A former musician, Shalini Sekhar turned from her Master’s Degree in Flute and Piccolo Performance to a career in wine. After completing her studies at Fresno State University in Enology and Viticulture, she began her journey into winemaking marrying the same combination of art and science that fueled her passion in music. Her experience with boutique producers and Pinot Noir dates back to her time at William Selyem. What followed was a series of steps into the custom crush world where she began working with small clients to execute their visions for their boutique brands beginning with Copain Custom Crush (now Punchdown Cellars), then Bluxome Street Winery, and finally ROAR wines, where she made wine for Waits-Mast Family Cellars, Furthermore Pinot Noir, Neely Wine and several smaller brands. In 2015 she was awarded Winemaker of the Year at the San Francisco International Wine Competition for her work with Furthermore Pinot Noir. When Shalini is not at the winery or in the vineyard, she is busy studying for her WSET Diploma and chasing after her two small children.