Richard Reddington // Executive Chef

Richard Reddington’s passion for food and wine was sparked by his travels throughout Europe as a young adult and fueled by his experiences working in some of the world’s best kitchens. As Executive Chef at Redd, Yountville’s highly anticipated new restaurant, he offers a contemporary interpretation of Wine Country cuisine, one that references his own classic French training and incorporates a variety of ethnic influences, reflecting his 15-year epicurean journey.

Reddington’s culinary training had an untraditional beginning. After graduating from college with a degree in business and traveling around Europe, he realized that his dream was not to enter the business world, but to do what he loved most – cooking – and decided that practical training was the way to go. He began his career working for Roland Passot at San Francisco's renowned La Folie in 1990, later moving to Postrio before heading east to David Burke's Park Avenue Café in New York City. A stint at Rubicon in San Francisco was followed by a French sojourn at the Michelin three-star Arpege and Le Moulin de Mougins with Roger Vergé, a prelude to working with Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel in New York.

Returning to California, he helped open Spago Beverly Hills as Sous Chef, before joining Chapeau in San Francisco, where he was named ‘Rising Star’ by The San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Bauer. He spent the next 18 months as Chef de Cuisine at Jardiniere. In 2000, he was drawn North to Napa Valley and began a four-year tenure as Executive Chef at the landmark Auberge du Soleil. There, he captured attention when he was voted ‘Best Rising Chef’ by San Francisco magazine in 2003. After leaving the Auberge in 2004, he took the reins at Masa’s in San Francisco, before taking the leap to launch his eponymous restaurant.

A graduate of Miami University in Ohio, Reddington is a native of Rochester, New York.

Guy Rebentisch // General Manager

For over 30 years, Los Angeles native Guy Rebentisch has been working diligently in the ever evolving restaurant business. He has left his impression on a number of restaurants over the years, always aspiring for the highest service standards and committed to creating exceptional experiences for his guests.

Rebentisch’s Los Angeles experience includes General Manager of Café Pinot, Director of Operations for Chaya Restaurant Group, and as General Manager of several noteworthy Napa Valley restaurants including Bouchon, Pinot Blanc, and Martini House.

After 11 years in Napa Valley, he teamed up with Chef Richard Reddington to open Redd as General Manager. His sense of leadership and graciousness is integral with making Redd the successful restaurant it is today.

Nicole Plue // Pastry Chef

Los Angeles native Nicole Plue has long been on the path to becoming one of California’s premier pastry chefs.

After pursuing a degree in English at California State University, Plue’s instincts guided her towards culinary school. She attended California Culinary Academy and became interested in pastry halfway through her studies.

She began with an externship at Masa’s and she credits with defining her career as a pastry chef, Hawthorne Lane. Plue began by running an ambitious bread program and transitioned to Pastry Chef. She stayed at Hawthorne Lane for three years.

Her next stop was New York City at Danny Meyers’ 11 Madison Park where she served as opening Pastry Chef for a year and a half. She also opened Terrance Conran’s Guastavino’s before signing on to develop recipes for pastry and baking segments on Martha Stewart Living Television. Afterwards, she managed pastry at both AZ and Pazo. When Pazo closed, Plue headed back to California to claim her position as Pastry Chef at Julia’s Kitchen for three years.

Plue has received universal praise throughout her career. She was named Pastry Chef of the Year by San Francisco Magazine and a ‘Rising Star’ by the San Francisco Chronicle. A dessert created during her tenure at Pazo was called ‘Best Dessert of 2004’ by William Grimes for Bon Appetit.

Partners // Bob Harmon, Tim Harmon, Claude Rouas

Robert Harmon

Mr. Harmon is a graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Law School. He left the practice of law to form Moana Corporation, a developer of premium resort properties such as Tahoe Tavern and Chinquapin at Lake Tahoe and Kiahuna Plantation in Hawaii. Ultimately, Mr. Harmon became active in the hotel and management business upon the completion of Auberge du Soleil in 1985, a joint project between Moana Corporation and Claude Rouas.

Claude Rouas

Mr. Rouas had his early training in Paris at Maxims and the Hotel Meurice. For many years Mr. Rouas was the owner and operator of L’Etoile, one of San Francisco’s premier restaurants. Mr. Rouas, with Mr. Robert Harmon, founded Piatti Restaurant Company, which owns and operates 12 restaurants in California, Washington, Colorado and Texas. Mr. Rouas is a member of the Restaurant Hall of Fame.

Tim Harmon

Mr. Harmon serves as CEO of Moana Hotel & Restaurant Group, a highly successful management company that operates a wide range of restaurants and hotels including several branded divisions and a variety of independent ventures. Additionally, he is a Director and Principal of Auberge Resorts, overseeing acquisitions and development of new properties for the company. Mr. Harmon attended the University of California at Berkeley and the Hastings College of Law in San Francisco and practiced law for eight years.