Our Team

After moving from Eugene, Oregon where he grew up, Andrew learned to love cellar work in Santa Barbara assisting in the production of bulk wines in a large facility. He quickly realized that there was much more connected and lovely work out there in the wine world, and he was hired as the cellar master at Summerland Winery. He then moved along to be the first employee at Sanguis, where his idealistic bent toward the craft of winemaking was cultivated. After four years in California, Oregon called him home where he assisted Jim Prosser at JK Carriere Wines for two years. The following year was divided between Ted Lemon’s project in New Zealand, Burn Cottage, and Burgundy in the Haute Cote working for Claire Naudin at Domaine Naudin Ferrand. Finally, he spent five years as the assistant winemaker at Antica Terra and Lillian with Maggie Harrison prior to joining and founding Audeant Wines with Proprietor, Teal Walker, in 2016.

Teal’s passion for wine began 25 years ago following an impromptu day trip to Napa Valley while visiting a friend in San Francisco.  Little did she know that a last-minute trip would spark a lifelong journey of discovery and connection. She began traveling to wine destinations in the US and abroad, seeking out small producers who were making intentional, handcrafted wines. Her wine cellar quickly expanded, and she found joy in sharing wine with friends and family. 

Growing up in a big Italian family where everything was handcrafted from scratch, a connection to all things culinary became a huge part of Teal’s life at an early age; when she met her husband Dan, their shared love for food and wine deepened. They quickly combined their wine cellars and often joke that they are like the Brady Bunch and instead of combining their kids, they combined their wines!

With a professional background in digital product design and development, Teal understands the importance of adaptability and she humbly recognizes that the best laid plans are meant to be changed.  Following a fateful trip to Willamette Valley in 2015, she charted a new course that she’d never imagined, partnering with Andrew Riechers to found Audeant Wines in 2016.  She is grateful to be on this journey with you and hopes that Audeant’s profoundly Oregonian wines spark your own curiosity and passion.