Our team
Learn more about our team members below!
Winemaking
Patrick Muran
Winemaker — hearthill vineyard & bootjack Ranch
A scientist by education, Patrick graduated with a degree in Microbiology from UC Santa Barbara. He then began his career in winemaking in the early 2000s, with stints working under venerated French winemaker, Christian Roguenant and Blackjack Winery among others. Patrick joined our team in 2000 and was eventually promoted to Winemaker in 2013. Patrick keeps busy cultivating new pursuits with his wife Heather, their 2 daughters, Kaylinn and Clare, and their Australian Shepherd, Bell. Patrick’s love of surfing has taken him all over the world and he is also an avid river rafter, backpacker and snowboarder.
Molly Bohlman
Winemaker — Jespersen Ranch
After an introduction to the world of wine during a study-abroad in the South of France Molly had the bug. She began her education at the University of Minnesota and finished it at Cal Poly with a BS in Fruit Science and a Minor in Wine & Viticulture. In the 20 years since, she has methodically worked across several functions within the industry seeking to understand sales, vineyard science and winemaking-by-doing. In 2014, Molly came to Niner after working at Paul Hobbs Wines, where she was winemaker for the Crossbarn brand. In her spare time Molly enjoys spending time outside, crafting, and enjoying food and wine with family and friends. She lives in San Luis Obispo with her husband Daniel, and son Sawyer.
HOSPITALITY
Amanda Osborne
Hospitality General Manager
Amanda graduated with a Biology degree from The University of Virginia and proceeded to travel the United States, working across a variety of roles in luxury hospitality. From Wine Education at Cakebread Cellers in Napa Valley, to Pastry Chef at Michael Richard’s Citrus in Hollywood California, to the Director of Food and Beverage at the Dream South Beach Hotel in Miami, Florida; Amanda has seen it all. The beauty (and relative quiet) of the Central Coast ultimately captured her heart and she joined Niner Wine Estates in 2021. When not at work Amanda can be seen heckling otters in Morro Bay and hunting for wabbits with her dog, Witmer.
Alicia Wooten
Wine Club Manager
Alicia has been part of the Niner Wine Estates team since the tasting room opened in 2010 and plays a vital role as Wine Club Manager. Chances are she is the voice on the other end of the phone when you call us! Alicia graduated with a Social Sciences Degree from San Jose State University, and then her Multiple Subject Credential from Chapman University. After working as a teacher, she eventually found a second career in the wine industry. Alicia lives in Paso Robles with her husband, Brad, and their two children, Jake and Hannah and enjoys spending time with her family on the weekends.
Emily Key
Events Manager
Emily graduated with a Biology degree from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. She quickly fell in love with the area and decided to call it home. After spending years in the hospitality industry as everything from a server to a Pastry Chef, Emily joined the Niner team in 2018. She now manages our private events and wedding programs, and is the person to talk to if you are planning a special event at our estate. In her free time, Emily enjoys getting the most out of Central Coast living by scuba diving, camping and walking her two dogs along the beach.
RESTAURANT
brendan collins
Executive Chef
Brendan leads our kitchen team and is to thank for the delicious, locally sourced dishes that you enjoy during your visits. He has worked at many prestigious restaurants in California, including the 2-Michelin-star restaurants, Providence in Los Angeles, and Mélisse in Santa Monica. He helped open Hinoki & The Bird and Otium, and worked as the Chef de Cuisine at Peasant’s Feast in Solvang, helping them retain their Michelin Bib Gourmand award two years in a row. Having attended Cal Poly and vacationed on the Central Coast, his love for the area is something he hopes to convey through the dishes he creates. In his free time Brendan can be found cycling, playing with his dog, reading, or enjoying a cup of joe.
Ian Nelson
Executive Sous Chef
Born in Texas and raised in Jackson Mississippi, Ian originally dabbled with theater in high school but transitioned to working in a kitchen as a part-time job and never looked back. A few years after high school, he decided to move to California and lucky for us he landed in Paso Robles. Ian has been at Niner since 2016 and his presence has been essential in developing the food and wine program into what it is today. Indeed, many of the elements of our current program are his projects, including our fresh baked focaccia and house made vinegar. In his free time Ian is dedicated to educating himself, working towards getting a Bachelor of Science degree.
SALES & marketing
Tucker Spear
Director of sales
Tucker inherited his passion for the wine industry at a very young age from his mother, who worked in international wine sales. He graduated from San Diego State University before beginning his wine career working as a sales representative for a wine distributor. He then spent ten years in both regional and national sales management positions at Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards in Healdsburg, and Fantesca in St. Helena. When he’s not traveling and spreading the word about what we’re up to at the winery, Tucker resides in San Diego with his wife Sarah, two sons Preston and Parker and their dog Kinsley.
family
richard & pam niner
founder
Richard Niner grew up as one of eight children on a farm in rural West Virginia. He spent his childhood working on the farm to provide food for his family and eventually became one of the first in his family to attend college. He graduated from Princeton and then Harvard Business School. He then began a long and respected career building small businesses across a variety of industries, from sunglasses to machine tools.
Pam Niner was born and raised in Rye, New York. She graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts and was working as a magazine editor in New York City when she met Richard. The pair married and had two children, Andy & Katy.
In the early 1990s, one of Richard’s ventures introduced him to the beauty of the Central Coast. The people here reminded him of his upbringing in West Virginia, and he saw the high potential for the area to compete with premier wine regions like Napa, which was booming at the time. This return to farming was a return to his West Virginia roots, and in his mind one of the ultimate crops to work with. He purchased his first vineyard in 2001 and the rest is history.
Andy Niner
President
After studying economics at Colby College in Maine, Andy started his career working in finance for Cambridge Associates in Boston. He then moved to California and worked as a product manager in a small sunglass company in San Luis Obispo, earned his MBA from U.C. Berkeley and spent several years working in strategic planning for Levi Strauss & Company in San Francisco.
His love for the central coast and the importance of the family business ended up being the catalyst for joining the team in 2013. Outside of work Andy bikes, climbs, wears vests in unseasonably warm weather, cooks and spends time exploring with his family, including daughter Cora (9-year old nature girl) and son Callan (2-year old wrecking ball).