Our Team
Making world-class wine is a collaborative effort, one that requires a collective passion for excellence. At Kerr Cellars we couldn’t be more proud of our team, which draws together a broad set of skills from within cult wine and elite sportsmanship. We believe this gives our wines a unique personality, that reflects us as people and unifies our diverse experiences.
Cristie Kerr
Cristie’s passion and vision are at the heart of Kerr Cellars. As a professional golfer with two Major Championships and 20 LPGA titles to her name, Cristie is one of the most accomplished golfers of her generation. But Cristie is also a self-confessed wine lover and Level 1 Sommelier. Cristie played a tournament in Napa back in 2000 and fell in love with everything about the valley. It ignited an obsession that Cristie spent the next decade pursuing – learning all that she could about wine, its history, geography and production.
Cristie is also recognized for her astonishing work as a breast cancer activist. In 2003 she created Birdies for Breast Cancer, a foundation that has raised millions of dollars to help fight the disease. Cristie’s love of golf, fine wine and philanthropy came together with Curvature Wines. Created as a collaboration with Pride Mountain Vineyards’ Suzanne Pride Bryan.
“Wine has always been a journey for me. A journey of knowledge, a journey to learn about different varietals, where they come from, and how food and wine pairings go together.” -Cristie Kerr
Helen Keplinger
Helen and Cristie have worked closely since 2013 to define Kerr Cellars’ vision of making the very best wines from the finest vineyards. Helen is one of the most acclaimed cult winemakers in California today. In 2012 she was named Winemaker of the Year by Food and Wine magazine. In 2014 Helen appeared on the cover of Wine Spectator magazine.
Helen earned a Masters in Enology from UC Davis in 2000 and became the assistant winemaker at Paradigm Winery after graduation, where she worked with winemaker Heidi Barrett. After heading to Australia to work a southern hemisphere harvest, Helen assisted Kathy Joseph at Santa Ynez Valley’s Fiddlehead Cellars, learning the art of crafting small-batch Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc. In 2004 she moved to Spain’s Priorat region to start a winery for a group of partners. When Helen returned to Napa in 2005 she worked with David Abreu and Heidi Barrett at Kenzo Estate.
“I absolutely love what I do – I constantly strive to make great wines, respond to the curveballs of Mother Nature and respect that each wine is a reflection not only of its origin but the variables and characteristics of a particular vintage.”
– Helen Keplinger
Erik Stevens
Native New Yorker, Erik Stevens, is the President of Kerr Cellars and Cristie Kerr’s husband. A lifelong sports fan, Erik holds a degree in Biological Sciences from SUNY Geneseo State and a master’s in Sports Physiological Nutrition from Columbia University. Erik specializes in sponsorships, events and activations, giving him a unique advantage with the marketing and commercial strategies of Kerr Cellars.
Erik and Cristie met back in the early 2000s while Erik was Cristie’s agent. His own love affair with wine was sparked during a spell working at New York’s famous Carlyle Hotel during college – where he was lucky enough to be smuggled into a tasting of Krug champagne. There was also a momentous bike tour of Napa Valley in the late 1990s that made a life-changing impression on him. Erik joined Cristie on the road and the two shared a journey of vinous discovery for much of the 2000s. They married in 2006 and now have two children together, Mason and Griffin.
Kelli Kuehne
Kelli is Kerr Cellar’s Events Director, organizing our unique wine events across the country with her characteristic positivity and eye for detail. A native Texan, Kelli is a former professional golfer. She met Cristie Kerr at a junior golf tournament when they were 12 years old. The pair competed against each other for the next 20 years, but luckily their early rivalry soon turned into a friendship. Kelli earned a run of amateur and professional golf titles, joining the LPGA tour in 1998 for 13 years and winning the Corning Classic in 1999.
Kelli retired from golf in 2010 moved into event management, using her dynamism and organizational skills to create memorable experiences for clients. After working for Erik’s Madison Green Agency (where she helped manage Cristie’s Birdies For Breast Cancer Charity Golf Event), Kelli joined the Kerr Cellars’ family in 2017. Always a joy to work with, Kelli is an essential part of our team and has been vital in helping engage customers with the Kerr Cellars brand. Kelli has two kids (Morgan and Ford) with her husband Paul Doremus and two dogs (Bella Blu and Dixie Lou).
Steve Cairns
Steve is the Chief Financial Officer for Kerr Cellars. He has degrees in both Economics and Accounting and has almost 25 years of experience in the wine business.
In March 2019, Cristie and Steve crossed paths at Silverado Golf Club. After they discussed their common interests in both wine and golf, Cristie was pleased to discover Steve’s wine finance background, and shortly thereafter offered him the opportunity to become part of the Kerr Cellars team. During his 25 years in the wine industry, Steve was the financial controller for 3 different Northern California wineries. Prior to entering the wine business, Steve spent 8 years on active duty in the Navy sailing submarines which led to 10 years as a civilian repairing submarine nuclear power plants at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.
Outside of work, he is an avid golfer (after 50 years+ of playing he’s still looking for that first hole in one). He’s a guitarist/vocalist in a local Napa band and has done a variety of local musical theater roles over the years. He enjoys single malt Scotch as well as wine, and he loves to travel when he gets the chance. Steve and his wife, Carol, have been married for 45 years. They have one son (Joshua) and one daughter-in-law (Lauren), who are both in the wine business, and one dog (Jersey) who is not.