Maayan Koschitzky, 39

Director of Winemaking, Atelier Melka by Philippe Melka, St. Helena, CA

International man of wine

Koschitzky made wine in his native Israel for more than half a decade before he headed to the U.S. in 2011 to work at Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle. Famed winemaker Melka tapped him to be assistant winemaker of his wine consulting company in 2014, and, two years later, Koschitzky took over as director of winemaking. He now works with brands like Lail Vineyards, Roy Estate and Seavey Vineyard. This year, he became Melka’s partner in the venture. Meanwhile, Koschitzky’s own Napa brand, La Pelle Wines, sold out upon release. Did we mention he’s a former paratrooper and holds a black belt in judo?

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