Coastal Range Vineyards Family
Our family owned and operated business treats employees and clients as part of our family. Sustainable agricultural practices extend beyond the vines. Our professional group of full-time employees have been with us for multiple seasons and are familiar with all aspects of vineyard management and installations.
Management team
Cody Muhly, Owner
Cody received his first lessons in vineyard management and wine making as a toddler harvesting and stomping grapes from his grandfather’s vineyard in Sonoma. The harvest parties left a lasting impression on Cody as his educational endeavors took him to Stanford, but his heart remained in the wine and vineyard industries. At Stanford, Cody studied Public Policy and International Relations with a focus in international agricultural trade. In 2005, Cody began to work with his brother, Taylor, on managing small vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. Over the past ten years, Cody has been involved with planting and/or managing over 100 different private and commercial vineyards throughout the area. He specializes in vineyard design, installations, soils and hydraulics. Cody also works as a Fire Captain with Santa Cruz City Fire Department. When he isn’t in the vineyards or on the fire ground, he’s at home trying to keep up with his kids and spending time with his wife.
Taylor Muhly, Owner
Taylor is a third generation California wine grower and wine maker. Taylor grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is a Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo alum. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Wine and Viticulture with a concentration in Viticulture, a Minor in Plant Protection Science and has a Qualified Applicators License from the Department of Pesticide Regulation. During college, Taylor spent his summers as a Grower Relations Manager in the Napa Valley. After graduation Taylor traveled throughout South America, where he studied Spanish in Peru and consulted for Vines of Mendoza (a vineyard design and management firm) in Argentina. As a consultant for Vines of Mendoza, he played a key role in designing the firm’s private vineyard estates to be planted at the foot of the Andes. Upon his return to California, Taylor took a job as a vineyard manager in Paso Robles where he oversaw more than one thousand acres of vineyards. Taylor has worked as a consultant and manager for a number of small private and commercial vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains over the past 15 years and has helped grow Coastal Range Vineyards into one of the premier vineyard management companies in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Peter Kirchner, Winemaker
While attending UC Santa Cruz and earning a degree in Marine Biology, Peter started working for Devine Consultants where he was introduced to wine making and vineyard management. He always had a passion for wine, stemming from growing up in the bay area and making regular trips to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma with his family where he was exposed to premium wines. Coming to a crossroads after graduation, he had a choice to make between pursuing his passion in marine ecology versus continuing his development as a winemaker and grape grower. If you are reading this, it is clear what his choice was, he has now been making wine and managing vineyards for almost 10 years and knows he made the right decision. He later entered the UC Davis Extension program and completed the Winemaking Certificate program. Combining his scientific mindset and his knowledge of vineyards, Peter takes great pride in ensuring the wines he makes and vineyards he manages reach their utmost potential. Although he spends much of his time out in the vineyards, he feels he is winemaking at all times, with the belief that the most important component to a high quality wine is the premium fruit that goes into it. He enjoys working directly with his clients in order to style the wine to their preference and share the exciting process with them. When Peter is not crafting wine in the cellar or working in the vineyards, he likes to spend time with his wife, Betsy, enjoying the outdoors, attending Giants games, and enjoying hoppy beers.
Nick Painter, Vineyard Manager
After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Wine and Viticulture in 2012, Nick started working for Joseph Phelps Winery. Nick worked through harvest and then hit the road for a few years working and perfecting his craft at different vineyards throughout Australia, France, Chile, Oregon and New Zealand. Upon returning to California, Nick settled in as a viticulturist at Halter Ranch on the western side of Paso Robles and eventually made it up north to Thomas Fogarty. Nick joined the Coastal Range Vineyards team as the Director of Vineyard Operations in the fall of 2022. His extensive experience in vineyards throughout California and the globe make him an ideal fit for Coastal Range and plethora small block vineyards that we care for. When Nick is not in the vineyards, we can find him in the cellar chasing his passion for wines or out on the slopes or in the surf. He loves to stay active and outdoors!
