Meet the Team

  • Sarah was born in Pennsylvania; she and her family moved to Lyndhurst when she was five and has lived in the Shenandoah Valley ever since. After completing her undergraduate degree in Health Service Administration at James Madison University, she worked at Augusta Health in Provider Recruitment and Credentialing. She developed a passion and connection to the area's wine and craft beer industry. After completing her MBA program, Sarah joined the Hazy Mountain team as the General Manager and has been working passionately to ensure that Hazy is operating at the highest possible level and continuing to grow to be better every day. When she’s not at Hazy Mountain, Sarah enjoys exploring new breweries, wineries and local hiking trails with her golden retriever, Dakota. Sarah’s favorite pairing is a glass (or two) of malbec with smoked gouda and bacon stuffed pork loin.

  • Jason moved to Virginia from his home state of Louisiana in 2003 to study Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech.

    While on break in 2008, a lifelong love of plants and the outdoors led him to seize an opportunity as vineyard manager at First Colony Winery. He took great interest in the vine to wine concept and furthered his knowledge with winemakers Benoit Pineau and Brad McCarthy. During his 14 year tenure, he learned nearly every winery role including, winemaker, director of operations and general manager.

    Jason started with Hazy Mountain in the spring of 2022 as the Vineyard & Estate Manager of the Afton Campus. He is enjoying the challenge of the site and looks forward to many vintages on the mountain. He currently lives in Waynesboro with his wife, Martha, and a border collie mix named Cleo. He has a love of trains, Lego, and taking things apart, but not necessarily putting them back together.

  • Bryan Fernandez is Hazy Mountain’s Assistant Wine Maker. Bryan‘s journey with Hazy Mountain started in 2019. Since coming onboard, Bryan has been a versatile member of the team in every facet of production and operations. Over the years, Bryan has been involved in all stages of production; planting, vineyard maintenance, harvest, wine making and bottling. Bryan’s experience with both vineyards -- the Swoope vineyard, Little North Mountain Vineyard, in the Shenandoah Valley AVA and the Afton vineyard, Hazy Mountain’s Estate Vineyard in the Monticello AVA has given him perspective to the varying terroir between the AVAs. His passion and primary role with Hazy is in our winery, as the right-hand man to our winemaker, where he has the satisfying experience of seeing the harvest all the way through its final stages of production. Outside of work, Bryan enjoys spending time with family, the outdoors, trying new foods and cooking. Bryan’s favorite pairing is a nice steak or pork chop with a great bottle of Cabernet Franc.

  • A native of Southern California, Zach brings more than a decade of experience in the service industry to the Hazy Mountain team. While relatively new to the Virginia wine scene, his passion for craft food and beverages has shaped his approach to delivering exceptional service. Through his extensive travels and dining experiences at top restaurants and bars across the country, Zach has remained committed to staying informed about industry standards and the latest food trends. He’s excited to bring this wealth of knowledge and expertise to Hazy Mountain, where the commitment to quality mirrors his own.

    Outside of work, Zach enjoys cooking for friends and family, hiking in the mountains, listening to live music, and exploring locally-owned wineries and restaurants. These passions for local culture and experiences deepen his appreciation for fine wine and elevate his understanding of the culinary world. As a wine enthusiast, Zach appreciates a wide range of wines but has developed a particular fondness for Hazy Mountain’s 2021 Dry Petit Manseng and 2021 Petit Verdot.


  • Wiley grew up in Richmond, Virginia and started working in restaurants shortly after graduating high school in 2007. He quickly became fascinated with the world of food and wine, and how the two are intertwined. Wiley moved to Charlottesville in 2012 to take a position at Fossett's in Keswick Hall and began to develop his knowledge even further thanks to their extensive bottle cellar and ever-changing tasting menus. During this time, he also started to explore the wealth of wineries here in central Virginia, visiting tasting rooms whenever he had the opportunity. Starting in 2016, Wiley began working at Parallel 38 in Charlottesville, highlighting a wide variety of wines from around the world (including right here in Virginia) and eventually became part owner alongside Justin Ross, not only refining his own wine knowledge but also the idea of guest relations and hospitality at a new level.

    He jumped at the opportunity to join the Hazy Mountain tasting room team on the ground floor and is eager to show our guests the best of what this exciting new winery has to offer. When he's not working in the tasting room, Wiley enjoys cooking for friends and family, buying too much wine, and binge watching cheesy 80's and 90's action movies. His favorite food and wine pairing is roasted bone marrow and vintage champagne.

  • Ricky was born in New Jersey but spent most of his formative years growing up along the Southwest coast of Florida in Cape Coral. It is there he first had his taste of the food & beverage industry at the age of 15 & he has been doing it ever since. Rooted in Food & Beverage he further established his passion by managing a wine bar right outside of Disney’s Magic Kingdom while also working at the Four Seasons on Disney property. He held F&B Director roles while managing wine clubs in Northern Virginia before moving to Charlottesville in 2020 to lead The Clifton Inn as General Manager. Ricky continued to deepen his knowledge through courses by The Court of Master Sommeliers. He achieved his level 1 & continues to explore the grape & varietals of the region. Ricky was part of the opening team at The Forum Hotel most recently & through this experience has gained a deeper understanding of true hospitality at a luxury level.

    Ricky was eager to bring his past expertise & knowledge to Hazy Mountain to showcase the magic found in these mountains. You can find Ricky traveling, hiking, riding his motorcycle, or finding an excuse to go to the beach in his spare time. He loves spending time outdoors equally as much as he enjoys true crime documentaries.

    When he's not working in the tasting room, Ricky enjoys cooking for friends & family, buying too much wine, & binge-watching cheesy 80s & 90's action movies. According to Ricky, nothing pairs better than King Crab Legs & Chenin Blanc.


  • An industry professional since 1996, Chef Rob Szydlowski has made his mark in the culinary world with his innovative takes on classic dishes.  Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, he brings passion and intensity to every single dish.    A Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Chef Rob is classically French trained, but enjoys embracing other cultures.  Chef Rob has experience in 3 different countries and 28 states, opening over 50 restaurants.  With 2 Michelin starred restaurants under his belt, Chef Rob now turns his attention to Hazy Mountain by presenting an elevated, yet approachable take on Vineyard culinary.  


Kirk Venge
Wine Consultant

Coming from generations of family farming & winemaking, the decision to collaborate with Kirk Venge was a natural & well-thought-out choice for Hazy Mountain. Farming & winemaking run deeply in the veins of our esteemed consultant. Stemming from a prestigious lineage of winemakers with a rich history spanning over four decades in the illustrious Napa Valley, Kirk Venge articulates, “When I was growing up, working in the vineyard & winery gave me a wonderful sense of partnership in my family’s way of life; it was hard work, but I loved it.”

Raised in the heart of Rutherford, Napa Valley, amidst legendary vineyards & renowned wineries, Kirk Venge was instilled with his father’s vision of excellence. He learned the rhythm of winemaking as a young man, helping in the family vineyard throughout the growing season, experiencing the labor of harvest & the love of crush, & working alongside his father, Nils Venge, in the winery.

Kirk earned his degree in Viticulture & Enology at the prestigious University of California, Davis, graduating in 1998. He diligently honed his skills during summer internships as the experimental winemaker for Mumm, Napa Valley, focusing on the crafting of still Chardonnay & Pinot Noir.

The Venge Family is universally regarded as some of the foremost pioneers of the Napa Valley wine industry, working for notable wineries, such as Charles Krug, Sterling, Villa Mount Eden, & Groth.  During his tenure at Groth, Venge’s Father, Nils became the first American winemaker to receive a perfect 100-point rating from wine critic Robert Parker Jr.  The 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon catapulted Venge to a venerated position in the California wine industry & it was through this achievement Nils earned the title of “King of Cab.”

Upon assuming ownership & the mantle of Winemaker from his father in 2008, Kirk promptly procured a 12.5-acre vineyard in the foothills of the Palisades Mountains in Calistoga, steadfast in his resolve to establish a new estate winery that would further enrich his Napa Valley legacy. Presently, at the helm of his own Venge Vineyards & Croix Estate, Kirk Venge has unequivocally emerged as one of the most revered – & sought-after – wine consultants in the United States.

It is with great privilege that we collaborate with Kirk Venge, not only to showcase the essence of our region but also to embody Nils’ ethos of being daring yet approachable, friendly & engaging while exhibiting layers of intricacy & depth.