People Behind the Wine

Edward Kerwin

Owner/General Manager

Ed graduated in 1970 and was hired out of college by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston, Texas. After two years at NASA, he returned to studying history, and while working at Princeton University, obtained a MS in the history of science. Ed then embarked on a career in medicine and attended the University of Colorado Medical School in Denver. Ed’s wife, Karen, also has a diverse educational background, having studied languages in Tours, France, Viareggio, Italy, and Salzburg, Austria. She completed her B.S. degree in Biochemistry at the University of California, Davis, and later obtained her Master’s Degree in Genetic Counseling at the University of Colorado. After years of academic studies, the Kerwin family moved to Medford and Jackson County Oregon in 1993. They have four children.

Rob Folin

Winemaker

Winemaker Rob Folin, doesn’t have a fancy Enology degree, he drives a souped up pick-up truck, and is proud of his military background, you could say he is a little “Rogue.” While he may not be your stereotypical winemaker, Folin has consistently produced standout wines with depth, character and elegance since 2005. In 2002 Folin took an internship at Domaine Serene winery in Dayton, Oregon. His strong work ethic, forklift driving skills and innate ability to help wherever help was needed earned him a permanent position within the company. Rob moved his way through the ranks, learning much about the winemaking process, earning himself the title of Cellar Master. “There are no shortcuts to making good wine and I won’t release a wine that’s not up to my standards,” Rob says. “If my name goes on the bottle, you know that I’m 100 percent proud of what’s inside.”

Michelle Lake

Director of Operations

Michelle has been with Belle Fiore since the beginning in 2013. She was born and raised in the small town of Burns, OR and later graduated from Western Oregon University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies and Business. After moving to Southern Oregon, she quickly fell in love with everything it had to offer. The landscape, the people, and of course the wine. “Since moving to Southern Oregon my appreciation for wine has grown tremendously. From the vineyard to the tasting room and everything in between, the wine industry is something special.” When she is not at the winery she enjoys spending time with her husband Tyler, their children Carter and Carson.

Sonia Meisenhelder

Wine Club Manager

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Sonia graduated from Whittier College with a BA in Business Administration. After college she took some time to travel the world where she fell in love with culture, food and of course, wine! Soon after returning from her travels, she took a full-time position in the San Diego wine industry, where she also happened to fall in love with the local winemaker. In 2017 they moved to Ashland, where Sonia continued to work and expand her knowledge of the Southern Oregon wine scene. Today you can find Sonia walking the hallways as the new Wine Club Manager, and when she isn’t at work you can find her traveling the world, enjoying outdoor activities with her black lab, or spending time with her loved ones over a glass of wine!

Jamie Taylor

Hospitality Director

Bio Coming Soon!

Danny Hernandez

Events Manager

Danny is a Southern California native born and raised in the city of El Monte, California. Danny graduated from Southern Oregon University with a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management. His background in events began in 2013 in the Los Angeles County before moving to Ashland in 2015 where he quickly adapted to lead events in college as the Director of EPIC (event planning involvement committee). After graduating in 2020, Danny joined the Belle Fiore team working in various departments before taking the position of Event Manager. His dedicated attention to detail is what drives Danny. “Being able to explore your creative vision and seeing an idea be turned into reality, from concept to execution, is the highlight of working events.” When he is not at the winery, he enjoys exploring Southern Oregon, traveling, and spending time with his nieces and nephews.

Jeff Hunt

Executive Chef

Jeff Hunt was born and raised in in San Diego Ca. and as a kid spent every possible moment at the beach. After high school Jeff received a culinary arts degree from Mesa college. In 2009 Jeff moved up to Ashland to take care of his mother, who passed away from breast cancer in 2020. Although he still misses the ocean, he fell in love with Ashland and its food culture, diving into the scene headfirst. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing guitar, exploring outdoors, trips to the coast, and lake days with friends. Jeff holds one culinary term very close to the heart, “soigne” which is a French term for elegance, “ It motivates me to never stop trying to achieve perfection, each day we have on this earth is another opportunity to make yourself better.”

Welcome to Belle Fiore

All our staff, as well as the Kerwin family, welcome you to Belle Fiore Winery, Estate and Vineyards.

In school, the Kerwin children followed educational principles that adopted the motto “Head, Heart, and Hands Together.”

The “head” celebrates the process of thinking and learning.

The “heart” memorializes caring and putting your love and thoughtfulness into your work.

Finally, the “hands” endorses being creative and artistic in the crafts you do manually.

At Belle Fiore Winery, we keep all these alive in the wines we make.

Sincerely,

The Kerwin Family

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