Amador Cellars is a small, quality driven and family oriented business, owned and run by the Long Family. In 2000, the Longs purchased a 22 acre parcel with a 20 acre Zinfandel vineyard in Amador County, an area where they used to buy grape for making wine at home. They soon began building winery facilities, and in 2004 Amador Cellars was born. The family owned-and-operated-winery is thriving today in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.
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Larry Long
FOUNDER & OPERATIONS MANAGER
It was not his first love, but Larry eventually found winemaking and the match changed the course of his life. After graduating from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in biological science with a minor in chemistry and earning two master’s degrees – one in biochemistry from Ohio State University and the other in healthcare administration from George Washington University – Long spent 20 years as a hospital administrator, the last 13 years as the CEO of Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee, CA. After he and his wife, Linda, settled in Truckee, Long discovered the art and fun of making wine at home. “I loved the idea of taking grape and making it into wine, then enjoying the fruits of our labor. It was a great adventure for the whole family.” Long enjoyed the new hobby so much that he began taking viticulture and winemaking classes through the UC Davis Extension to fine-tune his skills. Those courses ultimately inspired him to retire early from healthcare administration in order to pursue his passion.
Email: larry@amadorcellars.com
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Linda Long
CO-FOUNDER & TASTING ROOM DIRECTOR
Linda met her future husband, Larry, while attending UC Davis. Linda raised her and Larry's three children in Truckee while running her private clinical social practice. She continued her work in Truckee during the week for about a decade while the business was being established before finally retiring in 2012. Linda is involved in many aspects of the Amador Cellars business including: managing the tasting room, planning and organizing club events, as well as coordinating weddings and private events in the newly established barn.
Email: info@amadorcellars.com
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Michael Long
WINEMAKER & VITICULTURIST
Michael discovered his passion for grape growing and winemaking as he grew up working side-by-side with his father and winemaker, Larry Long. After gaining years of experience in the field, Michael attended Fresno State University to further his formal education, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Enology. Michael values every stage of the grape growing and winemaking process, spending much of his time ensuring the vineyards and fruit produced are up to the highest of standards. He prides himself on being a so-called minimalist winemaker, intervening in the natural process only when necessary to shape the intrinsic qualities of the grapes into sensual, charismatic wines. Michael currently resides in Cameron Park, California with his wife and college sweetheart, Michelle, their son, James, and Oscar the winery dog.
Email: michael@amadorcellars.com
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Ashley Long
ASSISTANT WINEMAKER & MARKETING DIRECTOR
Ashley graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Communications and a minor in Business. Ashley, for years, would work harvests, leaving whatever country she was currently exploring, to come rescue the family during the busiest time of the year. In 2013, Ashley joined the business full-time, and has become a vital asset to many aspects of the business. She now plays many roles, including being the Assistant Winemaker, Director of Marketing and Social Media, and Outside Sales Manager, just to name a few. Ashley lives in Plymouth with her partner Wayne, and their puppy, Sammy, who is a winery dog in training.
Email: ashley@amadorcellars.com
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Justin Long
FINISH CARPENTER
Larry and Linda's oldest son is a Finish Carpenter. Justin was very involved in the vineyard establishment and construction of the winery, as well as the finish carpentry on Larry and Linda's farmhouse. You can see his amazing work when you look at the barrel room, he designed and crafted those massive wooden doors! Justin, his wife Monique, and their two sons, Leo & Vincent, and their sweet dog, Apollo, reside in Truckee.
Email: info@amadorcellars.com
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Amanda Blackmon
HOSPITALITY DIRECTOR & WINE CLUB MANAGER
Amanda joined the team in 2020, just before the first post-COVID re-opening. She has an extensive background in the hospitality industry and she has proven to be a very valuable asset to our team (and adopted family member). She is extremely knowledgeable about wine and loves to get her hands dirty with us during harvest! You can usually find her smiling face in the Tasting Room, but she also manages our wine clubs and helps Linda with booking weddings in The Barn.
Email: amanda@amadorcellars.com
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Michelle Hubbell
TASTING ROOM ASSOCIATE & SPARKLING WINE SPECIALIST
Michelle has been with us for 10 years now and we don’t know what we’d do without her! She worked full-time for us for several years, and now that she is retired, we are lucky to be able to call on her for events, other busy days, and special projects. She has a background in wine and fine foods, working for many years in her family’s specialty grocery stores. You may remember her and her family as the owners of Plaza Foods in Rancho Murieta before they sold it in 2014. Michelle loves her bubbles and heads up our sparkling wine selection process each year.
Email: info@amadorcellars.com
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Heather Ragsdale
TASTING ROOM ASSOCIATE
Heather is our newest tasting room associate, and we are so lucky to have found her! She has a long-term background in hospitality, specifically managing B&B’s. Last year she decided she’d like to get into the wine industry and we are happy she did—she fits right in and is already a wealth of knowledge! You may also run into her at Rest in Plymouth, or working an event for Yorba in Sutter Creek. We are OK sharing her…for now!
Email: info@amadorcellars.com