WINEMAKING
AT DECOY
DANA EPPERSON,
WINEMAKER
Dana Epperson, a third-generation Sonoma County native, is the talented winemaker behind Decoy. Working closely with our vineyard and winemaking team, she ensures every wine reflects Decoy’s signature style and unwavering commitment to quality.
“There is an incredible amount of care that goes into these wines,” says Dana. “If you want small-lot quality, you have to treat every lot with small-lot care – hand-sorting, working with world-class cooper partners and blending with precision.”
BEGINNINGS
Dana Epperson was raised in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, where an early introduction to winemaking from family friend and acclaimed winemaker Sarah Quider sparked a lifelong passion. Inspired to pursue the craft, Dana studied food science at Cal Poly with advanced coursework in wine analysis and viticulture.
EXPERIENCE
Before becoming Decoy’s winemaker, Dana worked wineries like Ferrari-Carano, Edna Valley Vineyard, and most notably, Artesa Vineyards & Winery, where she oversaw grower relations and worked across nearly 25 vineyard properties. Dana was also mentored by winemaker Mark Beringer at Artesa, a former Duckhorn Vineyards winemaker, who helped shape her approach to winemaking. “Mark taught me to have a light touch as a winemaker and to create classic, balanced wines,” Dana says. “In a way, I studied the Duckhorn style before I ever joined the Duckhorn Portfolio team.”
After Artesa, Dana continued to build her experience in Napa Valley, taking on winemaking and vineyard-focused leadership roles that further sharpened her perspective from grape to glass. Today, she brings deep, hands-on knowledge of viticulture, wine analysis and sourcing to every bottle – guided by balance, precision and an uncompromising standard of excellence.
Fruit for the Decoy program comes from a mix of Estate vineyards and top grower vineyards. “It starts with our Sonoma County focus,” says Dana. “Whether it’s Pinot and Chardonnay from Carneros, Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley or Bordeaux varieties from our own Ridgeline and Brownell vineyards in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County offers a range of world-class grapes.”
CRAFTSMANSHIP
To capture the best expression of each varietal and region, Dana and her team complete up to 150 individual fermentations each vintage – many in small five-ton lots. From there, hands-on techniques like open-top punch-downs and lees stirring help build texture, depth and balance.
“There is an incredible amount of care that goes into these wines,” says Dana. “If you want small-lot quality, you have to treat every lot with small-lot care – hand-sorting, working with world-class cooper partners and blending with precision.”
Guided by this philosophy, Decoy is crafted with deep expertise and hands-on precision, resulting in wines defined by intention, balance and polish.