Spencer Kelly

Before Spencer Kelly became winemaker at Vice Versa Wines in Calistoga, Napa, in 2024, his path was already shaped by study and hands-on work in the places that define winemaking. Food Science at the University of British Columbia and Enology and Viticulture at California State University, Fresno gave him a technical base that supported the practical demands of the craft. His career moved through Napa Valley and British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, joining formal training with repeated cellar and vineyard experience. Kelly began at Colgin Cellars in Napa, California, where he worked as a winemaking team member in a production environment that depended on precision and collaboration. He then took on more specialized field and cellar responsibilities as enologist and viticulture technician at Seavey Vineyard in Napa Valley, California, and at Stagecoach Vineyard in Napa Valley, California. These roles required close attention to both cellar process and vineyard conditions, strengthening the connection between vineyard decisions and finished wine. That progression led to his role as winemaker at Eisele Vineyard in Napa Valley, California until 2023. The move from team member to technician to winemaker marked a career built through accumulated practice, with each step deepening his understanding of how careful work in the vineyard and cellar shapes the wine. In 2023 and 2024, Kelly expanded his scope further as winemaker and general manager at Checkmate Artisanal Winery in Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. That position added operational responsibility to the technical work of winemaking and reflected the growing trust placed in him. Since 2024, Kelly has been the resident day-to-day winemaker at Vice Versa Wines in Calistoga, Napa, United States. His role there keeps him closely tied to the work itself, with direct attention to fruit, vineyard conditions, and cellar decisions. The position reflects a working method grounded in consistency, responsiveness, and close contact with the material. Across his career, Kelly has been defined by exacting attention to detail in both vineyard and cellar, and by a steady progression through roles that increased in responsibility while staying rooted in practical winemaking. His career can be traced through a sequence of technical work: study, cellar discipline, vineyard attention, leadership, and daily stewardship. From his education to his current position, Spencer Kelly’s path shows a professional ascent built on sustained practice and earned trust.