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Although he’s affectionately known as Andy, S. Andrew Gridley, the proprietor of Gridley Family Cellars, came into this world as Scott. Evidently in 1963, Scott must have been a top boy’s baby name. In his fourth grade class of 22 students, 5 boys were named Scott. So at the tender age of 10, they all took their middle names. Andy it is.
Andy comes from a family of wine folk. In fact, his father Bert Gridley in the early 1960’s while at Fresno State worked for Ernest and Julio Gallo. Andy’s mom Anne also worked at Gallo. Although they had laid the path for great careers in wine, they returned to the family business to raise Andy and his brother Mark on the beaches of Southern California. Andy had no complaints with that decision.
In 1986 Andy returned to Fresno to attend Fresno State. It seems rather ironic that he too got the wine bug there. Hey, when your college roommates are sharing 10-20 year old Napa Cabernets, eventually it’s going to make an impression.
Andy moved to Napa Valley in 1991. He has worked in all aspects of the wine business, most notably at Rombauer Vineyards, Napa Wine Company and currently with Benessere Vineyards. In 2004 he decided with his wife Susan it was time to take the final adventure and launch their own brand, Gridley Family Cellars.
Married to his wife Susan in 2001 and living in Angwin on Howell Mountain, he loves his wife, fishing, golf, traveling and a good poker game.
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