Kristi Brown, Owner & El Presidente

After graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 1990, I worked for several different companies mainly in the finance and marketing arenas. Having a bit of a Gypsy soul, I moved around a fair bit and finally landed in Palm Springs in 2000. At that time, my father was launching his new brand and needed someone to market his new Tulip Hill wines; I jumped on board and opened our offsite winery tasting room in Rancho Mirage.

Over the course of the last 9 years my role has expanded to overseeing the total BIG picture of our production, brand marketing, national sales and "other duties as needed." I wouldn't have it any other way. I am honored to be working with such an incredible team of people. My time is spent between the winery in Nice and my home in Palm Springs. I also do a fair amount of traveling throughout the country working with our distributor network selling our wines.

Sara Hammond, Marketing, Design, Tech, & Wine Club Coordinator

I joined the Tulip Hill team with Kristi Brown in 2002. I had recently moved to Palm Springs after escaping the "Orange Curtain" where I was, what seemed to be, living in a gray cubicle for a large print and design company. I had moved up the food-chain to working in graphics & design freelance when Budge presented the opportunity to be a part of his winery project. Knowing Budge and Kristi, I jumped on the wine wagon without hesitation. I was fortunate enough to have the amazing experience of opening the retail tasting room in Rancho Mirage with Kristi and Tom under the guiding wisdom of Veronica Barclay. Now I have a few more job titles, and plenty to do to keep me out of trouble. Btw, I hope you enjoy the new website...if anything is not functioning, please email me and let me know. Thank you.

Bella-Dance-A-Rella is my cohort in crime...she works with me at the Palm Spring administrative office, and at the winery during September to experience a bit of harvest with our buttocks-kickn’ winery team.

Tom Montaney, Tasting Room Manager & Buyer

Tom is one of the start-up team that opened the Rancho Mirage tasting room in 2002, responsible for buying and merchandising the store. We stole him away from his 12 years in Postal Hell with the USPS. His experience goes back prior to the post office when he worked as a department store buyer for items such as housewares, electronics, gourmet foods, fine crystal, and so much more. Tom is so good at what he does that companies pulled him in to development their cookware, bakeware, china, and glassware. Tom’s knowledge and eye for all this beautiful has created an environment in our tasting room in Rancho Mirage of friendly sophistication.

Oh, and the photo of Tom and his little friend was from his adventures in Peru...he doesn't bring her to work.

Michele Barfuss, Wine Club Accomplice & Tasting Room Sales Associate

Michele joined our band of merry tasting staff back in October 2008 and we stole her away in May 2010 to our Tulip Mania Wine Club. We are excited to have her as a wine club accomplice, offering you, our club member, EXCEPTIONAL customer service and assistance with all your club needs.

The picture of Michele is not a blur by accident...this is typical for Michele as she is constant motion, buzzing about the tasting room, multitasking her way into a blur. Michele is well know in the tasting room for her great attitude and quirky sense of humor.

Shawn Ellington, Tasting Room Sales Associate

Shawn has been with Tulip Hill since October 2007. Before joining the Tulip Hill team, Shawn owned and ran a masonry contracting business for 15 years with her ex-husband and raised her two beautiful kids. Shawn enjoys going to work each day to meet new people and learn new things.

Shawn is like your new best-girlfriend when you spend time with her tasting through our wines. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself feeling like you have known each other for years.

Jean Pond, Tasting Room Sales Associate

Jean joined the Tulip Hill family in October of 2007. If you were to describe Jean with two words it would be warm and friendly she possess a calm strength as she handles a bar full of anxious tasters as she ensures that each have a great experience at Tulip Hill. Jean’s previous position was as an office manager at an elementary school in San Diego, which some of us joke is why she can put up with our humor and antics at times. For fun she and her husband work together in the construction and deconstruction of homes.

Christopher Gutierrez

Christopher is our tasting room eye candy with his 6 feet of all handsome...but he isn't just a pretty face, he is lively, engaging and a wealth of knowledge on Tulip Hill wines. A native desert rat, Christopher was born and raised in the La Quinta...just a few minutes away from Rancho Mirage. He is passionate about good food, great wines and genuine friends. Asking him to choose a favorite Tulip Hill wine is like picking his favorite child...but today it was our 2007 Zinfandel.

Bella-Dance-A-Rella, Head Ball Fetcher & Contact for Pet Charity Donations

Bella is our official winery / wine club dog. She travels between the two locations so sometimes you might see her wandering around the winery or The River with Sara. Bella is our Pet Charities Donation contact ...she understands the importance of pet focused charities since she was fortunate enough to adopted from a Boxer Rescue in Southern California.