PEOPLE
Meet the people who shape each vintage with passion and intention. In the vineyard and the cellar, our team brings more than 200 years at Cambria—working in step with the seasons, shaping each harvest with care, and carrying that rhythm into every bottle.
Jill Russell
Wine came early for Jill Russell—and stayed. What began as a high school job at a winery in Livermore grew into a vocation shaped by food, wine, and the way people gather.
While earning her degree in Wine and Viticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Jill spent time in Adelaide, Australia, and at Tolosa Winery on the Central Coast. After graduating, she joined Stephen Ross Wine Cellars in Edna Valley, rising to assistant winemaker. A harvest in France’s Loire Valley followed before the pull of the Central Coast brought her back to Santa Barbara County and Paul Lato’s winery, where she explored Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Sta. Rita Hills.
In 2017, Jill joined Cambria as head winemaker. Since then, she has focused on understanding the vineyards down to individual blocks and their nuances of soil, clone, and coastal influence. “My winemaking style is about letting our vineyard and vintage shine by creating beautifully balanced wines,” she says.
Her wines are crafted with the table in mind: textural, expressive, and meant for sharing. And when it comes to Chardonnay, she admits, “I always come back to sipping it alongside something simple, like a seafood paella.”
Jill lives just minutes from the winery in Los Alamos with her husband, their two daughters, and their dog, Sansa.
Katherine Jackson
There was never much doubt in Katie Jackson’s mind that wine would be part of her future. She spent her childhood exploring vineyards throughout California and worked in after-school jobs in the marketing and public relations departments of the family business. After college, determined to understand every aspect of winemaking, Katie headed to Stonestreet Winery, where she immersed herself in the winemaking process - from sorting grapes to cleaning barrels and tanks.
That hands-on experience made it easy for Katie to shape her own path within Jackson Family Wines. Today, she leads the company’s sustainability strategy and helps guide the family’s efforts to build a more resilient business. Under Katie’s leadership in the climate space, Jackson Family Wines co-founded International Wineries for Climate Action and has received global recognition from Wine Enthusiast, drinks business, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2018, Katie was also named one of Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40 Tastemakers.”
Katie has said that staying closely connected to Cambria inspires her work and continues to fuel her creativity. When she’s not focused on advancing sustainability initiatives, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Shaun Kajiwara, and their children.
Julia Jackson
As a co-proprietor of Cambria and Jackson Family Wines, Julia believes the future of wine and the future of the planet are deeply connected.
That belief inspired her to found Grounded, a nonprofit organization that brings together policymakers, scientists, investors, world leaders, and grassroots organizations to accelerate solutions to climate change.
She also works with organizations including the Keystone Species Alliance as co-founder, Project Regeneration, and Earth Elders. She frequently brings Jackson Family Wines together with other like-minded organizations focused on environmental stewardship. Her leadership has been recognized by Travel + Leisure and Wine Enthusiast.
While environmental advocacy occupies much of her time, Julia has also immersed herself in the family business, helping shape marketing initiatives and traveling the world to learn from winegrowers and industry leaders—including having spent time living in France, studying the language and wine.
Barbara Banke
Back in 1986, standing on the land that would become Cambria, Barbara Banke envisioned this property as an important step in building a global wine company. Today, as Chairman and Proprietor of Jackson Family Wines, which she co-founded with her late husband Jess Jackson, Barbara oversees estates in some of the world’s most renowned winegrowing regions including Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and Central Coast in California; Oregon's Willamette Valley, and internationally in Tuscany, Italy; Bordeaux, France; McLaren Vale and Yarra Valley Australia; and the Western Cape in South Africa.
For decades, Barbara has traveled the world sourcing exceptional vineyard sites and developing new estates for Jackson Family Wines. Alongside her leadership of the family’s company, she's a dedicated philanthropist, generously contributing both her time and resources to organizations focused on social and environmental issues.
Beyond the world of wine, Barbara is also actively involved with Stonestreet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, the family's Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation. Come spring, you can often find Barbara at the Kentucky Derby cheering on her award-winning horses.
Denise Shurtleff
Denise Shurtleff has spent her career learning every part of the winery, role by role. From the tasting room to the lab, cellar, and leadership, her path has been shaped by a deep, practical understanding of how wine comes to life.
While studying at Cal Poly, she worked in the tasting room at Corbett Canyon Winery and, after graduation, joined the winery full time as a lab technician. She moved through the cellar, becoming winemaker and winery manager.
In 1999, she joined Cambria as associate winemaker. By 2003, she stepped into the role of head winemaker, guiding the wines for nearly two decades before becoming general manager in 2017. Today, she leads Cambria with respect for the land, the team, and the work itself. She attributes her innate instincts for winemaking to her agricultural roots, which trace back to three generations of farmers in California.
Denise lives on the Central Coast with her husband, Mark, and their two sons, Sean and Luke.
Matt Mahoney
A fifth-generation farmer, Matt Mahoney knew his work would always be shaped by sun and soil.
After studying at Cal Poly, he returned to the Santa Maria Valley to begin working in agriculture, with fruit and vegetable crops before joining Cambria. He is particularly drawn to the long arc of vineyard work, from the early days of the season through harvest and beyond. Together with head winemaker Jill Russell, he works to guide each block toward its best expression. They refine their practices each year in the vineyard based on observation, collaboration, and the conditions of the season.
JOIN US FOR A TASTING
Our tasting room is in Los Olivos, 30 miles northwest of downtown Santa Barbara.
