Herb Quady: Fearless leader, Chief Instigator, President for Life, Assistant Bottlewasher.
Herb grew up on the family winery in Central California with a compulsory love for Muscat, but after an accidental exposure to the world of Rhone varieties at the hand of the infamous Randall Graham, he became obsessed with the idea of making (gasp!) table wines. After earning his winemaking props at Fresno State, he eventually found his way into the great unknown of Southern Oregon. While working as the winemaker for Troon Vineyard, Herb and his wife Meloney founded Quady North in 2006.
Brian Gruber: Partner, CFO
Brian Gruber started working with Quady North in 2009 and co-founded Barrel 42 Custom Winecraft with Herb Quady and Nichole Schulte in 2014. Brian was an Associate winemaker for Quady North through harvest of 2021, helping to make many delicious wines, before moving on to become the winemaker at Irvine and Roberts, a winery outside of Ashland.
Nichole Schulte - Associate Winemaker, Partner
Winemaker - Barrel 42
Nichole fell in love with Rhône varietals while studying wine law at the Université Jean Moulin in Lyon, France. Back in the States, she finished her law degree at Louisiana State University's Paul M. Hebert Law School. Nichole spent several years practicing law in Louisiana before relocating to Oregon in 2012. The unique terroir of Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley reminded her of her beloved Rhône Valley. Nichole first started working with Herb and Brian at Troon Vineyards and co-founded Barrel 42 in 2014, becoming the Assistant Winemaker. In 2021, she succeeded Brian at Barrel 42 to become the head winemaker and the Associate winemaker for Quady North.
Dawn Roelke - Accounting Manager
After graduating with an Electrical Engineering degree, Dawn quickly realized she wanted to "not be an engineer". Taking a job with MCA recording studios proved to be far more entertaining. After only 3 years however, the red tape of big corporation life seemed stiffling and Dawn made the leap to self-employment. She spent 15 years as a General Contractor - launching that career only 3 months before the big Northridge Earthquake which created a sea of customers (pure luck). After relocating to Southern Oregon with her husband and daughter, Dawn decided to search out part time work. In March of 2009, Dawn was the first employee hired by Quady North.
Darius Price - Production Manager, Wine Club Manager
Darius helped build sales for Owen Roe before deciding to move back to Southern Oregon with his young family. He has a passion for alcoholic beverages of all types, constantly seeking to taste, describe and understand the wide world of wine and spirits. In his free time he enjoys trying other wines, beers, and especially whiskey. Darius built up Quady North’s wholesale sales before transitioning to the role of Production Manager in 2022.
Jorden Smith - DTC Manager -
Jorden took the time to insert themself into the wine industry during the dreaded year of 2020, a blessing in disguise. They will always say ‘if you can drink it I am probably obsessed with it’, finding their stride in the coffee industry by working in a roastery analyzing single origin coffees and writing their tasting notes/roasting/brewing recommendations. This translated well into assessing wines and beginning the obsession of where art meets science, from grape to bottle and beyond. In 2023 they were awarded their Level 1 Sommelier certification as well as Level 2 WSET with distinction, and aiming for WSET3 in 2024. With a passion for bringing the world of fine wine to people in a welcoming and educational way.
Mackenna Greene - Enologist
Mackenna came to us during the unusual harvest of 2020 as an intern after graduating from Oregon State University with a degree in Sustainable Horticultural Production focused on Viticulture. She found passion for the combination of art and science in winemaking working closely with the winemakers. A third generation resident of the Rogue Valley she always had a passion for nature and the outdoors. In her spare time Mackenna enjoys playing tabletop games, embroidery, and learning and talking about wine and farming.
Applegate Vineyard Management
Our sister company, Applegate Vineyard Management, custom farms several hundred acres of vines in the Applegate and Rogue Valleys. Consuelo Holguin and her crew specialize in tailoring specific farming to the needs of their clients. For more information, contact Herb Quady at hquady@gmail.com.