The People Behind Lonesome Rock Cellars
Behind the wines is a small, hands-on team united by respect for the work and the time it takes to do things well—from the proprietors who guide the long-term vision, to the vineyard managers who know the site vine by vine, to the winemaker who carries each vintage from fruit to bottle. What connects them all is a shared commitment to listening first—to the vineyard, to the year, and to the quiet details that define great wine.
The Proprietors
Daniel Klieman
Danny is the co-founder of Lonesome Rock Cellars, bringing more than 25 years of experience across viticulture, enology, importing and distribution, sales, and brand leadership in the wine industry. He completed a Diplôme de Technicien en Œnologie at Université de Bourgogne before beginning hands-on work in Burgundy as a vineyard worker and cellar hand. He also holds degrees in Finance and French from the University of South Florida. After more than two decades in fine-wine distribution, Danny brings a rare, end-to-end perspective to Lonesome Rock—guiding its vineyard, cellar philosophy, and long-term vision with discipline, patience, and a deep respect for place.
Susan Klieman
Susan Klieman is the co-founder of Lonesome Rock Cellars, where she leads brand strategy, storytelling, and the digital expression of the estate. She holds degrees in Economics and French from the University of South Florida, and developed her love of wine in her twenties while living in Burgundy. With a background spanning advertising, e-commerce, and digital marketing, Susan brings more than a decade of leadership experience shaping consumer-facing brands, including roles as Head of Digital Marketing for Bella Luna Toys, co-president of Oompa.com, and as a digital marketing consultant. At Lonesome Rock, she also designs the estate’s labels and oversees back-of-the-house administrative and operational work.
The Vineyard Managers
Angel Martinez
Angel brings nearly three decades of hands-on viticulture experience to the North Willamette Valley. Born in Veracruz, Mexico, he began farming at a young age before moving to Oregon in 1995, where he entered the wine world during harvest at Domaine Drouhin Oregon under the mentorship of Buddy Beck. Angel rose through the ranks at Advanced Vineyard Systems, ultimately purchasing the company in 2016. His expertise—shaped by formal study at Chemeketa Community College and decades of vineyard design and management—reflects a deep respect for the land and a lifelong passion for farming.
Zak Laster
Zak brings a hands-on, practical approach to vineyard management rooted in a lifelong connection to agriculture. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, his appreciation for farming deepened through time spent working alongside his grandfather in Montana. After studying viticulture at Chemeketa Community College, Zak joined Advanced Vineyard Systems in 2015, working his way from the field into leadership. Today, as General Manager, he oversees vineyard operations with a focus on precision, sustainability, and long-term vineyard health.
The Winemaker
Gabrielle Préfontaine Beaupré
Gabi brings a rare blend of Old World training, global harvest experience, and deep operational rigor to her winemaking.
Her path began early, shaped by family dinners and an uncle’s passion for Burgundy, long before formal studies took her from agronomy in Québec to the National Diploma of Enology in Burgundy. Gabi honed her craft through hands-on harvests across France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Tasmania, with a consistent focus on cool-climate regions.
Since settling in Oregon in 2012, she has played key roles at WillaKenzie Estate, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Argyle, NW Wine Company, and most recently as Winemaker at De Ponte Cellars. Equally fluent in cellar work, lab analysis, blending, and bottling logistics, she combines precision and intuition to guide wines from grape to bottle. Her approach is grounded, thoughtful, and exacting—driven by a lifelong curiosity for place, balance, and the quiet details that allow a site to speak clearly through the wine.