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 As
a third generation Napa native, it
is no surprise that Rob Lawson has
cultivated a passion for wine and winemaking.
Rob’s father and grandfather
precede him in their involvement in
the wine industry. Rob’s grandfather
was Vice President of Nestle Corporation
when they purchased the famed Beringer
Winery in the late 1960’s and
became Beringer’s first president,
blazing the path for future generations.
Rob’s father is a grape grower
and has held positions as Vice President
of Sales and Marketing for many top
wineries in Napa Valley, including;
Robert Mondavi, Louis Roederer and
Trefethen.
Rob graduated from California State
University, Fresno with a degree
in Plant Science, and an emphasis
in Viticulture and Enology. He
began his wine career at Sebastiani
Vineyards as a Lab Technician. In
1993 he assumed the assistant winemaker/enologist
position at Napa Wine Company. Soon
afterward, he accepted the position
of General Manager/ Winemaker at
J.Fritz Winery in Sonoma. In
May of 1998 he returned to Napa Wine
Company as General Manager. As
one of the largest and most highly
respected custom crush facilities
in Napa Valley, Rob soon took on
the position of CEO of Napa Wine
Company where he oversaw the production
of more than 60 wine labels. His
responsibilities included the day-to-day
operations of one of the largest
wineries in Napa Valley, contract
negotiations with clients, harvest
scheduling and turning the business
into a profitable custom crush facility. Just
a few of the highly sought after
wines from California, produced while
Rob was CEO, are Pahlmeyer, Bryant
Family, Colgin, Blankiet, and Staglin. Over
the course of Rob’s 15 years
in the industry, he has had the privilege
of working with some of the most
prominent winemakers of the world,
such as Helen Turley, Paul Hobbs
and Heidi Peterson Barrett. Managing
the top custom crush facility in
California, Napa Wine Company has
given Rob the experiences necessary
to understand all aspects of wine
consulting: from grape growing to
contract negotiations, from wine
production and packaging to sales & marketing.
Rob and his wife, Pavi, founded PAVI WINES in 1998.
The Combination of Rob’s knowledge of the wine industry
and Pavi’s passion for her Italian heritage was the
 inspiration
behind the creation of PAVI WINES. As the winemaker for PAVI
WINES, Rob seeks to “capture the true varietal and regional
character of the varietal by pairing New World technology
with traditional techniques” to create wines that are
both fruity and robust in flavor and texture. Production is
currently at 8000 cases of both Dolcetto and Pinot Grigio,
all organically grown.
In January of 2004, Rob chose to venture off into the world
of consulting. Since, he has built a successful reputation
founded on superb grape growing practices, his unique philosophy
and his passion and expertise in all parts of the industry.
Rob’s clients include Napa Wine Company, Aetna Preserve,
Fisticuffs, Johndrow Vineyards, Mirror, and Vines of Mendoza.
Rob resides in St. Helena with his
wife, Pavi and their two daughters,
Alessia and Eliana. When he isn’t
making wine, Rob enjoys cooking, traveling
and playing tennis, basketball, and
skiing.
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