Behind Vice Versa is a team comprising the vintner-proprietors, winemakers, winery operators, administrative staff, growers, vineyard workers and pickers. Over 50 people contribute directly to the wines we make. Here are a few members of the core team.
While Patrice has a hand in everything from production to sales, hospitality and administration, he is surrounded by a seasoned team of passionate, talented and dedicated people. The creation of Vice Versa has been a lifelong dream that he still feels excited and fortunate to be living on a daily basis.
Born and raised on the south shore of Montreal, Samantha is a Pharm. D pharmacist by trade. Her original encounter with great wine was during her first date with Patrice in 2011 when they shared a bottle of Château Lafleur 1982. She naturally connected with the science of the craft and began her own fervent journey in the world of wine.
Samantha and Patrice moved to Napa Valley full time in 2013, and married soon after. By 2019 she was so involved in winery operations that she ended her pharmacy practice to focus on Vice Versa. Samantha’s a huge foodie, and enjoys cooking, baking, and long-distance running.
Landing just in time for the 2024 harvest at our pristine new winery in Calistoga, Spencer Kelly’s arrival at Vice Versa couldn’t be more timely or auspicious.
A native of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Spencer brings to Vice Versa a reputation for excellence gained at an impressive constellation of icons. Not only was he winemaker for Eisele Vineyard for eight years, he staged at luminaries such as Burgundy’s Grand Cru Clos de Tart, Domaine d'Eugénie, and also was a part of the winemaking team at Colgin Cellars on Pritchard
Hill.
Winemaking at this elite level requires an exacting attention to detail both in the vineyard and in the cellar, which aligns perfectly with the methods of our consultants, Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky. Spencer works hand in hand with Atelier Melka and our production team, which includes several growers, farmers, cellar and harvest workers, and of course Patrice Breton. His appointment is proof of our commitment to push quality ever-higher with each harvest.
Like the celebrated wines on which he’s built his reputation, Philippe Melka’s career has been influenced by soil.
A native of Bordeaux, Philippe grew up intrigued by the intricacies of the land around him. When it came time for college, he acted on his childhood interests, earning a degree in Geology at the University of Bordeaux. A class in winemaking in his final year was a turning point, propelling him to earn a Master’s degree in Agronomy and Enology.
Philippe has the rare combination of talent and fortune to be a winemaker who started at the top: his first job out of school was at Château Haut Brion. He has been trained and influenced by some of the most notable personalities in the wine business including Jean Delmas and Jean Philippe Masclef from Haut-Brion, Christian Moueix and Jean Claude Berrouet from Petrus, Paul Draper from Ridge, and the globetrotting wine consultant Michel Rolland with whom he continues to work on consulting projects.
His first job in Napa Valley was studying soils for Dominus Estate from 1991 to 1993. The terroir here was a revelation for him and although he went back to France afterward, taking a position with Château Petrus, he returned to the valley in 1994 and has called this his home ever since. For the past 20 years Philippe has served as the winemaking consultant for some of Napa’s most highly regarded properties. He began working with Vice Versa in 2014.
Maayan was born and raised in Israel where he practiced judo from the age of 4 until he joined the army at the age of 18. He served in the IDF for almost 4 years as a paratrooper. After leaving the army, Maayan traveled around the world for a few years and began to feel the calling for wine. He got his start working at some of the leading wineries in Israel, including Margalit Winery.
After moving to Napa, Maayan found himself working with some of the most exceptional vineyards and wineries such as Dalla Valle and Screaming Eagle where he helped to craft extraordinary wines. In early 2014, he joined Atelier Melka as the Director of Winemaking and began working with Vice Versa shortly thereafter. Today he is a partner in Atelier Melka.
Born to a pair of Vail ski instructors, Jeffrey Geil hails from Boulder, Colorado. He came to the Napa Valley to help manage Howard Backen's Archetype Restaurant. After about four years, he joined the team at Fantesca Estate & Winery and worked there for seven years as an Estate Host and then Hospitality Manager, working closely with respected sommelier D. Lynn Proctor.
The first winery Jeffrey ever visited was Harlan Estate. He didn’t know much about wine at the time, but it made a significant impact. Today he’s living out his dream as the sales and hospitality lead for Vice Versa. Jeffrey is an avid skier and ice hockey player. He lives in the Napa Valley with two cats: a sister and brother named Freya and Foppa.
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