Anthony grew up immersed in the world of wine. His family were initial investors in Chalone and Ravenswood Wineries, which exposed Anthony early on to the winemaking brilliance of Joel Peterson and the late Dick Graff. Upon graduation from UC Berkeley, where he wrote his senior thesis on the post-prohibition recovery of the California wine industry, Anthony continued to develop his passion for fine wine by joining the winemaking team at Carmenet Winery under the tutelage of Jeff Baker and Pam Starr. Bourke took a “brief” hiatus from the winemaking world while he pursued his life dream of flying F-16’s for the US Air Force and the California Air National Guard.
After serving his country for 20 years, “AB” returned to the Bay Area, where he served as a Director on the Board of Merry Edwards Winery from 2003 until their successful sale to Louis Roederer in 2019. In 2003, Bourke launched his own wine brand from his Marin County garage with the help of his wife, neighbors and his brother Dr. Sean Bourke under the Hale Mary label. In 2007, they moved winemaking operations to Sebastopol and partnered with Ken and Akiko Freeman to continue his pursuit of making elegant Russian River Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In his spare time, Anthony
enjoys surfing, skiing, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Bourke is the founder and CEO of Mach 2 Consulting, where he travels the
world teaching corporate management how to leverage fighter pilot
principles to the world of business.
MARY BOURKE
Raised in the Napa Valley, Mary Bourke has always been intrigued by the wine industry. She met her husband, Anthony, at UC Berkeley, where they worked at some of the area’s finest restaurants and developed their palates and interest in wine. Mary fondly recalls their early efforts as humble garagistes, when their three children, friends and family helped to crush,
bottle and label their wines by hand in the Bourke driveway. In addition to her role with Hale Mary, she works in fundraising and event planning — and plays the drums in rock and jazz bands for fun.
