and being pet. In her spare time she likes naps, hunting lizards and voles, and receiving treats for being a good cat!