Growing up in the beautiful city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Dean was introduced to the world class quality of California wines while attending graduate school at the University of Southern California. Dean’s passion and natural curiosity for creating premium wine led him to the Napa Valley, where he took a sabbatical from his real estate development company, volunteering for Mike Smith during harvest in 2009. After spending three years working crush for Mike and countless hours of tasting and talking about wines with friend Jim Fox, Patiné Cellars was formed in 2011. As co-founder and proprietor of Patiné Cellars, Dean’s primary role is focused on financial operations of the company, and to this day still likes to get his hands dirty working harvest when time permits. Dean holds a BA from the University of British Columbia, a Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) from the University of Southern California and an honorary PHD in cleaning tanks and wine making equipment.

To destress from the rigors of managing two businesses, you’ll most likely find Dean in one of two places; relaxing on a sandy beach, or hitting the ski slopes ending the day with a great glass of wine.

Mike Smith is one of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed winemakers, known for crafting powerful, elegant, vineyard-driven Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from celebrated vineyards across Napa and Sonoma. With more than two decades of experience, his career began under the mentorship of renowned winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, working alongside prestigious labels including Schrader, Rivers-Marie, Maybach Family Vineyards, and Outpost—experiences that helped shape the meticulous, site-focused approach behind his highly sought-after wines today.

Mike’s philosophy is simple: start with extraordinary vineyards, respect the fruit, and let the terroir speak for itself. Viewing himself as a “conduit” between vineyard and bottle, he allows each site’s unique character to take center stage—an approach that has earned him more than 45 perfect 100-point scores. His style comes to life in our powerful the Earnest’s Eye Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, vibrant unoaked Sangiacomo Green Acres Chardonnay, and elegant single-vineyard Pinot Noirs from Gap’s Crown, Soberanes, and Sun Chase.

For us, having Mike Smith as our winemaker from the beginning in 2011, means far more than having a celebrated Napa Valley name behind the label. It means every bottle and customer benefit from the experience, instinct and exacting standards of a winemaker whose work has earned a place among California’s finest.

Away from the cellar, Mike enjoys skiing and traveling with his family. And when he isn’t crafting exceptional Napa Valley and Sonoma wines, you’ll often find him in the kitchen or behind the barbecue—where his talents are equally impressive.

You’ve heard the saying “it takes a village to deliver successful projects”, well this is true, and since Patiné Cellars inaugural launch in 2011, I’ve stayed behind the vines helping to drive our marketing and sales strategy.   I have spent the past 25 years in the corporate world, elevating the global customer buying experience and journey.   My success was often cultivated around a dinner table, through the simple craft of “breaking bread”.   This tradition often led to deeply passionate conversations about wine while tasting them of course!

Connecting with people and building long term relationships is fundamental to me.  I grew up  in the lovely state of Iowa, where Midwestern hospitality and genuine neighborly goodness  imprint for life.  I landed in Los Angeles shortly after college, but the roots seeded in me by growing up in a farming community have never left.   I feel at home helping to cultivate something from this beautiful earth.  At Patiné Cellars, I manage day-to-day sales, brand strategy, events and tasting room scheduling, and customer satisfaction.   I am happy when our clients are happy. 

My other loves in life are architecture and interior design, traveling (I’m always up for a good road trip), food, nature, and my dog Gus.   Please feel free to reach out to me at Elizabeth@patinecellars.com if I can help with anything.

As a Los Angeles Kings’ player, everything was about wins and losses, and even though this intense competition was extremely rewarding, I realized after retiring from the NHL that wine offered me something that was very different, but just as fulfilling.  A games’ final score can be so “black and white,” and while wine is scored and rated, it is the many various intangible rewards that I have grown to love.  Wine is about the art, the process and the creation, as much as it is about the results.  It brings the day-to-day challenge of striving for the best but also offers the artistic element of working alongside Mother Nature.  Wine’s intrigue is so encompassing that I literally can’t wait for our critically acclaimed winemaker Mike Smith to create something special and taste that next glass of Patiné wine.

I helped to establish Patiné Cellars and shape the brand from its inception. Today, I serve as Patiné Cellars’ Brand Ambassador, helping to represent the label at tastings and special events, and sharing our story with customers and the wine community.

When I’m not doing broadcasting, or working a wine event, my wife Susie and I love to travel internationally.