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 season, and to all the tiny details that define great wine.

Close-up of a couple embracing outdoors, with trees and foliage in the background. The woman has light brown hair with a braid, and the man has light hair and is wearing a dark jacket with a logo.

The Proprietors

Daniel Klieman

Danny is the co-founder of Lonesome Rock Cellars, bringing more than 30 years of experience across viticulture, enology, importing and distribution, sales, and brand leadership in the wine industry. After earning degrees in Finance and French from the University of South Florida, 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.

After more than two decades in fine-wine distribution upon his return to the USA, Danny brings an end-to-end perspective to Lonesome Rock—guiding its vineyard, cellar philosophy, and long-term vision.

Susan Klieman

Susan is co-founder of Lonesome Rock and leads the estate’s brand, membership, digital presence, and business operations. She studied French and Economics at the University of South Florida and developed her love of wine while living in France in her twenties.

Her background in advertising, e-commerce, and digital marketing now shapes how Lonesome Rock tells its story and connects with guests and members. She also designs the estate’s wine labels and oversees much of the day-to-day business behind the winery.

A woman with curly gray hair, wearing a colorful scarf and a dark jacket, sorting grapes on a conveyor belt in a winery or vineyard setting.

The Winemakers

Isabelle Dutartre

Pinot Noir, Sparkling (2021-2023)

Paris-born Isabelle Dutartre has more than four decades of winemaking experience in France and Oregon. After studying winemaking at the Université de Bourgogne, she began her career at Maison Joseph Drouhin before coming to Oregon in 1993 to help establish Domaine Drouhin Oregon.

Following additional work in France, Isabelle returned to Oregon as head winemaker at De Ponte Cellars in 2001 and moved permanently to the United States in 2008. She made Lonesome Rock Pinot Noir and sparkling wines for our first three vintages, from 2021 through 2023.

A smiling woman with light brown hair wearing a gray hoodie outdoor with greenery in the background.

Gabrielle Préfontaine

Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Sparkling (2024-Present)

Gabi’s path to winemaking began with studies in agronomy in Québec and continued in Burgundy, where she earned the National Diploma of Enology. Her experience includes harvests in France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Tasmania, with a particular focus on cool-climate regions.

Since settling in Oregon in 2012, she has worked at WillaKenzie Estate, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Argyle, NW Wine Company, and De Ponte Cellars. Her experience spans cellar work, laboratory analysis, blending, and bottling, bringing both technical precision and a deep understanding of cool-climate winemaking to Lonesome Rock.

A man in a baseball cap and gray hoodie stands in a vineyard holding a shovel.

Jackson Holstein

Chardonnay (2021 - 2025)

Jackson is a second-generation Oregon winegrower, raised among the vineyards of the Willamette Valley. He learned viticulture alongside his father, who established estate vineyards for the Drouhin family and Argyle, and later worked harvests in Australia, New Zealand, and Oregon.

Jackson went on to vineyard management, including time at Lonesome Rock, before founding Granville Wines, where he oversees both vineyard operations and winemaking. He has made Lonesome Rock Chardonnay since our first vintage in 2021.

Angel Martinez | AVS | Lonesome Rock Cellars

The Vineyard Managers

Angel Martinez

Angel brings nearly three decades of viticulture experience in the northern Willamette Valley. Born in Veracruz, Mexico, he began farming at a young age before moving to Oregon in 1995, where he entered the wine industry during harvest at Domaine Drouhin Oregon.

He later joined Advanced Vineyard Systems, working his way through the company before purchasing it in 2016. Along with formal study at Chemeketa Community College, decades spent designing, planting, and managing vineyards have shaped his practical approach to farming.

A bearded man with dark, curly hair is sitting on a red Kubota tractor, smiling and looking to his left. He is wearing a black fleece jacket over a light shirt. The tractor is outdoors in front of a red wooden building with a corrugated metal roof and a green gutter.

Zak Laster

Zak brings a hands-on approach to vineyard management and a lifelong connection to agriculture. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, his interest in 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, moving from field work into leadership. Today, as General Manager, he oversees vineyard operations with a focus on precision, sustainability, and the long-term health of the vines.