‘Passionate’ man: Winemaker Neumeister dies in Earlysville crash
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Neumeister attended a motorcycle race during his honeymoon in Czech Republic this summer.PHOTO COURTESY ADRIANE NEUMEISTER
On what appeared to be a glorious day during grape harvest time, winemaker Dan Neumeister climbed aboard his beloved Suzuki TL-R 1000 motorcycle after meeting his bride for lunch. The weather was clear, and the skies were bright on October 4, but the Crozet resident was about to encounter William T. Thompson of Ruckersville.
Police say that a drunk Thompson lost control of his Ford Taurus on the two-lane road, and swerved into Neumeister, before rolling the Taurus over and over. Thompson, age 58, was airlifted to UVA Medical Center and has been charged with driving under the influence— and may face other charges, say police. Around 2pm, Daniel Mark Neumeister, 31, died at the scene.
Neumeister was the award-winning winemaker for Sugarleaf Vineyards in North Garden, and his 2008 Petit Manseng was served at the White House at the 2010 Governor’s Ball.
“Everybody would use the word ‘passionate’ to describe him,” says Sarah Gorman at Cardinal Point Vineyard and Winery. “Dan didn’t have formal oenology training. He was an active learner who took the time to learn the chemistry and the details to make fine wine.”
“Passionate,” echoes Sugarleaf owner Lauren Bias. “Humble, dedicated, enthusiastic.”
Sugarleaf hired Neumeister in 2002 to tend its just-planted vineyard. “He fell in love with the craft,” says Bias. “It was natural he grew into our lead winemaker.”
Neumeister also was assistant winemaker at White Hall Vineyards, and head winemaker Mike Panczak was his mentor and friend for eight years.
“Dan wanted to get into the wine business so much, he kept calling and calling,” remembers Panczak, who says the phone calls became something of a joke— but also showed “his intensity.”
Panczak cites Neumeister’s attention to detail and exactitude in winemaking. “You have to be,” he says, “and you have to be smart and physically tough.” He gave Neumeister more and more responsibility, and Neumeister became such a skilled winemaker that his Sugarleaf wines won national awards. Neumeister previously worked at King Family Vineyards.
“He could have taken my job,” says Panczak. “He could have been head winemaker at any vineyard in Virginia.”
Neumeister attended high school in Baltimore, where he was an excellent lacrosse player, says Panczak, and spent his senior year at Covenant. After a couple of years in California, he returned to Albemarle.
He knew philosophy and martial arts, and “had that warrior attitude, which he definitely displayed,” says Panczak. Along with his skill in making wine, Neumeister could do mechanical work— or accounting and taxes. “Anything,” says Panczak.
Neumeister doing the work he loved best: making wine.PHOTO COURTESY ADRIANE NEUMEISTER
Panczak served best man at Neumeister’s wedding to Adriane Allen last year, and the couple took a belated honeymoon this past August to Austria and the Czech Republic, where they enjoyed the Moto GP, the grand prix of motorcycle racing.
Sarah Gorman recalls Neumeister’s care following another motorcycle accident in which a young man had been killed. It was on Route 810 between Crozet and White Hall. “Dan had gone back to put reflectors on the curve,” she says.
Her favorite memory of Neumeister: “We were having dinner at Three Notched Grill, and we see him skating by on his long board. He’d had a full day of work, and that’s what he did to relax.”
Neumeister’s wife, Adriane, is in nursing school.
“You couldn’t write anything more tragic,” says Gorman, “than what happened to this couple.”
Corrections October 7 on the location of the Moto GP and local high school Neumeister attended.
How many more people have to die at the hands of a drunk driver before we get serious about their actions? It’s pretty simple, people. You drink, you drive, you kill. It’s murder, not a DUI, not manslaughter. You should bypass indictment, trial, court, etc., and be sent to the chair. No more of my tax dollars to provide for you in an already-overcrowded jail system. I’m sick of people who get to spend the remainder of their useless lives in prison, reading, exercising, 3 squares a day. No more.
We may not be drunk, but we’re all speeding on Earlysville Road. Look what’s happened. Let’s stop driving like maniacs. Now.
What is this “we’re all speeding” stuff?
I have never had a speeding ticket in my entire life!
But anyhow, back to the point… nobody should have to die at the hands of a drunk driver. Especially a person on a motorcysle who never had a fighting chance! Smack a cop and serve a mandatory jail sentence. That’s the current law, a good law I suppose (when applied properly). Drive drunk and kill somebody, serve a mandatory sentence as well. 40 years, no parole gets my vote!
Danny was a good kid .. well at least he was a kid to me .. and I was very saddened to learn of this tragedy. So very sad!
Need more public hangings.
Killing others through wanton behavior merits this.
Charlottesville neglects its basic social justice obligations. During band break at “Fridays after 5″, there should be at least one hanging per week, maybe more when you consider all the “pendards” who live in this area.
Speed kills
Dan was a young man of integrity and certainly driven to excellence. I feel privileged to have known him. His enthusiasm for winemaking was infectious. We have all lost his presence and the future that could have been. It is so difficult to measure that kind of loss. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
There is no Czechoslovakia. Learn some geography, Lisa.
Stay classy, Papua New Gibbers.
I am very sorry to hear about this. My family drives on that road and I can tell you after growing up here plenty of drunk drivers use that road between Charlottesville and Greene to evade the police. I know we did it as kids a lot.
This person should in fact be charged with more than manslaughter.
In addition I feel we are all culpable with our old fashioned Societal views of addiction. Alcoholism is not a “shameful ” thing, it is a disease, just like your diabetes, or heart illness. There needs to be more treatment, way more than you all could imagine, but no one wants to pay for that do they?
If I were to guess %75 of us are on R/x Pills, drunk too often, or high on some street drug at least 2-3 times per week.
It would be nice if the comments on this article could focus on Dan and not be a forum for everyone’s opinions on the ills of society and what the appropriate punishment is for drunk driving.
We are so sorry to hear of this loss. It hits home in a close knit business such as ours. Our thoughts go out to Dan’s friends and family and to those who worked with him.
How ironic. The man was killed by the same substance he produced.
Dan was an amazing young man. Adriane the sweetest girl you’d ever know. My heart goes ot to her with this tragic loss. Lets keep Adriane and the rest of Dan’s family and friends in our prayers.
Mr/Mrs/Miss Wow, Huh? It’s no more ironic than the millionaire Segway tycoon Jimi Heselden dying in a freak accident on one of his own scooters. He ran off a cliff on a Segway, probably a Segway malfunction.
The malfunction we have in this particular case is Thompson consumed too much alcohol. And I doubt it was wine either.
Hey Wow, what do you want to bet he wasn’t drunk on wine at 1:00 PM in the afternoon, but whiskey. Dan was straight up guy and will be missed.
We are very saddened to learn of this tragedy. Our hearts go out to Adriane and all of Dan’s family. We all feel this terrible loss.
GSOE - All drivers speed in the same way that all cyclists run stop signs & red lights.
So what if you’ve never gotten a speeding ticket? Does that mean that you’ve never exceeded the speed limit? Somehow I doubt it.
Wine Guy and GSOB. Last time I read the laws, the state police do not ask you if you have been drinking wine, beer, or whiskey. They give you a test and if you fail, its off to the slammer. EtOH or ethyl alcohol is the same in either wine, beer or whiskey. It is all ethyl alcohol, just in different quantities.
The fellow was probably a nice guy. I am not doubting that. But anyone who is involved in making alcohol should think of the consequences of the product they make. I wonder how many ‘wine makers’ think about the kids that could get a whole of there product. Ask yourself that Wine Guy.
It really bothers me how everybody on this site has to make everything into an argument. Just say it’s sad, and a life lost so young is a tragedy. Christ’s peace to Dan and his family. Enough said.