Rob Townsend
Co-Founder & Executive Chair
Robert Townsend is the co-founder and Executive Chair of Vinovate Wine Services, an innovative wine services and wine production facility in Newberg, Oregon, dedicated to making the finest wines for its customers in a regenerative, innovative and collaborative setting. Rob is also the founder and CEO of Ambar Estates, an ultra-premium producer of chardonnay, pinot noir and sparkling wines located in the storied Dundee Hills appellation in Oregon. Rob is also pursuing a Winemaking Certificate from the University of California Davis.
In addition to his passion for the wine industry, Rob is an entrepreneur, investor, senior advisor, board member and corporate attorney. Rob currently serves as a Senior Advisor to SoftBank, Upside Foods (the leading cellular meat company), and Common Sense Growth (an innovative impact investor). Rob previously served as SVP, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for SoftBank and SoftBank Group International. He also served on the board of SoftBank Group International and as a member of the investment committee for the SoftBank Latin America Fund. Prior to joining SoftBank, Rob was a leading corporate and M&A attorney at Morrison Foerster for 35 years. While at Morrison Foerster, Rob held numerous leadership positions including Chair of the firm’s 500 attorney Global Business Department, Chair of the Firm’s Global Corporate and M&A practice, Chair of the firm’s Compensation Committee and Managing Partner of the firm’s Tokyo office. Rob was recently awarded Morrison Foerster’s inaugural Distinguished Alumni award. Rob received a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School and a BS from University of California, Berkeley.
Rob is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys scuba diving, horseback riding, walking the vineyard and time with his family, in particular babysitting his grandchildren.
Bryan Weil
Managing Partner/Winemaker
Bryan’s progressive path to becoming a winemaker was one that allowed him to combine a passion for food and wine with his acute precision in science and craftsmanship.
Born and raised in Salem, Oregon, Bryan began his career in culinary school where he was encouraged to take a wine and food-pairing course during his studies. It was there that his passion for wine first took hold and naturally his appreciation and love for Oregon Pinot Noir flourished. From culinary school, Bryan enrolled at Oregon State University majoring in Food Science and Technology where he earned his degree in Enology and Viticulture with a minor in chemistry. Bryan’s vast experiences in both the vineyard and cellar span across three continents with work at Domaine Serene, Tyee Wine Cellars, Rain Dance Vineyards, Hogue Cellars, and Kim Crawford. In 2012, Bryan had the unique opportunity to supervise the completion of Alexana Winery and join the team as Winemaker. In 2013 the same opportunity presented itself where Bryan traveled to Argentina to assist in the completion of Alexana’s sister winery Corazon Del Sol. In 2022 Bryan began work to develop and build Vinovate Custom Wine Services in the Dundee Hills.
Bryan possesses a special virtue that shows in his winemaking. He admires the diversity of the Willamette Valley and the wonder of the vine rich soils that it holds. His precision and keen judgement show in the end result.
Bryan lives in Dundee with his wife, Meghann and their two young daughters. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, scuba diving, aeronautics, sports, snowboarding and of course food and wine!
Kate Payne Brown
Partner/Winemaker
Is there anything more exhilarating than the creation of a wine that tells the story of the land on which it is grown? Kate Payne Brown, a renowned winemaker with over 17 years of experience in crafting remarkable wines doesn’t think so. As she joins the team at Vinovate Wine Services, Kate brings her expertise as Winemaker and Managing Partner, creating world-class wines that embody the unique terroir of the region.
Raised by New Yorkers in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kate's journey in winemaking began with her studies at the prestigious University of Adelaide in South Australia. Upon earning a Master’s degree in Oenology, Kate discovered her love and talent for making sparkling wine. Kate firmly planted her flag in that world both here in the Willamette Valley as well as abroad.
Throughout her career, Kate honed her skills while working for famed Burgundian consultant, Kyriakos Kynigopoulos and for esteemed wineries in the Willamette Valley. Kate draws on these rich experiences to create wines with elegance, complexity, and a distinct sense of place. At Stoller Family Estate, where she spent almost 9 years as the Reserve Winemaker, Kate developed the sparkling wine program while also crafting unique wines created to show different expressions of the estate vineyard. Prior to her time at Stoller, Kate served as Assistant Winemaker for 6 years in the Dundee Hills at the iconic Archery Summit Winery, where she focused on making vineyard-specific Pinot Noir.
Kate's winemaking philosophy is deeply rooted in respect for the land and a commitment to sustainability. She is known for her belief in meticulous vineyard management practices, which prioritize soil health and biodiversity to produce the highest quality grapes. This approach, combined with her technical expertise and intuitive understanding of the winemaking process, has produced a portfolio of wines that have garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards.
With Kate Payne Brown at the helm, Vinovate Wine Services is poised for success in its trajectory as a leading provider of winemaking services in the Willamette Valley and beyond. Kate will oversee all aspects of winemaking, ensuring the company's commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation. In addition, Kate will work closely with the other partners to develop new business strategies, cultivate relationships with clients, and share her knowledge of the Willamette Valley with wine enthusiasts around the world. Kate's passion, dedication, and expertise will undoubtedly contribute to the ongoing success and growth of the company.
Aaron Fox
Assistant Winemaker
Aaron was introduced to winemaking in 2012 when he worked on his first harvest at Red Car Wine, a small Sonoma Coast winery in his hometown of Sebastopol, CA. This experience ignited Aaron’s passion for the winemaking process and inspired him to explore a vine-to-bottle approach where he got a taste for making top 100 wines.
In 2016, Aaron moved to Oregon to pursue winemaking in the Willamette Valley and to expand on his knowledge of cool climate wine varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Since Aaron has worked at wineries such as Alexana and most recently, as Assistant Winemaker at Stoller Family Estate. Aaron’s 6 years at Stoller were spent assisting in the growth of their production across multiple brands while also improving quality. This variety of experiences has exposed Aaron to various still and sparkling winemaking techniques and solidified his appreciation for traditional method champagne.
Beyond Aaron’s winemaking experience, his degree from CSU Monterey Bay in Environmental Science coupled with the skills gained from growing up helping with his family’s HVAC business, have made him a jack-of-all-trades with a wide skill set. Aaron loves that his day-to-day often consists of wine tasting trials one minute and fixing a tank’s climate control the next.
Aaron lives in Carlton with his wife, Rachel, their newborn son, Ryland, and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Reggie. Aaron enjoys cooking, gardening, leatherwork, mountain biking, and camping.
Tammy Mehmed
Director of Business Operations
Tammy Mehmed joins us with over 30 years of experience in managing offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally from Michigan, Tammy moved to San Francisco as a young adult and began working in law firms and large corporations. After 16 years in big law at Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco, Tammy moved to work with the Chief Legal Officer at SoftBank, as well as manage the U.S. legal team for SoftBank Group Int’l. She has curated private events from small groups to large company parties, weddings and even mayoral inaugural celebrations. Excited about bringing her big city experience to the Willamette Valley, Tammy is looking forward to being a part of the Oregon wine community.
Her interests are deep in dog sports and dog training including agility, rally obedience and scent work. She looks forward to getting involved in local community activities as well with her long-time membership in P.E.O., a women’s philanthropic education organization.
Jonathan Ibarra
Cellar Master
Dustin Freund
Cellar Technician
Dustin Freund grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where his culinary career led him to travel the world and eventually find his calling in the wine industry. Working as a chef for seven years introduced Dustin to the different wines of the world as well as working in different parts of the world. Starting with completing his Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management from Caesar Ritz University in Vitznau, Switzerland, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship from Kendall College, Chicago, IL, Dustin started his transition into the wine world with some self-study wine education courses. Starting with WSET 1, 2, and 3, passing with distinction, then completing a French Wine Scholar certification and finally a certified sommelier from the Court of Master Sommelier.
After completing a harvest with Domaine Viticole Krier-Welbes in Ellange, Luxembourg, his transition into the wine production industry was certain. Dustin then lived and studied in Bordeaux, France, where he completed his Master of Business and Science in Vineyard & Winery Management from Bordeaux Science Agro. During his time in France, he worked at Chateau Palmer in Margaux, France, where he helped with biodynamic preparations and followed vineyard research projects with disease assessment, Massal Selection, and soil samplings. When finally returning to America he completed his Masters’ Thesis focusing on quantity and timing of nutrient additions at Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Saint Helena, CA. Since moving up to the Willamette Valley Dustin worked for Stoller Family Estate in the vineyard and the cellar, and as of the 2023 harvest decided to join the Vinovate team as Cellar Technician.
Dustin is excited to continue his learning experience in Willamette Valley winemaking under the leadership of Vinovate.
Dustin is now settling down in Carlton with his wife, newborn son, and German Shepard (Katy, Constantine, and Alita). When Dustin isn’t in the Vinovate cellars, he is most likely flying down the mountain at Mach speed with either a snowboard or mountain bike underneath his feet.