Tessa is a 5th generation Martinelli and grew up on the family’s Bondi Home Ranch vineyard in Sebastopol. Growing up with both sides of her family in the wine business, she had a passion for the industry from a young age and knew that is what she wanted to study. She received a BS in Wine and Viticulture and a minor in Agribusiness from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and while there, she studied abroad at Switzerland’s Engineering School of Enology at Changins (EIC) in Lausanne.

Upon graduation she worked as a cellar harvest intern making wine at a small winery in Healdsburg. Since then, Tessa has worked for wineries in both Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Valley, growing her experience in business, marketing, wine club management, tasting room management, events, hospitality and more.

In January 2020 she joined the family business and is thrilled to be back to her roots working in Russian River Valley, as the Estate Director of Martinelli Winery and Vineyards. The Martinelli family owns and farms 475 acres of vineyards throughout Sonoma County, selling the majority of that fruit to other wineries, while keeping about 15% for their own production.Tessa lives in Sebastopol, CA, with her husband and two young children.

Tessa is a panelist for The Legacy Generational Library Tasting - Know Your Winemaker Seminar on Friday, March 1, at 9:30am.