Niki Wente joined the Wente Family Estates Vineyard Operations team in early 2017. She follows in the footsteps of her father, Phil Wente, who managed the vineyard land before her. For Niki, a “desk job” was never particularly appealing. A precocious student who excelled in math and science, she was a high-energy kid and always preferred to be outdoors. During her teenage years, Niki shadowed Jackie Mancuso, Wente Vineyard’s leader of vineyard operations at that time. Having a female role model in the world of viticulture, in addition to the influence of her father, greatly heightened her growing interest in the field. At just 14 years old, the self-determined Niki decided to study viticulture, with her sights set on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Niki graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Wine & Viticulture. While at school, Niki spent her summers as an intern in various wine-related roles, including Viticulture and Marketing with Wente Vineyards and Cellar Operations with Edna Valley Vineyards. Immediately following her graduation, Niki worked as a Viticulture harvest intern. Following a San Francisco stint in technology, she quickly returned to viticulture. She joined the Huneeus Vintners’ Viticulture team, working in Grower Relations and sourcing fruit from over 30 California growers (from Cazadero to American Canyon) for Flowers Vineyard and Winery, Faust, Illumination, and Quintessa. She also worked on biodynamic estate vineyard viticulture projects for Quintessa and Faust.
In her current role at Wente Family Estates, Niki oversees farming operations for roughly 3,000 acres of land. She makes critical decisions in the farming plans for over 200 blocks – in both the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco, leading the team towards improved efficiencies, specifically focusing on vine health, fruit quality, and sustainable vineyard practices. With certified sustainable vineyards through the Certified Sustainable California Winegrowing (CCSW) Alliance, Niki and her team focus on carbon sequestration, water conservation, naturally integrated pest management, minimizing chemical inputs, and reducing emissions.
