My Story

Life doesn't always go the way you thought it would, but the conscious decision to just let the pain and hurt go led me 

to not only discover my true passion, but also to be able to live it. Following a demoralizing and painful divorce that 

resulted in closing down my own business in Old Town Cottonwood, I took my first job with an Arizona winery 

tasting room in Jerome, AZ  just to pay the bills. 

On that fateful day in 2012 I found my passion. From the moment I stepped foot into that tasting room 

I became immersed in the culture of wine. Every ounce of my efforts went into discovering the story 

that well crafted wines have to tell.  My time spent as a jack-of-all trades with an independent, family owned winery 

meant no door was closed. I worked in every aspect of this industry from the tasting room, to operations, 

sales, and self-distribution, marketing, public relations, wine education and even lobbying 

along side John to preserve the integrity of Arizona growers and wine makers. My tenacity and drive afforded me 

opportunities to work in the vineyard during harvests.  I learned the hard realities of the crush first hand and began 

to assist in winemaking, apprenticing under Arizona wine pioneer, John McLoughlin. This was a greater gift than I even 

realized at the time. One that would change my life.

In October 2015, John and I were married and in 2017 and idea was born. John had always encouraged me to share my own ideas about wine from the perspective I had gained by working in tasting rooms for so many years and by continually exploring wineries all over the country. John encouraged me to come out of the shadows and start making it on my own.

Being a part of a small family owned business with no investors and my deep seeated desire  to craft a quality wine as a female winemaker meant the realization of that dream was slow and tough. In May 2019 it was time to make it a reality.

Tantrum Wines reflect the moods and attitudes of women who move with a purpose. 

As the winemaker, I was in no rush. I was willing to take the time to get it right. 

I believe my wines demonstrate that intention.