Page 8 - The Vino Noir Wine Tasting

Louis Garcia – Stover Oaks Winery

Louis Garcia was born in the Bronx, New York and grew up on Long
Island. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati
and an MBA in Finance & Marketing from Indiana University. He spent
over 25 years in various financial roles at large companies, including
Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, and Avery Dennison before developing an
interest in the wine industry in the late 1990’s.

Lou moved to California from Ohio in 2001 to become Chief Financial
Officer of a company in San Jose. In 2004, he wanted to pursue a senior
financial position in the wine industry but that was challenging because
he did not have any wine industry experience. Instead, Lou and his wife,
Janice, found a small winery and vineyard for sale in El Dorado County
of the Sierra Foothills in California. After meeting with Mac & Lil
McDonald of Vision Cellars to understand the roles of African Americans
in the wine industry, his wine journey began with the purchase of Stover
Oaks Vineyard & Winery in early 2004.

Now with wine industry experience, Lou became Chief Financial Officer
and General Manager of Frank Johnson Vineyards and Roshambo
Winery in Healdsburg, CA in 2005 and held this position for four years
while owning Stover Oaks. In July 2009, he became Controller & Chief
Financial Officer for Hall Family Wines in St Helena, CA and worked
there through the end of 2015. Lou went into “semi-retirement” mode in
2016 and moved to Niagara Falls, NY where he started up his financial
consulting business that focused on clients in the wine and spirits
industry. At the end of 2017, he moved to Shaker Heights, OH and
expanded his client base to local businesses but still with an emphasis
on wine and spirits.

In 2022, Lou ended his semi-retirement to help start up a new company
in Napa, CA with two partners in the wine & spirits industry. Legacy
Barrel Services focuses on the financing of new oak barrels and
equipment for wineries and distilleries as well as the removal & reselling
of used barrels to the wine & spirits industry. Lou is the Chief Financial
Officer and acts as the daily contact with their lending partners.

Even though he no longer owns the winery and vineyard property in the
Sierra Foothills, he still maintains the Stover Oaks brand while living in
Ohio. Stover Oaks wines are produced in California. Lou has been a
member of the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV) since
2004 and is currently Treasurer.

May 28, 2025