LEGACY

a FAMILY parternship

GEORG MARTI
Owner & Wine Maker

As owner and wine maker, Georg continues a long tradition of family fermenting adventures.  Over 150 years ago his great-great-grandfather, August Schell, established the August Schell Brewing Company in New Ulm Minnesota, today's second oldest family owned brewery in the U.S.  Georg spent most of his early career working for his father, then president of the brewery.  Following the family’s fermentation legacy, in 1999 Georg and his oldest son Adam pursued wine making studies at Purdue University Heartland Wine School, with focus on Midwest varietals and northern climate wine making techniques.

Georg has received local, regional, and national recognition with Morgan Creek Vineyards’ wines. His wines were selected and served at the International Slow Food Wine Pavillion in San Francisco, and at the prestigious James Beard House in Manhattan, New York. Morgan Creek Vineyards’ wines have been exclusively served for the Minnesota Pork Producers Taste of Elegance chefʼs competition from 2003-2014. Together, Georg and Chef Kim Ernest of Kimʼs Cuisine, team taught a fun and delicious Gourmet Cooking series entitled Celebrating Food & Wine. Georg has hosted the annual Wine Makerʼs Dinner at Morgan Creek Vineyards from 1999- 2017 and designed the food & wine menu with Chef Ernest, and the winery lead staff.

A classical pianist and accomplished performer, Georg began a Master Degree in Vancouver British Columbia and completed the Master of Arts & Teaching program at Mankato State University. He is as passionate about music as he is about wine and beer. He and his wife Paula live in Cambria Township on a Century Farm homestead along the Morgan Creek, a tributary to the Minnesota River. 

PAULA MARTI
Owner & General Manager

Paula is co-owner and general manager of Morgan Creek Vineyards and serves as executive chef for the Winery's Cafe.  Although her education and career experience is in classical music and corporate communications, Paula has always been drawn to cooking, particularly plant-based cuisine.

In 1970 she immersed herself in a year long study-series in Macrobiotic Cooking and Practice in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Paula also studied in Minneapolis with macrobiotic practitioner and chef Mary Wynne of the Boston-based East-West Institute for Macrobiotics. Paula enjoys applying macrobiotic concepts to the winery’s general operations and menu, focusing always on acid and alkaline balance. Wine and food pairing experiences at the winery are perfect opportunities to connect food and wine alchemy with a sustainable and local organic food menu.

Paula also coordinates the development of wine label branding and Morgan Creek Vineyards event marketing. For three years she produced and hosted a winery related morning radio show - Morning Toast! with Radio Mankato. Also, on a monthly basis, she developed a radio series of interviews with regional organic food growers, and vendors. She named the show - Taste of Place.

ADAM MARTI
Tasting Room Manager & Sales Representative

 Adam is directly involved in the wine production and brand management of the evolving Minnesota wines of Morgan Creek since the opening of the winery. He studied wine making at Purdue University Heartland Wine School and is assistant winemaker and director of sales. He's the go-to guy at the winery for information on the wines, tours, event coordination, and as director of sales he maintains the important relationships with local retail outlets providing them with wine education and sales support.

His interest in developing a Minnesota wine and cuisine criterion led to a variety of valued relationships with regional chefs. His work with Executive Chef Paul Lynch of the FireLake Grill House in Minneapolis, produced the first commercial house wine for a major Minnesota restaurant. Partnering with the regionally venerated Saint Peter Food Coop, Adam guided a decade of wine & cheese seminars trademarked as "Say Cheese and Savor the Wine."

Always on the lookout for promotional opportunities for all things craft, Adam included the new line of sour beers from the August Schell Brewing Company’s - Star Keller Brewery, in the winery’s "Say Cheese and Savor the Wine" event. Adam also proudly introduced these new Berlin style Schell’s beers created by his cousin, Master Brewer, Jace Marti, into the annual Morgan Creek Vineyards’ Wine Maker's Dinner, partnering artisan wine and craft beer exposure to winery guests.  As a sixth generation descendant of Brewery Founder August Schell, Adam continues the fermentation fever passed from past generations to future generations.

DEANNA FENSKE
Wine Cafe’ Chef

Deanna - we call her "D" - is the muse behind the winery cafe for over a decade.  Deanna participates regularly in creating
menus items with a jazzy flair, and is the "anchor" cook for Morgan Creek Vineyards' gourmet wood fired oven. 

Deanna's love for artisan foods and great cooking adventure is evident in her enthusiastic support of many local food and beverage entrepreneurs. Working in a variety of venues, she was former baker and cook for New Ulm's Lola's American Bistro, a gourmet bistro with a full fine dinning menu; she was head cook for community senior dining services; and is a regular volunteer instructor for "Cooking Matters"  offered by the
Share Our Strength program through the University Minnesota Extension Department.

In her spare time she offers a variety of light catering services for private clientele. Deanna has been one of the early collaborators in the effort to establish a Food Co-op for the New Ulm Area. As past president of the New Ulm Food Coop and Market, she helped coordinate the development for this exciting new marketplace concept for New Ulm.