People

Andrew Vingiello, Winemaker

Andrew Vingiello is one of the Bay Area’s leading winemakers. He was the force and skill behind A.P. Vin, the cult Pinot-oriented winery that lit up San Francisco’s wine scene for 15 years.

A.P. Vin’s stream of scores and accolades underlines his widely-recognized calibre. They averaged over 92 points for 10 years of consecutive scores from Wine Spectator, while also averaging over 93 points in all his scores from Robert Parker – an incredible run of consistent success and justified acclaim.

Andrew now lives with his wife and daughter in Portola Valley, in the heart of our collection of vineyards. He is excitedly bringing his famed passion and full-time focus to handcrafting La Honda’s wines in the quest for years more delight for a growing community of fans.

Thayer Dunwoody, Head Vineyard Manager

Thayer is a native of the Santa Cruz Mountains who holds a degree in Horticulture and Viticulture from Washington State University. He continues to hone his craft with continual research, meticulous observation and the help of his 3 highly skilled vineyard teams.

Thayer has been leading vineyard crews since 2011, with responsibility for all facets of vineyard management from pruning through to harvest, including protocols for pest, disease, nutrient and water management and all deepened by working as the Head Vineyard Manager of our 100+ private estate vineyards since 2016.

When not in the vineyards, Thayer can be found enjoying life with his wife and son, often in his family orchard nurturing over 50 varieties of specialty fruit trees.

Lise Sutherland, Events Director

Lise is our ace Events leader. Since graduating from St Francis Xavier, part of the ‘Maple League’ in Canada, she has lived and worked in Mexico, Cayman Islands, New York, Connecticut and Washington DC before coming to her senses here in the Bay Area.

She has led several successful teams, including those marketing and hosting events for Ritz-Carlton and the Washington Nationals stadium.

Lise brings her considerable skill to helping Bay Area folks consider their options and realize their goals for a wide range of events, while also leading La Honda’s teams to coordinate and host the very best events possible.

When not working with event planners, Lise loves exploring all that the Bay Area has to offer with just the occasional glass of wine.

Cathy La Mar, Event Manager

Cathy is a big part of the sunshine at the winery who oversees the booked events, working with event clients to anticipate and handle the details involved in a truly successful event. She also coordinates the fantastic team of Event Hosts who manage the bar and get the party started.

Cathy used to work for Franklin Templeton Investments and Autodesk. Once her kids arrived she switched to teaching aerobics, assisting personal clients and volunteering. While one kid is off at college, the other is still around for now and Cathy’s cherishing their time together.

When Cathy is not at the winery, you’ll find her swimming, running or decorating something with too much glitter.

Danielle Dubois, Operations Manager