Mark & Jenny BlattY

Mark and Jenny founded Byron Blatty Wines in 2014, after a visit to Napa Valley. Inspired by the story of Napa’s original vintners, who challenged the French with their determination to create world-class wines in a previously unproven region, the Blattys had only one rule that would guide them on their endeavor to start a commercial winery: The wines had to be from their hometown of Los Angeles.

Initially they intended to plant a small vineyard on their hillside property, but soon realized that the space was not large enough, nor was it right for the varietals they had in mind. Undeterred, they began to search for vineyards in LA County from which to source their grapes. Despite the area's rich wine history, established vineyards in LA are few and far between, and it took the couple nearly a year to discover just the right sites, tucked away in the far corners of the county.

The couple is hands on in every element of the business, including the winemaking which Mark plays a major role in, with everything from vineyard management, to barrel selection, to blending. The winemaking team of Blatty, Lemley, Hasper and Perry work together on a unified vision of what Los Angeles wine can be.

Together Mark and Jenny oversee the overall brand development, wine club management, events, marketing, and sales for the winery. In addition to being vintners, the Blattys also have careers in television. Mark is a Los Angeles native, and Jenny relocated from Chicago in 2001. They have two sons, Oliver Byron and Rexford Jackson, born in 2017 and 2021.

Steve Lemley & Nate Hasper, Winemakers

Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper play a central role on the Byron Blatty winemaking team. With more than thirty-five years of combined winemaking experience, as well as formal training at UC Davis, the pair melds a deep knowledge of modern techniques with the finesse and feel one only acquires through firsthand experience with multiple vintages. With an almost fanatical approach, they work to push the fruit to the absolute limits for maximum flavor and color extraction, while retaining each varietal’s nuances and subtleties. The result is bold, powerfully styled wines that stand out from the crowd.

Lemley and Hasper also make wine for their own label, Pulchella Winery, which is focused on fruit grown in Paso Robles, and continue to experiment with advanced winemaking techniques.

JOEY PERRY, WINEMAKER

Joey Perry became Byron Blatty's assistant winemaker in 2015, and officially became one of our winemakers in 2020. He manages all winery operations for Lemley and Hasper, and plays an important role in the shaping of Byron Blatty Wines, including blending, stylistic direction, and barrel selection. He is also launching his own label, Bivium, in spring 2022.

The SoCal native got his MBA from the University of Laverne and had his sights set on a career on Wall Street before a wine course at College of the Canyons in Valencia altered his path. Perry decided the trading life was not going to be for him and instead immersed himself in wine, going to work full time for Lemley and Hasper after graduation. He married his wife, Kristine, in 2015 and lives in Santa Clarita. In February 2019 they gave birth to their first child, a beautiful baby girl; Aurora Rose.