Our Family

Andy Erickson

Consulting Winemaker

Andy Erickson didn’t come to Casino Mine Ranch for a quiet life. It all started with a half-serious, half-drunken promise at a party years ago. Back then, the ranch was a wild, rambling place with abandoned mine caves where he and Rich shot skeet and drank Bud Light. Now, he’s a wine legend, leaving his mark at Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Staglin Family Vineyards, and Mayacamas, but here he dives into a wild vineyard of Teroldego, Vermentino, and other oddball treasures, pulling greatness from the soil. He and his viticulturist wife Annie Favia run their own labels, Favia Wines and Leviathan, and raise two daughters who are already learning that boldness runs in the family. Somehow he still finds time for skeet shooting and Bud Light, proving even legends know how to have fun.

Jessica Tarpy Shaheen

Winemaker

Jessica Tarpy Shaheen gets us. She and her husband Andrew Shaheen make Amador County Tempranillo under their own small label, Gather, so she knows how to wrestle greatness from stubborn land. Her path to winemaking started with a summer in Pisa eating gelato, then a degree in Italian, and one wild turn led to the next. Florence. Wine retail. Postbac studies in enology and viticulture. She’s made wine in strange, daring places, including Klein Constantia in South Africa. With Andy Erickson and Annie Favia, she runs the experimental label ROOM. Jessica calls the patchwork of grape varieties on the ranch a “gumbo pot,” and that’s exactly what it is. Bold, unexpected, and full of character.

Rich + Joan Merryman

Vintner

What do you do with an abandoned mining ranch in the middle of nowhere? You plant vines. And if you’re Rich, you slap in a full NBA basketball court while you’re at it, because why the hell not? That’s just how he rolls. Rich and his wife Joan live for adventure, chasing wild places and tasting bold wines, and that’s exactly how this beautiful mess got started. When he’s not wrestling vines into submission, Rich builds massive deals in commercial real estate. Joan is a fearless, brilliant interior designer with taste sharp enough to keep the whole operation from collapsing into a dank cave.

Jim + Laurie Merryman

Founder

When they were kids, running and leaping over creeks, Jim would stop and figure out the best way across. Rich just jumped and hoped for the best. This dynamic hasn’t changed much. Both made their marks in real estate and construction, but never worked together until now. This project is a gamble, but a damn fun one, perfect for raising a glass and getting your hands dirty. Jim’s wife Laurie is a national pro in ornamental horticulture and commercial landscaping, and she’s the one who keeps our plants alive and kicking.

Casey Merryman

Vice President of Sales

Casey grew up in the Bay Area and met his first rattlesnake at five. On the ranch, he ran wild, diving headfirst into one reckless idea after another, egged on by his father Rich, who is as dangerous as he is charming. Then Casey got roped into the vineyard crew, waking at 4 am to plant our first vines and working straight through the day and night. That’s when he realized he was hooked on this crazy, unpredictable wine life. He’s sharp in marketing, but his real superpower is closing deals as The Closer.

Matt Zaldivar

General Manager

Originally from Los Angeles, Matt started as a barista and worked his way through every corner of the hospitality world—line cook, server, sommelier, tasting room manager—learning fast and hard. Two decades later, he’s running the show as General Manager at Casino Mine Ranch.

Matt keeps the ranch humming, making sure every guest has an unforgettable experience while pushing the brand and the business forward with guts and grit. He lives in Sutter Creek with his wife Amanda and their four kids. When he’s not at the ranch, he’s cooking over an open flame, camping deep in the Sierra, or chasing down good stories and even better wine.