ABOUT SAFE HARBOR
Safe Harbor was designed for winemakers who require a safe, clean and independent facility to handle their bulk wine storage and winemaking needs. Founded in 2007 by four wine business professionals, together they chose a parcel in South Napa on Gateway Road West to open the first facility. A few years later, Safe Harbor 2.0 was opened a few blocks from the original location on Technology Way. In 2020, Safe Harbor was granted a Use Permit from the County of Napa for two additional facilities within walking distance of the other two locations.
Starting as a bulk wine storage and enhancement facility, Safe Harbor performed blending, storage, micro-oxygenation and oak stylization of clients’ wines. With Safe Harbor 2.0, white grape juice fermentation was added along with cross-flow filtration services, bottle prep and bottling via Halsey Bottling. With Safe Harbor 3.0 and 4.0 (Fall 2023) additional storage, white fermentation and bottling operations will be expanded to meet client demand.
MEET THE TEAM
Safe Harbor has experts in Winemaking, Cellar, Operations, Logistics, Compliance and Bottling. Together our team can help you with all of your Winemaking needs from concept to finished product.
JOEL GREEN
Director of Winemaking and Client Relationships
Joel was the first employee hired at Safe Harbor in 2007, shortly after graduating with a Winemaking degree from U.C. Davis. Joel focuses on client services and winemaking responsibilities and, to his credit, the first three clients of Safe Harbor are still our clients today.
Contact Joel
MARTHA RUECA-GUSTAFSSON
Director of Winery Operations
Martha is the most recent addition to Safe Harbor (2019) and to the Management Team with the duties of Director of Operation, overseeing business management, the bottling center, and client onboarding and dream fulfillment.
Contact Martha
JOSÉ FLORES
Senior Cellar Master
José is the second employee hired to the Safe Harbor team in 2007 and, as Senior Cellar Master, manages the cellar staff of twenty-two employees, nine million gallons of wine, and anything and everything that comes his way.
Contact José
JESUS FLORES
Cellar Master
Jesus earned his stripes as Cellar Master by working efficiently, intelligently and passionately with the Safe Harbor esteemed list of clients. Jesus joined the Safe Harbor Management Team in 2020 after eleven years of dedicated, hands on winemaking.
Contact Jesus
FOUNDERS
ALAN SULLIVAN
Alan founded StaVin, the first oak alternative company in the industry, to modernize the oak stylization matrix from ‘wine in oak’ to ‘oak in wine.’ Alan manages the Safe Harbor partnership’s business responsibilities along with his wife, Michelle, and continues his management duties at StaVin.
STEPHEN SULLIVAN
Stephen, a Sonoma Winemaker, collaborated with his brother, Alan, to form StaVin, and continues to lead sales for the company. Stephen is a visionary with unlimited industry relationships, and furthers client engagement and expansion of services for Safe Harbor, one client at a time.
COREY BECK
Born in Calistoga, Corey brings a wealth of winemaking experience to the partnership at Safe Harbor and is a great resource for the winemaking team. Corey is C.E.O and Chief Winemaker at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, overseeing nine brands and over fifty wines.
SCOTT MCLEOD
Scott, a student of wine and language and Co-Founder of Wine X-Ray, brings over thirty years of experience to the winemaking team at Safe Harbor. Scott’s expertise is wine quality management through winery design is part of the Safe Harbor recipe of success.
OUR PARTNERS
VinSci
VinSci is the quintessential blend of analytical chemistry and winemaking knowledge. Their exacting standards ensures accurate results and their winemaking expertise enables practical consultation.
vinsci.com
707-225-4794
Wine XRay
Since founding in 2007, WineXRay has continued to educate winemakers to the power of phenolic measurements in the production environment.
707-252-9692
StaVin
StaVin is the world’s leading supplier of the highest quality toasted oak products for wine. Family run, StaVin operates in an artisanal fashion to customize and craft winemakers’ complex flavor profiles.
stavin.com
415-331-7849
Halsey Bottling
With over 85 (combined) years of professional bottling experience and using state-of-the-art Bertolaso equipment, Halsey ensures your bottling is in the best hands possible.
707-695-1149
WHAT’S NEXT?
Safe Harbor 3.0
Arriving Fall 2022
