Andrew Holloway

It was a chance encounter with Koerner Rombauer that brought Andrew Holloway to Napa Valley—and into the wine business.

Andrew was born and raised in Oklahoma into a family of restauranters who instilled in him a love of food and wine. But at the University of Oklahoma, Andrew worked toward a bachelor’s in Microbiology, with the intention of attending medical school after graduation.
Late in his senior year, however, he had a change of heart, deciding he’d rather forge a career from his most passionate interests, food and wine. However Andrew wasn’t sure how to merge these passions with his background in science.

Enter Koerner, who happened to be conducting a wine dinner at one of the Holloway family’s Oklahoma restaurants. They were tasting through wines at the bar, talking about life and work, and Koerner invited Andrew to work a harvest at Rombauer Vineyards. A few short months later and Andrew’s fate was sealed. “I realized that winemaking was the perfect merging of science with my true passions.”

After two harvests at Rombauer, with stints in between helping to manage his parents’ business, Andrew spent a harvest in New Zealand to broaden his experience. He returned to Rombauer in 2012 to take a full-time position as a cellar worker.

In 2014—while still at Rombauer—he took a harvest assignment in Tasmania, where he had the opportunity to work with cool-climate varieties and sparkling wines. Upon his return, he was promoted to Assistant Winemaker. Thanks to years of experience and knowledge of winemaking, Andrew is now the Associate Winemaker for Rombauer Vineyards.

Married to his high school sweetheart, Andrew is happily settled in Napa Valley, where his family visits “at least” several times a year. His mother is one of Andrew’s— and Rombauer’s—biggest supporters. In fact, she recently retired the dressage horse she had fittingly named Rombauer.