Darren Palace

Darren is a deep thinker who loves building relationships through wine. Born in northern New Jersey and raised with strong Italian-Irish roots, he developed a deep respect and admiration for family and tradition. Food and wine drew Darren’s family together often, and it’s here he fell in love with it’s power to connect loved ones and friends. Having a head for numbers and a passion for art, Darren gained degrees in Finance and Art, but his passion for wine remained. In 2007, by request of a friend hoping to pursue “serious enology in Brooklyn,”  Darren quit his finance career to help open Red Hook Winery. He immersed himself in every aspect of winemaking, eventually becoming Assistant Winemaker and General Manager. Eight years later he expanded his work to the west coast, from helping to make wine in the iconic Napa Valley to representing California and Oregon Pinot Noir & Chardonnay through Failla Wines. With wine always as the catalyst, Darren's talent in building relationships continued to be his focus. Now serving as National Sales Manager for Sandhi, Evening Land, Domaine de la Côte and Piedrasassi he is furthering his reach in the wine industry and beyond.