Meet The Team
Ira & Eydie Holz
Founding Vintners
​
Ira and Eydie Holz share a love and appreciation for wine with everyone involved in Shadowbox Cellars. Eydie works in interior design and enjoys travel and the arts. She is also very involved in philanthropy and has chaired and organized events and served on committees for numerous charity organizations.
​
Ira Holz has been a passionate collector of wines for many years. He possesses a highly developed palate and brings a wealth of knowledge about wine to Shadowbox cellars. He was a longtime member of the Chicago Board of Trade and The Chicago Board Options Exchange. He is currently an investor in a diverse group of businesses. Ira is also involved in philanthropy and enjoys golf, collecting art, and travel.
Monty & Sara Preiser
Founding Vintners
​
Monty Preiser earned his law degree in 1976 and before he semi-retired to spend his time in the wine industry he litigated major cases in about 20 states involving the safety of vaccines, tools, and medical practices. Sara Preiser graduated in 1973 with a degree in drama, and then became a spokesperson for DuPont and women’s fashion when Lycra was invented.
They met on a blind date in New York in 1977, and were married in 1978. They lived in West Virginia for 15 years before moving to Florida in 1992. After they became empty-nesters, they decided to write about food and wine as a joint hobby, which not surprisingly led them to the Napa Valley. Soon they were well recognized wine writers and founders of the most complete guide to Napa wineries and restaurants. From there it was a short step to making wine, which they first did in 2006. In 2009 the couple took partners and Shadowbox Cellars was born.
Justin & Stacy Preiser
Winemaker/Director of Operations/Vintners
​
Justin grew up in South Florida and with both parents being food and wine writers, there is little doubt how he was drawn to Napa After school at the University of Colorado in Boulder, he moved to the Napa Valley and began his day job - Director of Operations for The Preiser Key.
Stacy was born and raised in Rusk, a small town in east Texas, and continued on to study at Stephen F Austin University and receive a Masters from Texas Women's University.
​
Justin and Stacy met in December of 2008 when Stacy was visiting Napa with several friends. It did not take long before they were travelling to and from Northern California and Texas almost every weekend. And Justin knew she was the one when she called from Texas, upset with him because she could no longer pallate the wines grocery store wines she drank before they met.
​
Stacy moved to Napa, and works as a Speech Pathologist, and in September 2010 they were married.
