About us
Wines from the first vines
Established in 2003, Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company became the first vineyard and tasting room to serve the Tehachapi Mountain region and has become a pioneer among local vineyards— trailblazing a path for fine wines grown in a land with four seasons and a high appellation.
Tucked in the mountains and on country roads, this Primitivo vineyard has a down home atmosphere with a large selection of estate and sourced wines for all vino lovers— novices and connoisseurs alike— making Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company a true wine destination gem.
Meet the team
Kim Amparan
Tasting Room Manager/ Server
Fun fact: Kim has been a Dodger fan since 1978
Favorite wine: TWCC Chardonnay
Corrie Kingsley
Wine Club/ Social Media Manager/ Server
Fun fact: Corrie is a “Diamond Head” aka a HUGE Neil Diamond fan
Favorite wine: TWCC Pinot Gris
Catarina (Cat) Lozano
Server
Fun fact: Cat grew up going to church and loved watching The Sound of Music- so much so that she wanted to become a nun!
Favorite wine: 2017 Primitivo
Lori Szuh
Server
Fun fact: Lori loves her lil’ red Jeep and the tv show Yellowstone. The Jeep because it’s country, strong and cute, Yellowstone because Rip’s country, strong and cute!
Favorite wine: 2017 Primitivo
Alicen Catron Schneider
Server
Fun fact: Alicen is a devoted Radiohead fan and is an avid cake baker
Favorite wine: 2018 Primitivo
Rhonda Creten
Server
Fun fact: If you can’t find Rhonda, she’s probably visiting her happy place- the big island of Hawaii
Favorite wine: TWCC Syrah
Olivia Parkinson
Server
Fun fact: Olivia has seen every single Francis Ford Coppola movie ever made
Favorite wine: 2018 Primitivo
Kaitlin Wilson
Server
Fun fact: Kaitlyn is an avid hat collector and a big fan of Fleetwood Mac
Favorite wine: Beth’s Blend
Cambria Lambert
Cook/ Kitchen
Fun fact: When she was a little girl, Cambria wanted to be a voice actor for animated movies. Nowadays she aspires to be an author
Ryan Szuh
Cook/ Kitchen
Fun fact: Ryan is a bigtime San Diego Chargers fan
Halle
Greeter
Fun fact: Halle’s name comes from a shortened version of “Halloween” and she was born to be a winery dog. She adopted Mike & Beth when they bought TWCC.
Favorite drink: TWCC Well water
Meet the owners
Owners Mike Van Atta and Beth Hamilton have turned this rustic and rural country haven into a local favorite with a loyal following and continue to produce award-winning wines.
Did you know?
The estate is planted with the Primitivo wine grape which has known origins beginning in Croatia and subsequently became a popular vine in the 1700’s when it was brought across the Adriatic Sea to the southern coast of Italy. There it flourished and became a staple wine, especially in the Puglia region. In the early 19th Century, Primitivo was introduced to the United States, under the name Zinfandel. Our estate is an exclusively Primitivo vineyard. They are called Primitivo and not Zinfandel because they are actual Old World vines from Italy. To learn more about the history of our beloved Primitivo grapes visit: www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-about-primitivo-wine-grape-history-characteristics-and-parings