Our Team

Seth Norris, Director of DTC Sales

Seth was born and raised in California; he grew up in Lodi and currently resides in beautiful Amador County. Lucky for him he’s been in wine country his entire life! Seth came to Helwig in 2013 and has worked in every department since he’s been here. He started out in events, then worked his way into the Tasting Room, had a stint in production, moved into the Tasting Room & Wine Club Manager position and is now our Director of Direct to Consumer Sales. This has made him very well rounded in all aspects of Helwig operations. When he’s not in the Tasting Room, you can find him on the golf course, either out of bounds or in the sand trap.

Seth Norris can be contacted at seth@helwigwinery.com.

Kathleen Mahan, Director of Events and Culinary Services

Professional, creative, fun and outgoing are just some of the words that describe Kathleen. Born in Atlanta and primarily raised in California, Kathleen enjoyed life growing up in beautiful Northern California. Upon graduating from Oak Ridge High School, she moved to Southern California where she graduated from the Design Institute of San Diego with her BA in Interior Design and Fine Arts.

During college and for the next several years, Kathleen ran her own   high-end residential interior design firm in San Diego. She was a Member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). In 2006, she decided to broaden her focus after helping several design clients with their own private events and weddings, and entered the events world. Much like interior design, her skill at working with clients, running jobs, allocating tasks and meeting both deadlines and budgets, fit seamlessly into her new career. Kathleen has been Events Manager at Helwig Winery since they opened.

Kathleen is Past President of the Sacramento Chapter of National Association for Catering and Events (NACE).

Kathleen Mahan can be contacted at kathleen@helwigwinery.com.

Leslie Stewart, Winemaker

Leslie Stewart is one of American’s most valued winemakers.

She was raised in California where she spent summers with her family exploring the different wine regions of the nation. Her mother, a professor of Enology, gave her an introduction to and appreciation for wine. Her fascination in the field led her to pursue a degree in Enology from UCLA.

Leslie’s passion for truly understanding the unique qualities and characteristics of vineyards brought her to Spectra Winery where she has been a winemaker for the last 20 years.

Leslie Stewart can be contacted at leslie@spectrawinery.com.

Sam Buttner, Tasting Room Manager

Sam moved to Amador County from the Santa Cruz area in 1999. He began his working career in the coffee industry moving to the craft beer industry after turning 21. His passion for the perfect beverage led him to join the Helwig Wine Club in 2015. After showing up on a regular basis, we at Helwig Winery decided to bring him on board in 2017. His palate already having developed from years of coffee, tea, beer, and wine made him a natural fit in the Tasting Room. On his off time you can find Sam at local breweries, hiking trails, or at the beach in his hometown; always with his furry friends, Ava & Blink, at his side.

Sam Buttner can be contacted at sam@helwigwinery.com.

Margaret and Harry Jennings, Owners

Margaret and Harry Jennings both worked as Wine Consultants for the better part of the 70s and 80s. A strong love of wine eventually led them to purchasing Spectra Winery and beginning a life of winemaking.

Margaret and Harry Jennings can be contacted at info@spectrawinery.com.

Cory Holbrook, National Sales Manager

Cory’s experience in the wine industry goes all the way back to the 1990’s where he was the proprietor of a winery in Santa Ynez. He sold that winery to a large corporation and moved on to his own smaller, more manageable label where he specialized in Santa Barbara Rhone varietals. His heart strings later pulled him into owning a couple of restaurants where he was able to pair his love for great food and great wine, earning the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Later, after a couple years of winery consulting, Cory happily settled into the Sierra Foothills to work for Helwig Winery in 2013.

Cory Holbrook can be contacted at cory@helwigwinery.com.

Lewis Willis, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

Lewis has been with us since the very first day we opened and has been an integral part of the team since! He and his wife Jerilynn have lived locally since 2011. Lewis cultivated his love of wine while working as the Beverage Department Manager at World Market in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was born and raised. Every once in awhile his roots will kick in and you’ll hear that Bayou babble emerge.

Lewis Willis can be contacted at lewis@helwigwinery.com.

Jack Carroll, Private Tasting Manager

Originally from New York, Jack has been in wine in California for the past 15 years. As our resident wine aficionado since 2013, Jack has spent extensive time studying wine both domestically as well as abroad. He is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to wine history, origins, flavor profiles and anything else wine related you can think of. When he is not doing the wine thing, you will find Jack traversing Northern California, fishing pole in hand, hunting for that next monster trout. Jack hosts all of our Private Tastings and Food & Wine Pairings.

If you are interested in hanging with Jack and talking wine, he can be reached at jack@helwigwinery.com.

Jack Carroll can be contacted at jack@helwigwinery.com.

Taylor Rodriguez, Head Chef

Taylor started working in kitchens at 19 years old, an it was in San Francisco where he fell in love with working with food in a professional setting. Starting out as a dishwasher, he moved his way up through the ranks and has worked every station a commercial kitchen has to offer. Taylor moved to Amador County in 2018 and worked at the casino before joining the team at Helwig Winery. He is inspired by the vast array of fresh ingredients California has to offer and loves putting his own touch on the Helwig Kitchen.