Ken Wornick

Experience

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  Bechtel

  Jan 1980 - Jan 1986

  Geologist

  Geologist advancing through entry level role into project management assignments. Projects included analyzing earthquake potential in proximity of a proposed nuclear power plant (Augusta, Georgia Power), investigating hydrologic activity near various hazardous waste sites (Buffalo, Love Canal), coal reserves assessment (Alaska, winter and summer camps, Diamond Shamrock), feasibility study for Yucca Mountain Nevada spent nuclear fuel storage site (U.S. Dept of Energy), and others.

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  Post & Trellis Vineyards

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2013

  Founder

  • Conceived, founded, and grew the first full-service suburban vineyard development operations in the Bay Area providing customized vineyard site due diligence, design, installation, annual farming, and private wine production to 45+ high-expectation Silicon Valley clients.• Installed and farmed in excess of 150 acres of vines• Supplied quality fruit to sister entity, La Honda Winery.

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  La Honda Winery

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2013

  Founder

  • Conceived and founded one of the first urban wineries on the San Francisco Peninsula• Built all phases of business operations from the inception to commercial production• Delivered 13+ vintages, and many unique wines (Lonehawk, Salinian Block, Exponent, Sequence) • Earned numerous awards, medals, and accolades from the wine press including the San Francisco Chronicle, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, etc (see link)• Sold local distribution of the La Honda company brand to Safeway, Whole Foods, BevMo, Piazza’s, and Draegers• Established profitable wine club• Established profitable event center, 85+ events per year, corporate and private• Created the 'bottle your own day', where customers bring their empty wine bottles and we clean and label and fill them for $5 per bottle• In late 2013, the company was sold to a private investor. In mid-2014, Ken completed his obligations to the firm and sold his remaining minority interest to the current principal. Show less

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  Hydeout Farms Sonoma

  Apr 2014 - Dec 2021

  Owner

  Sustainable farm on 11 acres on the border of the Sonoma Valley and Carneros wine appellations (just south of Scribe and Gundlach Bundshu wineries), growing the famously phenolic red grape variety Sagrantino (from Umbria, Italy, first bottling was 2019 ), estate micro-winery now in development. Plus chickens, olives, bees, produce, gardens, and creek restoration.

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  Sonocaia Estate Vineyard and Winery

  Dec 2022 - now

  Entrepreneur

  Based on our 11-acre Hydeout Sonoma ranch, managing our vineyard and on-site winery 'Sonocaia' Estate Reserve Sagrantino and our value-driven 'Dysfunctional Family Winery', and related agri- and eco- tourism.

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  Hydeout Sonoma, LLC

  Dec 2022 - Dec 2022

  Owner

  • Sebastiani family's Gehricke, Subterra, and 3Badge labels - managing iconic Cabernet vineyards for various family brand projects• Healdsburg, Sonoma - complete revision and reintroduction of well known brand's identity, market position, tasting room. and direct-to-consumer program• Kenwood, Sonoma - project driven by client's ownership of prestigious hillside vineyard, now fully remediated, yield and quality has returned, now producing inky deep red wine, and developing and executing a complete re-branding for client's formerly under-performing wine label• Napa, Monticello Road - managing existing Cabernet vineyard, leading development of additional vineyards, eventually building a strategy for the introduction of the estate's wines.• Lake County – 40+ acre feasibility study and re-packaging, resulting in market rate sale to acclaimed Beckstoffer Vineyards.• Bennett Valley Road - remediation, replants, grafting, and on-going management of fully organic farming operations for 10-acre Syrah and Pinot Noir vineyard for well known Glen Ellen, Sonoma brand• Sonoma Valley – Reconceiving client's existing premium brand including recovery of old vineyards, micro-winery use-permit, tasting room real estate, brand strategy, and budgets.• Sonoma Mountain – Management of mixed-varietals vineyard, custom crush winemaking, development of new brand and distribution strategy, and micro-winery design, cave, permits, and construction• Rancho Feliz – Development of new brand name and strategy, vineyard management, and winemaking for prestigious hillside Cabernet project• Carneros – preliminary soil, water, and site conditions study for vineyard development, vineyard now planted and producing, micro-winery design and event permit in process• Carneros - directing revitalized farming operations for high-density cool-climate Syrah vineyard Show less