Welcome Back to Anamieke Kegge (née Mason)!
When my parents, Suzy and Jim Gullett, founded Vino Noceto almost forty years ago (read the full story behind Noceto), they knew that they cared about more than making great wine. They sought a community where winemaking, people, and history were inexorably intertwined and set down their roots in Amador County.
Over the past forty years, they’ve planted innumerable vines, and dozens of employees have passed through their doors. Today, Suzy, Jim, and Vino Noceto are ecstatic to announce the return of an employee who left us for a neighboring winery almost a decade ago.
Welcome back to Anamieke Kegge (née Mason)!
Back in 2014, Anamieke was Vino Noceto’s Wine Club and Marketing Manager. As Anamieke describes it, though, she did far more than manage club and marketing. Needed website maintenance? Anamieke was your girl. Weren’t sure how to use a new piece of software? You went to Anamieke. Looking for someone to design a handout? Yep, that was Anamieke too. She even masterminded the original label mockup for Vino Noceto’s most premium Sangiovese, AX-1, and if you haven’t heard the story behind the label, definitely ask Anamieke about it next time you stop by the Tasting Room.
After nine years at Terra D’Oro out on Shenandoah School Road, Anamieke returns as Vino Noceto’s Director of Sales and Marketing, a role known to frequently feed directly to head honcho. (Well, head honcho below to two main honchos, Jim and Suzy!)
Like Winemaker Rusty Folena and Tasting Room Manager Garrett Linker, Anamieke grew up in Amador County, and her family’s connection to Amador County dates back even further than that of us Gulletts. The Masons’ rich history in the area spans generations.
Anamieke’s paternal grandfather, Doc Mason, arrived in Amador in the 1950s and managed one of the original Spanish land grants in Ione, the Arroyo Seco, which means dry stream in Spanish. (Fun Fact: Arroyo Seco’s owner C.S. Howard also owned the famed racehorse Seabiscuit.) On the maternal side, Anamieke’s mother comes from a line of dairy farmers who emigrated from Holland in 1946 before eventually settling in Oakdale. And after meeting at Modesto Junior College and moving on to UC Davis together, Anamieke’s parents settled in Amador and started their family.
From her three younger brothers to her many aunts and uncles, Anamieke’s family embodies Amador County spirit. I still remember riding the bus with one of her younger brothers, Douwe, and just like Anamieke, he filled the otherwise dull and overlong ride with joy, jokes, and smiles. The lives of the Gullett and Mason families have been intertwined for decades, and one could argue that Anamieke grew up alongside Vino Noceto.
Noceto’s first vines were planted when Anamieke was only one year old. Winemaker Rusty Folena’s mother-in-law was Anamieke’s Elementary School aid. And Anamieke was a classmate of my older brother, Bobby. She remembers that childhood version of Bobby fondly.
“Bobby was just always the class clown. He was always so nice, and he was somebody who’d never be stuck up or ignore you. Bobby and I were always friends. He kinda reminds me of my middle brother Douwe. They’re social goofballs.”
While Bobby isn’t quite the goofball that he was as a child, he’s still every bit as kind, and I know how excited he is to have Anamieke joining the family business.
Like many Amador County kids, Anamieke left the area for college, but after attending Chico State and enjoying a brief out-of-state stint while her husband was stationed in El Paso, Anamieke couldn’t wait to return to Amador County, her family, and wine.
As she puts it, “I love Amador County. The community. The history. I love all of the ranching and farming families and the ties that run generations deep. One of my favorite stories to tell customers is that I wasn’t all that old when your parents started this winery. I was competing on horses, and I wrote your parents a thank you letter. It was addressed: Dear Mr. Noceto.”
Of course, she now laughs at herself and knows quite well that there are no Mr. Nocetos on site. But there are quite a few Gulletts.
Just like her return to Amador, Anamieke feels like coming back to work for Suzy and Jim is like returning home. She says, “I’ve always really loved Jim and Suzy. The community vibes here and the community connections run really strong … Vino Noceto has those ties to Amador’s people and history. Plus, Rusty [Folena] makes the best wines in the county, and you can’t argue that.”
And Anamieke really does love wine. At the end of a long weekend, she’ll bring home a bottle of Marmellata and sip it on the back porch with her brothers and dad. That said, she does recommend sticking to wine glasses for your wine sipping. She once purchased a set of Austrian glass goblets to get into character when watching Outlander but found that the wide-rimmed, open shape of a goblet doesn’t properly trap the scent of Burgundy or Bordeaux.
As our conversation meandered back to Noceto, Anamieke went on to explain how much she enjoys working with my parents. She reminisced about afternoons spent nerding out over books and pouring over data and analytics with Suzy. (Data and analytics really are fun. I swear!) Anamieke loves the way that Suzy and Jim play off each other like yin and yang. As Anamieke explains it, Suzy lives for the details, always working from the bottom up, and then when it’s time to think big picture, Anamieke knows that Jim’s the Gullett to chat with over a glass of brandy. (Jim’s a brandy man.)
Anamieke’s been back at Noceto since October, and I can already see the impact that she’s having on Noceto’s team. The Tasting Room feels all that bit brighter, and everyone’s a little more excited. We all feel the potential for something more, yet confidence remains that our history and tradition will not be forgotten.
When I asked Anamieke about her plans for the future, she shared some ambitious ideas that got my heart racing and my stomach growling.
“I’d love to see the gorgeous venue space of the pavilion to be used for corporate retreats, weddings, and events. I’d like to bring back some really signature dinners. I’ve got some plans for a high-end dinner in the orchard. I just want to get people back up here to the county to enjoy the incredible events, region, and wines.”
As for me? I simply hope that Anamieke’s dinners feature her famous soups. She’s quite the genie in the kitchen.
Anamieke’s joy and optimism is absolutely contagious. Next time you’re in the valley, run (or walk) to say hello to Anamieke. The whole Gullett Family is unbelievably honored to have her. And I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
If you want to say hi to Anamieke, you can reach her at anamieke@noceto.com, (209) 286-7840 (text), or (209) 245-6556 (phone).
Arrivederci and Cin, Cin from Noceto!