WILLIAMSBURG — Williamsburg Winery announced the promotion of Stacey Lightfoot to the position of Winemaker and a consultative partnership with Michael Shaps on Wednesday.
Lightfoot is an alumna of Stockton College with a B.S. in environmental studies and a minor in chemistry. She started her career in water testing labs before joining Williamsburg Winery just before the 2006 harvest season.
“You never know where life will take you, so always be open and flexible to change and opportunities. When you find something you are passionate about, work hard but always remember to have fun,” said Lightfoot.
With a 17-year tenure as Williamsburg Wineries Assistant Winemaker, Lightfoot will continue to artfully craft the winery’s flagship brands and fan favorites in tandem with creating innovative wines that showcase the best of Virginia’s terroir, the winery said.
Of the partnership with Shaps, the winery said with “an undeniable track record of both quality and excellence in winemaking,” he brings “a wealth of expertise, a keen palate, and a fresh perspective to The Williamsburg Winery.” The winery is looking to Shaps to elevate the quality and experience, from vineyard operations to the finished product, it said.
“We are excited about this opportunity to work with one of the storied brands of Virginia wine. Our winemaking and vineyard consulting team looks forward to getting to know the hard-working, dedicated staff that have welcomed us to their operations,” said Shaps.
These changes mark a “dynamic” phase for Williamsburg Winery, aligning with its vision for crafting unparalleled wines and delivering extraordinary experiences to its patrons, it said.
“Stacey has demonstrated that she can become a super-winemaker. I am always internally reminded that women have a better olfactory sense than men. Michael Shaps projects both his experience as a winemaker in Europe as well as in the US. He has an incredible and intimate understanding of the business dimension of our trade,” said Patrick Duffeler, Founder & Chairman of the Williamsburg Winery.
For more information about Williamsburg Winery, visit its official website.
