As a seasoned “clambaker,” sommelier, and culinary school graduate, our founder and leader, Mary Mcauley, had an “ah-ha” moment when charged with the task of selecting the wine for a clambake she threw with her friends back in August 2011 in her seaside hometown of Mantoloking, NJ. what started with the humble intention of making a “family wine” for personal clambakes turned into a local cult following when Mcauley realized the void for trustworthy brands on the American wine market, and felt compelled to bring her idea to the masses. Ripe Life’s first wine, the Clambake Chardonnay, hit the shelves in July 2013 and was an instant success. At Ripe Life, she oversees every aspect of production, from vineyard procurement to winemaking direction with her team. She is solely responsible for creative direction, business development, and the sales and marketing of over 20 major wholesale markets. Before graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education and, later on, the French Culinary Institute, she attended Georgetown University, where she was a member of the division I national champion sailing team. She still makes it out on the water any chance she gets.