Team

Dhruv Khanna

Owner

Born in India, Dhruv Khanna completed high school in England before traveling widely in Europe and North America. He came to the United States in 1979 to attend Dartmouth College, and received his law degree from Stanford Law School in 1986. He is a telecommunications attorney and was one of the founders of Covad. Dhruv was attracted to Kirigin Cellars because of its rich history and stunning beauty. Dhruv’s passions for excellent wine, the outdoors, sports and dogs inspired him to replant the deteriorating vineyards, add sports fields, build a new Club House building, and restore old wine tasting areas.

Allen Krutzer

Winemaker

Allen Kreutzer began working with Nikola Kirigin in 1984, and continues to lead all viticulture and winemaking processes at Kirigin Cellars. Allen’s BS in Fermentation Science from UC Davis and Master’s Degree in Agricultural Chemistry from Fresno State has provided him with a strong scientific background for viticulture and winemaking. Allen also successfully opened his own winery, Drytown Cellars, in November 2001 in the Sierra Foothills of Amador County. He is the proud recipient of many prestigious accolades, including “Best of Show” at California’s largest wine competition, the Orange County Fair, and “Best of Class” in the San Francisco Chronicle’s competition. Allen is one of California’s best wine-makers.

Hilda Fragozo

Assistant Winemaker

Hilda has worked at Kirigin Cellars since 2010 and works with the production team on wine making, blending wines and harvesting. She works closely with Allen on the blending and bottle of all of Kirigin’s award winning wines.

Ralph Kara

Assistant Winemaker

Ralph started with Kirigin in 2013 working in our Tasting Room. He is now and assistant winemaker and works closely with Allen to cultivate and produce our award winning wines. 

Perri Johnson

General Manager

Perri is our General Manager and has worked at Kirigin Cellars since 2011. She manages our Tasting Rooms, Weddings, and Events and plays a key role in ensuring everyone enjoys their experience with us.

Gabino Romero

Vineyard Staff

Gabino has worked at Kirigin Cellars for over 40 years and is the only employee that has worked for all 3 of the wineries owners. He has worked under Allen for the last 34 years and works closely with Hilda and the rest of the vineyard staff on the bottling line.

Glorio Fragozo

Vineyard Staff

Glorio is the father of Hilda Fragozo and has been working on Kirigin Cellar’s beautiful grounds for 16 years. Glorio is in charge of our landscaping and works day in and day out to keep our property looking beautiful.

Barbara Westmoreland

Wedding and Events Team

Introducing Barbara!

Barbara has been an invaluable member of our team since 2019. Her journey began in the tasting room, where she then became an integral part of our events management. Over the years, Barbara’s dedication and hard work have elevated her to a central role, overseeing several aspects of our team.