David Duncan

The Path

In wine leadership, continuity is a craft of its own. David Duncan’s early appointment as president and CEO at Silver Oak Cellars marked the start of a long period of stewardship, not a brief administrative stop. Since 2002, he has been chairman and CEO of Silver Oak Cellars, and he is also proprietor and chairman/CEO of Twomey. Those roles point to a career built around sustained responsibility for a small number of labels, with the work centered on keeping a house’s identity intact over time rather than chasing constant reinvention.

The Work Today

Operational discipline shows up in the way a wine business describes itself. David has put that plainly: “We just make our wine.” It is a concise statement of scope, with no custom crush model and no attempt to widen the frame beyond the wines themselves. Read together, the lines describe an operation that has been adjusted for scale without changing its core purpose. The language is direct because the underlying job is direct: keep the program steady, maintain the brand’s identity, and make room for growth without losing control of the work.

Signature

The signature wines tied to David Duncan are Silver Oak 2016 Cabernet, Twomey Sauvignon Blanc, and Timeless. Taken as a set, they show a portfolio organized around continuity: Silver Oak as the central reference point, Twomey as part of the same operating sensibility, and Timeless as a label that signals durability. The emphasis is on recognizable wines carried by a stable house style, with each name reinforcing the same managerial approach—few moving parts, clear identity, and a long view.

In Their Words “We don't do any custom crush or anything like that. We just make our wine.”

Acclaim

In this record, recognition takes the form of executive authority held over time. The progression from president and CEO at Silver Oak Cellars to chairman and CEO since 2002, along with his role as proprietor and chairman/CEO of Twomey, is the relevant measure. That kind of tenure signals trust in the person guiding the business, and it places the emphasis on governance, continuity, and the ability to keep a wine house moving in one direction over many years.