Partnership
“Pam’s first meeting with Charlie was originally by accident in regards to a misunderstanding about purchasing fruit…not a bad way to begin a winemaking relationship!”
Charlie Crocker
Owner
READ BIO +
Charlie Crocker, co-owner of Crocker & Starr and owner of the Crocker Estate, descends from one of California’s old families. His great grandfather, also Charlie Crocker, spearheaded construction of the Central Pacific railroad, completed in 1869, which began the extraordinary growth that transformed California into an economic powerhouse.
A San Francisco businessman, Charlie has had a life-long love affair with the Napa Valley as well as an enduring interest in wine. In 1971, Charlie and his wife Lucinda acquired the historic Dowdell property in St. Helena that included both vineyards and old stone buildings from the 1870s, and decided to bring it back to life. Charlie began by replanting and selling grapes, making wine for family and developing vineyards he sold to other wineries.
Desiring to complete the resurrection of the old wine estate, in 1997 Charlie established Crocker & Starr with Pam Starr whose Bordeaux-style wine he greatly admired. During his many years in business, Charlie founded, managed and grew two public technology companies. The first, BEI Technologies, specialized in high tech electronic sensors, including those developed to provide electronic stability control in automobiles. Today electronic stability control is required in every car sold in the United States. The second, BEI Medical Systems, developed sensor based proprietary medical devices for women’s health care. A few years ago, Charlie sold both companies and today he serves as director of a number of public and private companies and charitable organizations in the Bay Area.
Charlie was born in San Francisco and earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Stanford and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley. He divides his time between his home in San Francisco and the Crocker Estate in St. Helena. In the wine country, one will find him walking the vineyard, driving his 1966 Ford truck, running a tractor or enjoying a glass of Crocker & Starr wine with his family.
Pam Starr
Owner & Founding Winemaker
READ BIO +
Pam Starr has been the co-owner, manager and winemaker of Crocker & Starr since its inception in 1997 when she helped resurrect the vineyards on the Crocker Estate in St. Helena and established a winery to create world-class wines. After toiling as a winery employee for 18 years, Pam’s transformation at a relatively young age into owner, manager and winemaker was unique and remarkable. It required a special mix of skill, passion and dedication. All of which describe Pam Starr.
Pam’s love affair with winemaking began as a harvest intern for Sonoma Cutrer in Sonoma after graduating from the University of California at Davis in 1984 with a degree in Fermentation Science. Headed down a different path, the daughter of an orthopedic surgeon who was planning to go to dental school quickly switched gears. Attracted by the fast pace, the pleasures of working the land and the wine itself, Pam knew she’d found her calling. “I was simply smitten – the way one is when falling madly in love. Winemaking is mysterious, it’s sexy, it’s magical.” And it’s been her life since.
After the internship, Pam worked for Edna Valley Vineyard in San Luis Obispo stacking barrels for a season. Her dream of becoming a winemaker began to take shape. For the next six years she was an enologist and assistant winemaker for Carmenet Winery in Sonoma, a job that taught her how to run a winery from cellar to bottle. In 1991, she became the winemaker for Spottswoode Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley where she worked until she and Charlie Crocker established Crocker & Starr and she built the foundation of the business. At the same time Crocker & Starr opened its doors, Pam began wine consulting for Adastra Vineyard in the Carneros, Gemstone Vineyard in Yountville and Garric Cellars of Calistoga, among others.
Passionate about translating terroir into wine, Pam is known for her distinctive Bordeaux-style blends that express a deep sense of place. For this enthusiastic and inspired winemaker who views her job as translating soil into wine, great wine must taste of the sun, of the earth it comes from and of the place it grows.
Pam is a member of the Napa Valley Vintners, Appellation St. Helena, American Society of Enology and Viticulture, Concierge Alliance Napa Valley and Wine Entre Femme, an international consortium of women winemakers. She is married, lives in Napa and embraces mountain biking, scuba diving, water skiing, sailing, gardening and motorcycling wine roads with her husband.
Cyrus Hazzard
Partner & President
READ BIO +
Cyrus Hazzard joined Crocker & Starr Winery in April 2021 as Executive Vice President. Originally from the Bay Area, Cyrus grew up in Humboldt County and started his career with Safeway. He later moved on to Dean & Deluca in Napa Valley, where his deep love with the valley and wine took root. As the General Manager of Dean & Deluca, he had the good fortune of being mentored by a great team in the wine hall there, tasting wine several days per week. Prior to that, he was focused primarily on learning how to run a successful business: driving sales, managing costs, and cultivating a successful tight knit team. Wine became a passion and hobby, along with being the focus for his career. Cyrus moved around pursuing wine in various states and has always come back to Napa annually to visit friends.
In 2006, Cyrus met his wife and moved to the DC metro area, where he joined Total Wine & More as a Wine Manager in Northern Virginia. Rising through the ranks, he ultimately founded the Concierge Sales division, surpassing expectations and redefining success for the company. However, the dream of living and working in Napa Valley remained strong. After 12 years of building lasting relationships and driving business growth at Total Wine & More, Cyrus accepted a newly created role as Executive Vice President at Crocker & Starr Winery, dedicated to promoting, preserving, and strengthening loyalty for its wines. His leadership and contributions have been instrumental to the winery’s success, and in January 2025, Cyrus joined Pam & Charlie as a Partner and President of Crocker & Starr, shaping the future of the estate.
Cyrus has many past times, but his friends sing his praises for his culinary skills. He and his wife Andrea and happily settled into Napa and are enjoying the beauty of the valley and their friends who live nearby.
Julie Robertson
Winemaker
READ BIO +
Julie Robertson built her winemaking career in a most unique way. A fifth-generation Texan, Julie grew up near Dallas/Ft. Worth, where throughout her childhood she spent many hours working with her grandfather on his land, the EIEIO. After graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University, Julie returned to Dallas and joined a small architectural firm where she earned her architecture license. Turns out that the Architectural world can require a bit of ‘scrappiness’ to make ends meet so Julie landed a part-time job at Molto Formaggio, a gourmet wine and cheese shop. Sidetracked by the wine and cheese industry, Julie left architecture to become the manager and buyer for Molto Formaggio. Julie’s new focus became designing and curating a wine program of exquisite boutique producers to pair with cheeses from around the globe while earning her accreditation as a Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist in Wine.
In 2014, during her travels to Napa to dive deeper into what makes great wines great, Julie was invited to join the hospitality team at Ladera Vineyards. She packed her bags and set off to learn the behind-the-scenes of making great wine through selling great wine. Ever curious about the making of wine, Julie embedded herself into cellar work during the 2014 harvest at Ladera, all in her spare time of course. Napa was not enough, and New Zealand was her next adventure. Julie spent the next 3 years working in winemaking between Ladera in Napa and Elephant Hill in New Zealand. Ready to call Napa home, Julie accepted the Assistant Winemaker position with Pahlmeyer winery. Under the direction of Wine Consultant Jennifer Williams, Julie’s charge was to craft world-class wine while absorbing cellar logistics and business organization. After the sale of Pahlmeyer to Gallo, Julie accepted the Assistant Winemaker position with Kerr Cellars under the direction of Winemaker Helen Keplinger.
Julie met Pam Starr while she was working at Pahlmeyer where Pam offered wine business advice. The two re-connected in 2021 where they took up a friendship and discussed wine growth from a global perspective. In June 2022 Julie joined Crocker & Starr Winery as Winemaker.
For Julie, winemaking incorporates her passion for design, creativity, and the aesthetic value found in architecture. Wine-growing emphasizes Julie’s innateness for design working with the soil and the elements (a love she has had since childhood) and the physical nature of translating grapes into great wines. In her free time, Julie enjoys cooking, hiking, traveling, and spending time in the great outdoors with friends and family.
Ariana Penserini
Accounting Manager
READ BIO +
Ariana Penserini was born and raised in Napa. She graduated from Vintage High School and San Francisco State University. She never thought she would end up in Napa as an adult until she began her career and fell completely in love with the wine industry. After 13 years in the business, Ariana still feels lucky every day to be able to live and work in the beautiful Napa Valley. In her own words, “the life cycle of how a grape becomes a bottle of wine makes accounting in this industry so incredibly interesting and challenging.”
In her free time, Ariana spends time with her daughter and son that attend the same elementary school that she did! Together they enjoy spending time outside: hiking, camping, exploring the Bay Area and of course, Disney movies.
Juan Alvarez
Director of Hospitality & Sales
READ BIO +
Juan Alvarez, a Colombian Native, found passion in wine when he was introduced to South American wines. He studied Business Administration and since 2012, Juan developed an international career focused in the Hospitality Industry. The Alvarez family relocated to Napa Valley, which provided Juan the perfect opportunity to dive deeper, developing his passion for the Hospitality Industry in World Class Napa Valley which Juan calls, “The Filet Mignon of California.”
Creating wine lists and curating food pairings for some of the best hotels and restaurants, as a Restaurant Manager broadened his curiosity; filled with adventure he explored the wine regions of the world through wine tastings, seminars and travel. In his search, Juan found that small producers and family-owned, boutique wineries provided a large array of amazing undiscovered wine gems. As a certified Sommelier, he continues to expand his knowledge by experimenting with all wine, one of our favorite Juan quotes is: ‘wine is much more than grape juice.’
Juan joined the Crocker & Starr wine team in March of 2023, moving from the restaurant full time to the wine industry. His wife, Sierra, also works in the wine business and shares the same dreams about this passion. In their spare time, you can find them traveling in their RV, visiting family in Florida, and more importantly out and about in the beautiful wine country sharing great wines with great friends. Juan’s favorite wine is Cabernet Franc and is always on the hunt for a nice bottle of red wine inspired by creative winemakers and unique places.
Jennifer Carter
Hospitality Sales & Events Coordinator
READ BIO +
Jen was born and raised in Northern California and planned on pursuing a career in Botany, but an unexpected introduction to wine her senior year at CSU, Chico, changed her path. That initial introduction sparked a passion for all things wine. After graduation, she took a job as a distributor sales rep with Southern Wine and Spirits and thus began her adventure into the wine industry. For 13 years she honed her sales skills and broadened her wine knowledge working for wine distributors in California and Florida. In 2010, while living in Florida, an opportunity to return to beautiful Napa Valley and join iconic Araujo Estate Wines presented itself and she promptly accepted. Jen has spent the last 12 years expanding her skills and knowledge to include DTC sales, Hospitality and Fulfillment working in several top Napa Valley wineries such Morlet Family Vineyards and Fait Main Wines before landing at the exquisite and authentic Crocker & Starr Winery to assume the role of Hospitality Sales and Event Coordinator.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, traveling and spending time on her farm with her family. Jen and her wife love their chickens and share fresh eggs with the Crocker & Starr Team.
Luisa Vega
Hospitality & Sales
READ BIO +
Luisa Vega is originally from Mexico – she moved to Napa when she was 12 years old, where wine became a part of her everyday life. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s of Arts concentrate in Architecture and a minor in Spanish Literature. Luisa’s journey to Crocker & Starr began early on, as her father assisted Charlie Crocker with various estate operations throughout her childhood.
She worked for 10 years in the banking industry 7 years for Wells Fargo Bank – in different positions from customer service representative to new accounts banker to assistant operations officer – and 3 years for Sonoma Valley Bank as the Operations Officer for the Banco de Sonoma Branch. Now, Luisa and her husband own a garbage management business in Huatulco, Mexico, allowing Luisa to hone her logistics and administrative skills.
Luisa enjoys reading, going for walks, and savoring her favorite wine, 1 Post!
Carley Maierhofer
Production Enologist
READ BIO +
Carley was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, and earned a B.S. in Food Science from North Carolina State University. During her studies, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Adelaide, Australia, where her passion for wine was sparked—particularly by a captivating sparkling Shiraz. After graduating, Carley headed west along I-40 to Napa Valley, where she landed a harvest internship at Robert Craig Winery in the Howell Mountain Appellation. Her dedication and enthusiasm impressed the winemaking team, leading to a full-time position that offered cross-training in cellar work, enology, and hospitality, all while gaining a deeper appreciation for mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon.
Still eager to broaden her knowledge of the winemaking world, Carley pursued another internship in 2023 with Grove Mill Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, where she worked on the vintage harvest. She returned to Robert Craig Winery as a Cellar Enologist, bringing with her invaluable experience from both domestic and international wine regions.
In 2024, Carley took on a new challenge as Production Enologist at Crocker & Starr Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley. Crocker & Starr is renowned for producing some of Napa’s finest Cabernet Franc, and Carley is excited to master this unique and exotic grape variety.
When she’s not working in the winery, Carley enjoys exploring farmers’ markets for fresh ingredients to inspire her culinary experiments, attending live music performances, and sharing great bottles of wine with friends.
Sustainability
