Morgaen Hoxsey Pickett knew that growing up in Napa Valley was special, but she didn’t realize just how idyllic it was until she left home. “For so many years it was all I knew, but when I got out into the world, I realized what a paradise this valley really is.”

Passionate about food and wine, Morgaen earned her degree at the University of Denver in business and hospitality management. She was particularly drawn to the restaurant industry, and moved to Manhattan to take a job with the well-known Hillstone Restaurant Group, which operates over forty restaurants in the U.S. She stayed with the organization for five years as a restaurant manager, working in Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Pasadena. Eventually she also served as Wine Director for eight of the company’s properties. “Hillstone has such high standards and it was an excellent place to gain experience in the wine industry. My time as a wine buyer made the transition to sales much smoother; I understand both perspectives.”

In 2015, as her family’s wine brands – Ghost Block, Elizabeth Rose and Oakville Winery - continued to grow, Morgaen returned to Napa Valley in the role of National Sales Manager. A self-described ‘people person’ who travels extensively, Morgaen is also actively involved in the custom crush side of her family’s business, interacting with Napa Wine Company clients and working on special projects. The opportunity to work closely with her sister, Kendall, and her father, Andy, however, gives her role at the company special meaning. “As the fifth generation, Kendall and I are determined to uphold our family’s legacy and to continue what my Dad started when he founded Napa Wine Company over twenty-five years ago.”