About Us

Deniro is the kind of person who becomes your best friend within five minutes. His warmth, charm, and sun-packed smile have a way of drawing people in wherever he goes. After nearly a decade in hospitality and management in the East Bay, he moved to Napa and dove headfirst into the wild world of wine, chasing knowledge, connection, and a maybe also yeast-obsessed winemaker along the way.

He's spent the more recent years of his busy life making memories in cellars and vineyards and always with a full bottle in hand.  As Proprietor and Director of Hospitality at Squish Cellars, he helps shape a first gen hedonistic movement that’s rooted in joy, curiosity, generosity, and just the right amount of rebellion. Whether he’s pouring a glass or telling a story, Deniro makes people feel at home and consistently reminds us why wine is best when shared.

Melani has always been drawn to the technical deep end of creative work. She professionally started that dive at 16 with filmmaking and concert photography, capturing moments that required honing her intuition, creativity, quick instincts, and technical skill. That experience has served as a crash course in the precision and artistry that is required in winemaking. Also served to provide some serious mom lore.

Before stepping into the cellar, she worked across nearly every corner of the wine industry, from hospitality to marketing to production. Along the way, she was guided by some of Napa Valley’s most accomplished vintners, gaining the full-circle perspective she now brings to Squish Cellars, where she serves as Winemaker and Creative Director.

Her style leans low-intervention and vineyard-first, with a focus on protocol honesty, curiosity, and letting the fruit lead.