Boutique Napa Valley Winery Expands its Talented Team with Hospitality Specialist
NAPA, Calif. (April 26, 2022) — Acclaimed Napa Valley winery Memento Mori is pleased to announce a new addition to its star-studded team with the appointment of Travis Retherford as Client Relations Manager. Retherford joins an impressive roster of talent at Memento Mori, a boutique label known for its inspiring story, superstar winemaker, Sam Kaplan, and 100-point Cabernet Sauvignon.
Memento Mori’s latest hire reflects the high demand, growing success, and nascent cult status of its mailing-list only wines. Retherford joins Memento Mori on the heels of the label’s triumphant showing at last year’s Premiere Napa Valley, where its top-selling auction lot was one of just two that sold for over $1,000 per bottle.
“We are thrilled to welcome Travis to our team,” said Memento Mori founder, Hayes Drumwright. “His strong industry background, extensive hospitality experience, and incredible palate make him a fantastic fit for Memento Mori.”
Originally from Missouri, Retherford brings over a decade of wine hospitality experience to his new role. After graduating pre-med from Truman State University, Retherford took a year away from medicine to dip his toe into Napa Valley’s wine industry at Anderson’s Conn Valley. Discovering his love of wine outweighed his love of medicine, Retherford never did make it to medical school. Instead, he helped elevate hospitality and sales programs all over Napa Valley, including James Cole, Farm Collective NV, Tank Garage, Pride, and Aonair.
He also worked with his brothers to launch Claudine; a wine label named after their grandmother. The winery started in 2014 with a half-ton a fruit and, with Retherford’s sales expertise, turned Claudine into such a buzzy brand that they were able to sell it in 2021.
A longtime fan of Memento Mori, Retherford has long been intrigued by the wines and the entrepreneurial spirit of its team. “When the opportunity arose to come on board as Client Relations Manager, I could not say no,” Retherford said. “I look forward sharing their incredible story and wines for years to come.”
Alongside General Manager Genevieve Echavarrie and Director of Sales Lauren Van Ness, Retherford will be developing key relationships for the label, further establishing the wine’s reach across the country and around the world.
About Memento Mori
Memento Mori was founded by Hayes Drumwright, Adriel Lares and Adam Craun, three childhood friends who have together overcome serious health scares, family tragedy and times of trial with their unyielding zest for life and making every moment count to its fullest. A shared love of wine is a natural consequence of that passion, which inspired Memento Mori. An artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death, they interpret Memento Mori as “Remember to Live” – an ethos that’s palpable in every bottle. While Memento Mori wines capture the essence of the famed single-vineyard sites from which they are sourced – Beckstoffer Dr. Crane, Beckstoffer Las Piedras, Vine Hill Ranch, Weitz Vineyard, and Oakville Ranch – the winery’s flagship crown jewel is its Napa Valley designate blend. Superstar 100-point winemaker Sam Kaplan translates each vineyard site into balanced, terroir-driven wines that tell the story of Napa Valley, culminating in wines of intense, concentrated flavor and aromatics that reflect craftsmanship above all else.
