Our ORW Family

Farming is the basis of all that we do, and I feel truly blessed to be on this path that my great-grandfather, Angelo Maggio, began in 1906. Raquel Casity

Italian heritage, Lodi Roots

Ours is a story of family, farming, and winemaking. Angelo Maggio arrived in Lodi in 1906, immigrating from the Italian coast of Genova with his wife, Louisa. The first cuttings were planted in 1928 on the property of their first ranch home, which laid the foundation for the long, winding journey that culminates in the production powerhouse that is Oak Ridge Winery. Originally built in 1934, the winery itself was once a wine-making cooperative. As multigenerational farmers, Angelo, his son Roy, and eventually his grandson Rudy, were active participants, growing grapes to supply to winemakers around the country. When the facility was placed on the market in 2002, it was Roy’s son, Rudy, who saw this as an opportunity to expand on their long history of grape growing by producing quality wines of their very own. His intentions went far beyond a desire to dust off a piece of history; the Maggio family transformed it into a state-of-the-art winery capable of meeting the quality, style, and volume demands of a growing and evolving marketplace.

Rudy’s three daughters, each wine growers in their own right, now oversee the operations at Oak Ridge Winery, with a focus on hospitality, brand building, and expansion. A multigenerational operation, their vineyards, along with those of their father’s, account for 2,500 acres throughout the Lodi American Viticultural Area (AVA).

Meet the Team

Family

Winemaking & Production

Staff

Raquel Casity

General Manager & Partner

As a fourth a generation grape grower in Lodi, California I am passionate about striving to be better than previous generations, by adopting sustainable farming practices that will preserve the vitality of our land for our future generations. Farming is the basis of all that we do, and I feel truly blessed to be on this path that my great-grandfather, Angelo Maggio, began on when he left his homestead in Italy for a better life in the USA in 1906.

Angelo Maggio planted his first vineyard in 1928, and I am sure he had his set of challenges – much of them probably haven’t changed! As farmers, we worry about weather, surpluses, diseases, balance of soil nutrients, labor, etc. There is a lot of work that goes into a successful harvest, but seeing the fruits of your labor makes the process worth it.

Running a winery poses it’s own unique set of challenges. After earning my degree in Business Administration from University of the Pacific, I returned to Oak Ridge to participate on the other side of the business. Seeing the hard work in the field manifest into products that are enjoyed across the county is inspiring, exciting, and humbling. It’s like coming full circle!

Lisa Kammerer

Hospitality Manager & Partner

I forged my own path for a long time before becoming involved with the winery. Farming was always part of my identity and livelihood, but being a registered nurse was my career. It fulfilled a desire to be helpful and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives; it seemed like a natural transition to move into hospitality at Oak Ridge after working in healthcare for so long.

Family is important to me, and there are lots of versions of it. By blood, by choice, by career – I aim to make connections in all aspects of my life. When I was a nurse, I wanted to be there for my patients. As hospitality manager, I want to make the most welcoming, familial atmosphere for our customers and my staff. It reminds me of festive holiday gatherings, of summers by the river, of afternoons with my grandchildren…it reminds me of home.

Shelly Maggio Woltkamp

Brand Ambassador & Partner

If I were to define myself by anything, it would be the responsibility I feel to live by the ideals instilled in me by past generations of our family. My father, who values honesty, hard work, and who takes you at your word. My great grandmother, who shared her cherished recipes with my mother, who in turn shared them with me. Because of them, I carry a desire to do right by others, to entertain, and to share, to this very day.

The pride I have for my heritage and Oak Ridge Winery is rooted in childhood memories I have on the vineyard. Swimming in the ditches was a fun afternoon for me and my sisters, but made extra work for our dad when we would break the irrigation berms. I became aware at a young age of the long hours and sacrifice for a farmer, and to see years of farming culminate in a product that is enjoyed in households across the country brings me great joy; it?s like an extension of our Maggio family hospitality.

As a Brand Ambassador for our wines, I aim to convey this sense of pride in where we?ve been, and excitement for where we?re going!

Rudy Maggio

Patriarch

People always want to hear a romantic story about a winery’s beginnings; I can’t say that we have that, but we have an authentic one. I am a farmer through and through – it was my identity and my trade – but transitioning to winery owner…that happened almost by accident.

My grandfather, Angelo, came from Italy to San Francisco in 1906. He stayed after the infamous 1906 earthquake and assisted in the rebuild, but eventually came out to the Stockton area. Over time, my grandfather acquired property in Lodi – on Peltier Road and Ray Road, to be exact – on my mother’s side, they farmed vineyards on DeVries Road.

We were strictly farmers up until the 1980s, when I joined the co-op at East Side Winery. But when the winery was put up for auction in 2002, I put an offer in with my partner Don Reynolds. Turns out we were the only bidders! So ready or not, we were entering the winemaking business.

It has been an exciting, insightful, and humbling journey. Over the years, we have found our stride – we aim to grow the best grapes possible, and we work with our dedicated team at the winery to produce approachable, affordable wines that people enjoy.

Laura Durham

Chief Winemaker

Laura Durham (Chadwell) joined Oak Ridge Winery in 2021 as Chief Winemaker. She is responsible for all aspects of winemaking across Oak Ridge Winery’s expansive portfolio, and her passion for winemaking and problem-solving will serve her well as she continues to expand her techniques with a focus on brand building and premium category expansion.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis and earned her Master’s in Business Administration from CSU Dominguez Hills. Born and raised in Galt, CA, Laura got her start as a harvest intern at Jessie’s Grove. She worked there while pursuing her degree and was ultimately promoted to Assistant Winemaker.

After graduating from UC Davis, she began an internship at Woodbridge Winery, working her way up to Winemaker in under two years. Her time at Woodbridge catapulted her into the corporate sphere of winemaking. She was soon promoted to New Product Development Winemaker for Constellation brands, facilitating the launch of over 80 new wine products and line extensions.

A self-described blend master and perpetual learner, Laura is happiest when she feels connected to the craft and possesses a very “hands-on” approach to winemaking. Oak Ridge Winery is excited to have her at the helm of their winemaking team, crafting premium wines representative of the diverse Lodi appellation.

Chue Her

Director of Bulk Wine

Chue has over 30 vintages under his belt and has been exerting a steady hand in shaping a distinctive winery style, focused on varietal characteristics of grapes with a sense of what he views as Lodi typicity: moderately sized, balanced, fragrant fruit qualities.

“This is Lodi’s strength – we don’t have to produce wines that sell for over $50 in order to compete with the best of other regions. We just produce the smooth, balanced style of wines that comes natural to Lodi, which I think the consumers prefer anyway.”

Bryan Casity

Production Manager

The winery’s fix-it man, Bryan oversees much of Oak Ridge Winery’s day-to-day facility operations, from bottling, to cellar, to procurement. Bryan has an extensive background in construction, having grown up learning the family trade. He has parlayed this experience into managing Oak Ridge Winery’s ten acre facility, keeping tabs on the maintenance and upkeep.

He began farming in the 1990’s with his wife Raquel, starting with a modest 20 acres of vineyards. What started as a hobby became a way of life – as their vineyards grew, so did their commitment to quality winegrowing and sustainability. Between growing grapes and overseeing production – if he doesn’t have the answer for something, he knows the person who does!

Rob Kammerer

Vineyard Management

There wouldn’t be a winery without grapes, and Rob is the man who keeps a pulse on Oak Ridge Winery’s vineyard management. With about 2,000 acres under his care, he takes the winery’s commitment to sustainability seriously and is dutifully implementing new techniques every year for a successful, bountiful harvest.

Rob has been farming for most of his life, and was driving a tractor by the time he was 10 years old. He dabbled in selling harvesters and installing drip irrigation, but these different detours always brought him back to the vineyard.

Dave Woltkamp

Logistics & Transportation

Dave is the man who keeps Oak Ridge Winery’s wine and packaged goods moving from Point A to Point B. Our connection to the outside world, his trucks are the pathways for products to hit retail shelves, and bulk wine to reach other winemakers across the state.

Dave started his own trucking business when Rudy purchased Oak Ridge Winery, transporting wine to the storage facility and for processing. He learned the farming trade from Rob for several years before branching off on his own to farm 95 acres of vineyards with his wife, Shelly, on one of the original homesteads of the Maggio family.

Dedicated Industry Professionals

The heartbeat of Oak Ridge Winery is the group of dedicated industry professionals committed to hospitality, quality, and having fun! A delicate balance of production, sales, marketing and administrative – you can spot them around our 10 acre facility, or pounding the pavement across the country. No matter the department or location, each one keeps Oak Ridge humming.

Pictured: The 2022 Top of the Vines team building event! Departments: Winemaking, Cellar, Bottling, Maintenance, Hospitality, Administration, Marketing, and Sales.