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President Brian Smith joined brother Clark as Co-owner in 1998, and now serves as Vinovation's President. He is a Systems Science Engineer (University of Pennsylvania, 1979), with extensive experience, including U.S. Navy nuclear submarine power operations and shipbuilding, nuclear utility facility engineering, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Reactor Operator License Exam conduct, and U.S. Army Chemical Weapons Disposal Program and safety management. Brian applies his skills to support the growth of Vinovation by developing documented systems and evaluating new technologies from the human aspect of machine operation and maintenance in support of safety, quality and reliability requirements. Brian oversees the daily business operations, research and development projects, business development activities as well as the operations of Oenovation International, LLC (our international sister company). E-mail Brian at BSmith@vinovation.com |
Enology
Co-owner Clark Smith left M.I.T. in 1971, and has been in the California wine industry ever since. After graduating U.C. Davis in 1983, he became the founding winemaker for the R.H. Phillips Vineyard, taking it from 3,000 cases per year to 250,000. In 1990, he began WineSmith Consulting, and in 1992, patented VA reduction and alcohol adjustment applications of reverse osmosis and, with Rick Jones, established Vinovation to commercialize them. Clark leads our efforts to support winery clients in optimum use of our technologies and to develop new tools and products to address their needs. Clark served as President of the Trellis Alliance (wine industry support group for the Dept of Vit & Eno at Davis), instructs at Napa Valley College, U.C. Davis Extension, Fresno State University and Missouri State University on Wine Chemistry Fundamentals, serves as a wine judge, and regularly contributes technical articles to trade periodicals and scientific journals. His research contributions to winemaking include night harvesting, strategies to minimize sulfites, control of Brettanomyces, cork aroma taint, and vineyard effects on wine quality. Clark is also the winemaker for Grapecraft Wines. Clark can be reached at CSmith@vinovation.com
Research enologist and MicroOxygenation consultant Galina Seabrook was born in Bulgaria and graduated in 1987 from the Higher Institute of Food Industry in Plovdiv, with a Bachelor's Degree in Winemaking and Spirits Production, adding to this a Diploma in Business Management in 1996. Winemaker for nine years at Vinex-Preslav, she also served as Consultant Winemaker for Lovico-Suhindol for the 1996 crush. From 1996 to 1998, Galina worked in the Australian wine districts of the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, and assisted WineNet-Australia in the Mornington Peninsula area. After coming to America, Galina served as Assistant Winemaker at the Edmeades Estate and managed Kendall-Jackson's DeBaun facility. She joined our Vinovation team in January of 2000 and leads Oenodev USA, the innovative inventor of microxygenation and manufacturer of top quality oak chips. Galina receives her e-mail at galina@vinovation.com
Services at our Facility
Cellar Manager and winemaker Damon Dudley is a native of Napa. He worked at Napa's St. Clement Winery for 5 years before becoming Assistant Winemaker at Stonehill Winery in Missouri for 6 years. He joined Vinovation in 2006.
Tom Milligan and Petar Kirilov share responsibilities for our growing Custom Winemaking Services division, providing custom crush clients with valuable experience and expertise, along with a gateway to Vinovation's proprietary services.
Winemaker Tom Milligan is a local with extensive experience in Sonoma County. Tom's experience includes long stints at Frei Brothers, Clos du Bois, and La Crema before becoming the winemaker for several years at Fieldstone Winery in Alexander Valley. Tom was educated at Sonoma State University and UC Davis. Tom joined us in 2006.
Winemaker Petar Kirilov was born in Bulgaria and graduated in 2002 from the University Of Food Technologies with a Master of Beverage Technolgy degree with a specialization in wine,beer,spirits and soft drinks. He was a Beverage technologist in the Bulgarian spirits company Bonidex Ltd. and after this with Nova Trade Co.Ltd where he managed tecnology and quality control. From 2003 to 2004 Petar put his education to work at Truchard Vineyards in Napa Valley. He joined the Vinovation team in 2005.
Original Equipment Manufacture
As the company’s OEM Design Director, Tom Clyatt is responsible for the design and building of the systems used by Vinovation to perform our processes. He graduated from the California Maritime Academy in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering Technology, and has worked with automation systems ever since. When he teamed up with Vinovation in 1995, he immediately got to work helping to refine and further upgrade the company’s reverse osmosis machines being offered for sale to clients. Tom performs his duties both from Vinovation’s Sebastopol facility, as well as from his satellite facility in Mt. Shasta, California, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Technical concerns in regard to the machines can be addressed to Tom Clyatt at tclyatt@vinovation.com
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Vinovation, Inc
ph:(707) 824-7900
• fax:(707) 824-7905 • email: info@vinovation.com
facility:
1446 Industrial Ave, Sebastopol, CA 95472