Our Team

Alice first ventured into the Napa Valley while studying Food Chemistry at UC Davis. She developed an interest in wine and included viticulture and enology as part of her studies.  After completing her degree, Alice pursued her career in research and development and worked in that field for several well known national brands.

David studied engineering at Cal Poly and started his working career as an industrial engineer. He always had an entrepreneurial eye and aimed to own his own business one day.

After getting married they realized the potential of real estate ownership, investment, and management. Pooling their resources, they founded their own company and worked together, starting a business that David would later grow into a successful enterprise spanning several states.

Both Alice and David have long possessed a love affair with land. After a series of acquisitions and redevelopment projects in the hills of Coombsville, they decided to create an estate where all of their dreams could be realized. In order to fulfill their vinous passion with their pledge to excellence, the Alkossers set the quality bar high with Shadybook Estate and assembled a talented team with more than 150 years of combined experience in vineyards and the wine industry. Since their first vintage release in 2010, Shadybrook Estate wines have risen to the top in local, national and international wine tasting contests.

Originally from New Orleans, LA, Kristine has a background in both wine and hospitality.  With an MBA from the College of Business and Public Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and a Bachelor of Science in Management from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University, she has worked extensively in operations, marketing, brand management and business development. 

Shortly after college, she moved to Anchorage, AK where she started her career as the Catering Sales and Convention Services Manager at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown. During that time, she was able to expand her food and wine education, culminating in the completion of the Introductory level Sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers. From there she relocated to Florida to spend time in the company’s resort division representing their portfolio of hotels and resorts on Sanibel and Captiva Islands before moving back to New Orleans to be closer to family. While in New Orleans and subsequently Tampa, FL after Hurricane Katrina, Kristine served as Director of Sales and Marketing for two different shipwreck exhibits curated by Odyssey Marine Exploration, the World leader in deep sea marine archaeology and shipwreck exploration at the time, but wine and Napa was calling.

In 2008 she made the leap and moved to Napa, opening and operating the AVIA Hotel in downtown Napa as the GM and Wine Director from 2009 to 2012. A sommelier and level 3 WSET, with a passion for building dynamic teams and brands focused on exceptional customer service and strategic innovation, Kristine and her team led the AVIA Napa to achieve recognition as one of Conde Nast’s top 200 hotels in the United States during her tenure.  Deciding it was time to follow her passion for the wine and spirits industry full time, she spent several years as the Direct-to-Consumer Portfolio Marketing Manager for a family of iconic CA wineries and luxury import brands before moving on to expand her knowledge of the spirits industry as well serving as the Marketing Director for the Bently Family of Companies to help develop and launch their new Estate Distillery.  Always up for an adventure, her next move was right into the heart of fast cars and fine wines as the Brand & Communications Director for an award-winning boutique winery and championship motorsports racing team in Petaluma, CA. 

Prior to joining our team, she was the General Manager of a boutique, family-owned winery, in St. Helena for 4 years where she completed multiple capital improvement projects, including the development of new event and entertainment spaces, two vineyard redevelopment projects, and multiple new DTC initiatives. In addition, Kristine helped develop and launch a new series of wines to replace the lost 2020 vintage due to the wildfires as well as their first vintages of sparkling wines.

Her community involvement includes being a graduate of Leadership Napa Valley and serving on the Board of the Rotary Club of Napa to volunteering as a wildlife rehabilitation volunteer for Napa Wildlife Rescue. A lover of travel and the outdoors, when she is not working, she can usually be found engaging in a range of activities from baking and gardening to fishing, but always with friends and family. 

Justin transplanted his roots to Napa in 2006, where he co-founded a concierge magazine focused on discovering and highlighting the best wineries and restaurants in Napa and Sonoma Wine Country. Immersed in the world of wine and gastronomy, Justin's journey sparked a profound passion for both. After years of working in the wine industry in multiple capacities, he developed, with his family and close family friends, their own boutique wine label, where after several years of working and studying with a fantastic team, he became the winemaker in addition to growing their clientele through his role as Director of Operations for their tasting room in Downtown Napa. 

He is now excited to bring his experience to Shadybrook Estate, to collaborate with our amazing team, and continue to build upon the tradition of excellence in hospitality, winemaking, and stewardship of the land that makes this boutique, family owned property in the highly sought after Coombsville AVA so special. 

Born and raised in Napa Valley, Isabel's interest in wine & food began early on. Now, with over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, Isabel has established herself as an individual with a keen eye for detail and a passion for creativity.

Driven by her desire to create memorable experiences that are flawlessly executed, Isabel eagerly delved into various roles expanding her already extensive toolkit. From restaurant management to winery hospitality and events management, Isabel’s background and personal style are a great addition to the Shadybrook Team.

Outside of work, Isabel enjoys exploring hidden gems in the valley and beyond, as well as traveling to gain fresh inspiration for her next event.

Ariel is a true advocate for our Wine Club Members. She excels at fostering strong relationships with our members through her genuine desire to get to know them personally, and to ensure that each interaction embodies the warmth and sense of community characteristic of the wine industry. Her authentic approach enables her to curate personalized wine selections and experiences tailored to their lifestyle which is a special skill set we know they value as much as we do.  With a keen eye for detail, Ariel skillfully manages our wine club and e-commerce operations with a commitment to flawless execution and exceptional customer service. Passionate about wine and food and known for her love of crafting unforgettable experiences for wine enthusiasts at all levels, Ariel’s close partnership with our events team has exciting plans in the works!   

Born and raised in Mendocino County, Northern California, Ariel brings a profound appreciation for the land and its bounty to her work. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys gardening, exploring the culinary delights of Napa Valley, and painting with watercolors. Ariel shares her home with her husband and a cherished menagerie of two rabbits, two cats, and one very energetic dog.

Born and raised in Napa Valley, Tara has been in the wine business for nearly 25 years with much of that time focused on accounting and project management.

Tara spent the first seventeen years of her career at a Saint Helena based winery, where her passion for learning allowed her to take on multiple roles early on. Accounting, Order Processing, Inventory Management, Global Logistics and Payroll are just some of her areas of expertise. In 2018 Tara joined Shadybrook Estate Winery as Controller and in 2022 was promoted to the position of CAO. She works closely with our GM and owners on capital improvement projects and is an instrumental part of the team that continues to build our brand with the future in mind.

Outside of work, Tara enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her beloved golden retriever. She enjoys trips to Disneyland, and anywhere she can be enjoying the sunshine and water.  

Rudy’s passion and focus on making wine for premium estate programs has never been more evident than in his role with Shadybrook Estate.  In the vineyard, he follows organic and biodynamic farming practices that naturally enhance the flavor diversity demonstrated by the vineyard’s rich tapestry of individual blocks.  Rudy’s natural approach continues in the winery where he emphasizes classic, small-lot techniques and gentle handling to craft balanced wines that embody a sense of place with elegance, purity and power.

Having almost 30 years of winemaking experience in the Napa Valley, Rudy has worked with some of the most esteemed vineyards and wineries.  While looking for someone to evaluate their new estate vineyards by vinifying small lots from the 2010 harvest, Alice and David Alkosser invited Rudy to participate in their new venture. Upon viewing the vineyards and sampling the grapes, Rudy agreed without hesitation to be the winemaker for Shadybrook Estate. 

Francisco was born to be in winemaking.  Growing up in the vineyards with his father, he has been around wine his whole life. He first met Rudy, our winemaker, when he was just a teen working in a fellow Napa winery cellar with his dad.  Discovering his love for the craft at a young age, Francisco decided to make it his career.  He traveled to New Zealand for several harvest internships to gain additional hands-on winemaking knowledge.  Upon returning to Napa, he worked as a Vineyard Supervisor, allowing him to build a strong foundation in viticulture.  He has now worked for Rudy for 10+ years, playing a crucial role in the Shadybrook Estate cellar for the last 6 years.  Outside of work, Francisco enjoys spending time with his wife, 6 mo. old son, and German shepherd.

As Shadybrook Estate’s viticulturist, Tom Prentice brings with him more than 40 years experience as an advisor in the overall management of the vines.  His technical services of agricultural land spans over 100,000 acres and countless crops throughout the US and abroad.  However, Tom’s true love is in the vineyard and his expertise has proven indispensable in all stages of the Shadybrook Estate’s vineyard care and planting programs. 

Beginning in the early 1970’s, Mario has farmed thousands of acres for some of the most prestigious wineries in Napa Valley.  Mario has consistently demonstrated a committed effort and expertise in his crucial role of ensuring that the best sustainable practices are followed for the proper care of the vineyard.  He has been associated with the Shadybrook Estate vineyard for over 20 years and has a special knowledge of our hillside Coombsville fruit.

Fermin was the very first employee hired by Alice and David when they purchased the Shadybrook Estate vineyard in 2009.  Fermin’s care for the property and vineyard was instantly noticed.  Fermin now tends to all five vineyard properties as our Ranch Manager.  His passion and day to day care of the vines can be felt in every glass of Shadybrook Estate wine that is enjoyed.