Enologist
Growing up in the Salinas Valley surrounded by agriculture, Kelly Toran has fond childhood memories of wine tasting visits with her parents in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Starting at a young age, she loved roaming through vineyards and tasting grape juice. This led her to earn a science degree in Wine and Viticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
While in school, Kelly put what she learned into practice by working harvest internships in vineyards and cellars in Edna Valley and Paso Robles at wineries such as Tolosa, Center of Effort, and Gallo. Her first vintage, where she was the Cal Poly winemaker, gave her the opportunity to work with Pinot Noir. She quickly fell in love with Pinot Noir production because it is a delicate grape that markedly showcases where it’s grown and requires gentle processing. Upon graduation, she worked abroad at Mount Riley in the Marlborough region of New Zealand before eventually settling in Sonoma County.
Prior to her role at Williams Selyem, Kelly was the assistant winemaker at Sequoia Grove in Napa Valley where she learned the art of Cabernet Sauvignon winemaking and fostered an interest in sustainable winegrowing. As much as she enjoyed crafting Cabernet Sauvignon, she is thrilled to be back to working with her first love, Pinot Noir.
Currently she is on the board for Women for WineSense Napa/Sonoma. In her free time, Kelly can be found exploring near and far hiking trails with her husband in search of wildflowers, waterfalls, and natural hot springs. When she’s not enjoying the outdoors, you will either find her at a concert or sharing food and wine with family and friends.
Braised Beef Cheeks with Tagliatelle Pasta