Daryl Groom
Winemaker and CEO
Foggy Bridge Winery
Daryl Groom directs winemaking and operations for Foggy Bridge Winery. A native of Adelaide, Australia, he has over twenty years of winemaking experience and enjoys tremendous respect among his peers in the wine industry. He has held winemaker positions at Australian wineries Peter Lehmann and Penfolds, and at Beam Wine Estates in the U.S. At Penfolds, Daryl was senior white and then senior red winemaker. There he was responsible for the reds of Penfolds, most notably Grange Hermitage.
In 1989 Groom immigrated to the Napa Valley and took over at Alexander Valley's Geyser Peak, turning a troubled winery into a world-class producer. During his tenure, Geyser Peak Winery and Groom were awarded more than two-dozen "Winery of the Year" or "Winemaker of the Year" honors by a host of national and international organizations.
In 2003, Groom's responsibilities expanded to include winemaking at Wild Horse. Subsequently, Groom's role expanded again in August, 2005, to include Clos du Bois, Gary Farrell, Buena Vista Carneros, and Atlas Peak and William Hill wineries.
Daryl holds a degree in oenology from Australia's Roseworthy College. His reputation as a winemaker has led to many invitations to judge and lecture at international wine competitions. He has been a guest speaker on the Queen Mary II and Seabourne Cruise Line and has been a repeat guest and wine critic on E television.
"San Francisco from bay to buildings was a study in gray Sunday morning when the USS Potomac docked at Pier E, next to the San Francisco Ferry Building... an elegant brunch on the bay catered by the Left Bank and with wines from California wineries such as Buena Vista, Wild Horse and Wattle Creek..."
-- Marin Independent Journal