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Sans Wine Co. was born on a drive through Guerneville in Northern California’s Russian River area in the late summer of 2015. Realizing there was no premium, naturally made canned wines available anywhere, Gina Schober convinced her then boyfriend, Jake Stover, that producing canned wines was not an absolutely insane idea.

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Gina Schober, Co-Founder & CEO

You could say that wine is in Gina Schober’s DNA. Her maternal Grandfather was a grape grower in Lake County for several decades while her paternal Grandfather was a Gallo Wines sales rep in the 1960s. Genetically predisposed, it was her restaurant experience that truly sparked her passion. The hospitality industry is where she was introduced to a breadth of different wines and fell for her first sips of a Nebbiolo from the Gattinara DOCG, Marsannay Rosé and a Cote de Brouilly Cru Beaujolais. She was inspired to learn as much as she could about the wine world and found that she relished the opportunity to acquaint customers with new wines, suggesting bottles that similarly opened eyes, dropped jaws and brightened moments. Deriving great joy in connecting people with new flavors and pairings, she went on to focus her career on creating uplifting wine experiences.

Encouraging beginning wine aficionados to try everything and anything, and go beyond the label, Gina runs this business to do just that. Sans Wine Co is built on not just promoting environmentally conscious natural wines, but on tipping a hat to the people behind the product. Transparency in the process, giving credit to organically focused growers, and making wines that showcase vineyard site and terroir, vintage and grape varietal. Ultimately crafting wines without unnecessary chemicals, additives or oak — allowing pure ingredients and the work behind them to shine. 

Excited about what the future holds, Gina is grateful that her enthusiasm for wine has created both a business and a catalyst for others to join the industry. As the brand grows, she is eager to expand: building out the team, giving more farmers, makers, and all the roles in between, the opportunity to be recognized and honored with the acknowledgement they all deserve.

Jake Stover, Co-Founder & Director of Winemaking

Without creativity, emotion and personalization, science exists as a complex field of study and collection of important facts. But when you pair it with artistry, applying methodology and discipline to self-expression, that is where the sphere of winemaking stands. Great wine has the capacity to evoke a gut reaction, an instinctual response that only art has, and while science may inform the actions, it is taste, personality and aesthetic that crafts the finished product. Nestled between the crossroads of technique and imagination is where Jake Stover found his love for wine. 

Relying on natural flavors, native yeasts and the wild process of fermentation, Jake’s philosophy when it comes to winemaking is, “Sans additives, Sans Chemicals, Sans Pretense…” Committed to “beyond organic” wine growing, he ensures the vineyards he oversees use absolutely no sprays and follows dry-farming in lieu of unnecessary irrigation systems; conserving water, reducing energy consumption and enhancing the flavor of the fruit. This passion for natural wine makes Jake a keen observer and supporter of mother nature, allowing the grapes to tell their own story. 

Believing wine, like art, is entirely subjective, he encourages the wine curious to fearlessly taste everything. Look beyond the varietal at the growers and producers, find people whose work inspires your palate, and sample through their lineup. With an affinity for all things new and interesting, Jake is enthusiastic about natural wine, alternative packaging, and anything that helps make wine more approachable. Rather than condescension,  “looking over the glass” so to speak, he prefers a friendly and convenient world of wine. One where people aren’t afraid to try new varieties, like his favorite Carignan, and where the indication of quality is the ethos and ingenuity instead of exorbitant price tags and flashy labels. 

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Mandy Pearce

Mandy Pearce, California Sales

With 20 years in hospitality and service, Mandy found her love and passion for wine in bartending and continued on to certify as a Sommelier moving into wine program management and sommelier with Bacchus Management group to wine buying with Hog Island oyster company. Her career fueled her love to travel and experience the world and history of wine, through this she made friends and has spent the past 7+ years harvesting with a winery in Piemonte, Italy.

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