Our Staff

Nicolaus (“Nicky”) Hahn

Nicolaus Hahn's commitment to Monterey's wines and his vision of their potential began 30 years ago when his adventurous spirit brought him to the area in search of world-class vineyard properties. His original investment and continued support was climaxed by a three-year revitalization program through 2004, which brought the winery and its Hahn Winery and Smith & Hook brands international acclaim. Nicky, a Swiss citizen, grew up in both the U.S. and in Europe. He studied economics, starting his professional career as an arbitrageur in Paris. He also worked as a credit analyst in New York and for years was based in London as the chairman for a leading international computer software company. Nicky and his wife Gaby now divide their time between their homes in Monterey and Zurich and their 45,000 acre wildlife preserve in Africa where Nicky works on saving wildlife and strengthening the economy.
Anthony Baldini, President

As president of Hahn Family Wines and Hahn Estates, Tony Baldini brings decades of wine industry experience. Tony was raised on one of Napa Valley’s premier luxury estate vineyards and later earned a BA in Economics from the University of California at Davis and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley, Haas School of Business. Prior to Hahn, Tony managed luxury brands for Constellation Wines and Jackson Family Wines as well as the entire range of US and export wines at Don Sebastiani & Sons. Tony, his wife Caroline and their two children moved to reside in Napa.
Paul Clifton, Director of Winemaking

Paul Clifton joined the Hahn Estate team in 2003, after finishing a postgraduate degree in Viticulture/Enology in New Zealand. In 1996, he left a career in firefighting to become a winemaker, a hobby of his until then. Paul built a solid foundation in the industry, starting out in the cellars of Bernardus Winery in Carmel Valley, then moving to Byington Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains as assistant winemaker. As a native of the Monterey Bay, his passions lie in the beauty of the area, its potential for excellence in winegrowing, and the people he works with. His favorite wine varietal is Pinot Noir.
Greg Freeman, Winemaker

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Greg received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Chemistry from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1989. Since then, he has embarked on a myriad of careers, including a stint in a nuclear chemistry lab, bartending in New Orleans, commercial fishing in Alaska and several years in a traveling African band. He landed here at Hahn Estate in July of 2003 working as a lab technician. He has since then become Assistant Winemaker, and now oversees all of our off-site wine production, as well as maintaining a personal connection with all of our contracted winery partners. Greg considers working at Hahn Estate to be his dream job, and plans on being here for many years to come. In his spare time, Greg enjoys spending time with his family, playing soccer, and landscaping in his yard. On a good day here you may catch him playing bagpipes in our beautiful hilltop vineyards.
Brian Overhauser, Director Culinary Sales

Twenty years ago while travelling in France; Chef Overhauser’s dream began to take shape. He fell in love with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Then he earned his culinary degree at the Ritz Escoffier Ecole de Gastronomie in Paris. To further his education he trained at London’s Institute of Masters of Wine. Today his career spans more than two decades as he draws upon his vast experience as a restaurateur, chef and wine professional. His time in kitchens, at the front of the house, in tasting rooms and wineries has given him a unique and insightful approach to the pairing of food and wine, as well as pleasing palates. Chef Overhauser applies all that he has absorbed in his travels into his cuisine. Known for his keen focus on seeking local, fresh and sustainable ingredients, he has a knack for creating innovative foods that complement the wines featured on his seasonal pairing menus. In addition to his current duties as Director of Culinary Wine Sales at Hahn Estate Chef Overhauser is spearheading the development of the first integrated wine tasting and culinary facility in the Santa Lucia Highlands, dubbed “Chef’s Kitchen”.
Joshua Cairns, Director of Marketing

Having been with Hahn Family Wines for the last 10 years, Joshua has learned a great deal while serving in various capacities including direct-to-consumer, e-commerce and website manager. As Director of Marketing, he manages all trade and consumer marketing initiatives for the company’s nine wine brands, including Hahn Estate and Cycles Gladiator. He oversees Hahn’s marketing team in crafting regional and national marketing campaigns which blend the more than 30 years of Hahn Estate’s wine making expertise with cutting-edge consumer and industry technology. Born in Connecticut, his family eventually settled in Napa where he grew up before heading to UC Berkeley for a BA in Classical History. He currently resides in Albany, CA with his wife and can likely be found exploring the various restaurants of San Francisco.
Andy Mitchell, Director of Viticulture

One of the key elements of award winning wines is the grapes and the grapes from Hahn Estate Vineyards are amongst the best in the world thanks to the dedication and diligence of Andy Mitchell. Andy joined Hahn Estate in 1998 with a goal to take our vineyards to a world class level. With over 23 years of viticulture experience and a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, he has managed accomplish that goal. He spent the past several years changing the vineyard varietals to fit the local terroir, from Bordeaux to Burgundy and Rhone grapes. In addition to his work within the vineyards, Andy is also the liaison for all grower relations with various vintner organizations. He and his wife Benita have two grown sons, and in his spare time he enjoys playing tennis, camping and photography. His favorite wine varietal happens to be whatever is in the glass in front of him.
Robert Gonzales, Vineyard Manager

Vineyard Manager Robert Gonzales has worked at Hahn Estate for the last 23 years. In 1990, Robert was hired as a mechanic in the shop. He was later recruited to help run the vineyard program. He has since taken several viticulture courses at UC Davis and was promoted in 2007 to Vineyard Manager. Robert is constantly focused on the critical task of growing quality grapes for the Hahn Winery label. He has succeeded in not only doing that, but in fully realizing the difference it makes in the wine. His greatest pleasure at work now comes from spreading his knowledge directly to the people he manages.
Rebecca Clifton, Cellar Master / Enologist