# Team & Family - Grgich Hills Estate

https://grgich.com/story/team-family

> This is an about/team page produced by the winery; treat claims about roles, biographies, and organizational practices as the organization's self-presentation and cite the page when using specific wording or facts from it.

## Summary

The page presents key members of Grgich Hills Estate’s leadership and family — short biographies and roles for Violet Grgich (President & CEO), Ivo Jeramaz (Winemaker & VP of Vineyards and Production), Austin Hills (Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board), Elizabeth Barnard (Director of Global Sales), and Maja Jeramaz (Manager, Export and CA Chains) — along with heritage notes about the Croatian and Hills family crests and contact information for the estate.

## Audience

general

## Prompts this page answers

- Who are the leadership and key team members at Grgich Hills Estate?
- What is Violet Grgich's role and background at Grgich Hills Estate?
- Who is the winemaker at Grgich Hills Estate and what is his background?
- What family or heritage information is presented on Grgich Hills Estate's team page?

## Purpose

Introduce the winery's team and family heritage and provide background on key staff and founders.

## Highlights

- Violet Grgich is listed as President & CEO and joined the winery full‑time in 1988.
- Ivo Jeramaz is Winemaker & VP of Vineyards and Production with nearly four decades of experience.
- Austin Hills is a co‑founder of Grgich Hills (founded 1977) and currently Chairman of the Board.
- Elizabeth Barnard is Director of Global Sales (background: Stanford graduate, prior VP at Klinker Brick Winery).
- Maja Jeramaz is Manager, Export and CA Chains and joined after graduating UC Santa Cruz in 2015.

## How to cite

Grgich Hills Estate — https://grgich.com/story/team-family/

## Publisher

**Grgich Hills Estate** — Grgich Hills Estate winery (site footer and content identify the organization and provide contact details and certifications).

## Topics

- Grgich Hills Estate team
- Violet Grgich
- Ivo Jeramaz
- Austin Hills
- winery leadership
- Croatian heritage
- regenerative farming

## Key entities

- **Violet Grgich** (person): President & CEO; holds a BA and Master of Music; joined winery full‑time in 1988; leads adoption of regenerative farming and Regenerative Organic Certification.
- **Ivo Jeramaz** (person): Winemaker & VP of Vineyards and Production; born into a Croatian family of grape growers; nearly four decades of experience; trained at University of Zagreb and studied at UC Davis.
- **Austin Hills** (person): Co‑Founder and Chairman of the Board; founder of Hills Vineyards; background with Hills Bros. Coffee family.
- **Elizabeth Barnard** (person): Director of Global Sales; Stanford graduate; previously VP of National Sales and Marketing at Klinker Brick Winery.
- **Maja Jeramaz** (person): Manager, Export and CA Chains; joined after graduating from UC Santa Cruz in 2015; eldest child of Ivo Jeramaz.
- **Grgich Hills Estate** (organization): Napa Valley winery; page includes address, tasting room hours, certifications (Regenerative Organic Certified, USDA Organic), and contact info. — https://grgich.com/
- **Croatian Coat of Arms** (other): Mentioned as part of the winery label and heritage; celebrated with an annual festival and ties to sister winery Grgic Vina.
- **Hills Family Crest** (other): Element on the winery label representing the Hills family; described in the heritage section.