In this episode of The Good Stuff presented by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, hosts Virginie Boone and Karissa Kruse talk to Prema Kerollis, Co-founder & General Manager of Three Sticks Winery.

Prema Kerollis began working with Three Sticks Wines founder Bill Price III in 2000 at Texas Pacific Group. Working closely with Price, who co-founded the successful private equity firm, she quickly became an essential part of his team and began helping Price manage his winery operations. As co-founder of Three Sticks Wines, Prema helped expand the winery’s allocation list from Price’s friends and family members to include a growing number of discerning pinot noir and chardonnay consumers.

Known for her joyful personality and generous laugh—her name translates to “giver of love” in Sanskrit—Prema was immediately drawn to the wine business by her natural affinity for hospitality. Growing up in Marin County, she learned from her mother and stepfather—both of whom worked in the restaurant industry—that hard work and fun need not be mutually exclusive and that the pleasures of wine and food are deeply life-affirming gifts. With an MBA in Wine Business, Prema understands the importance of good people, good products, and doing good business.

Prema applied her talents to the expansive world of Three Sticks and its incredible vineyards; and assisted Price with the design and creation of his other independent wine brand: Head High Wines, a Sonoma County Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brand for the newly initiated. Head High is dedicated to making attainable, delicious wines, ocean preservation, and fun. In 2012, she oversaw the preservation and design of the Vallejo Casteñada Adobe, now home to the Three Sticks tasting salon in downtown Sonoma.

Prema has served as Board Member and President of the Board on the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance, The Sonoma League for Historic Preservation and is now a member of the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation Board.

Three Sticks Wines:

Three Sticks Wines is a family-owned boutique winery in Sonoma, California, founded by William “Bill” Price III, a well-known figure in the wine industry and former owner of Chateau Montelena. Bill, nicknamed "Billy Three Sticks" due to the Roman numeral III in his name, established the winery in 2002, with Prema joining as Co-founder in 2004.

Three Sticks Wines, part of Price Family Vineyards & Estates, is dedicated to crafting small-lot, estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The winery sources its grapes from renowned vineyards, including Durell, Gap’s Crown, and One Sky. Under the leadership of acclaimed winemaker Bob Cabral, the production team focuses on sustainable farming and minimal intervention to showcase each vineyard’s unique character.

The winery’s tasting room, located in the historic Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe in downtown Sonoma, provides a rich, curated experience for guests. Bill Price’s deep connection to the land is reflected in the six Grand Cru level estate vineyards he owns in Sonoma County. These vineyards, including three Heritage sites—Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala—and three Monopole vineyards—One Sky, Alana, and William James—are carefully tended to, producing wines that showcase the harmony between exceptional terroir and thoughtful winemaking.

Sonoma Adobe:

Three Sticks’ commitment to stewardship of the land and people is reflected in its home, the Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe. The Adobe was originally built in 1842 by Salvador Vallejo, brother to General Mariano Vallejo, and has been lovingly restored as a Sonoma landmark.

1842: Constructed by Captain Salvador Vallejo

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