Robin Daniel Lail, President, Lail Vineyards, Howell Mountain, Calif.

Lail is a fourth generation Napa Valley vintner, whose family established Inglenook Vineyard Co. in 1879. She is the founder and managing partner of Lail Vineyards, in the northern Napa Valley. Prior to Lail, she worked with Robert Mondavi for five years and subsequently co-founded Dominus and Merryvale Vineyards in 1983. In 1981, Lail managed the launch of the inaugural Napa Valley Wine Auction, grandfather of all U.S. wine auctions. In 1990, she co-founded the Duke Seminar in Napa Valley. Lail attended Stanford University and majored in international relations. She and her husband Jon live in Napa Valley. Their daughter Shannon (BA ’94) is a Duke graduate.