In addition to offering an extensive array of cutting edge products and services found on the trade show floor, the 2023 WIN Expo educational conference sessions include 13 comprehensive workshops focusing on four main tracks: Winemaking & Production, Sales & Marketing, Business Strategy & Leadership, and Vineyard & Growers.
All four tracks feature interactive sessions to facilitate greater subject emersion, insights, and value for the attendees, as expert panels of industry thought leaders and innovators will be sharing their ideas, information, and predictions to help better prepare for the coming year.
"This business isn't getting any less competitive," acknowledges George Christie, Founder & CEO of Wine Industry Network. "That's why the educational component has evolved into a much bigger experience. It's imperative that we touch on all the main points; how do we make better wine, grow better grapes, and be more effective with our sales and marketing strategies? That's exactly what we've designed these sessions to focus on."
Session Topics & Tracks
Exhibit Hall Trial Tastings
9:30am - 10:30am
11:00am - 12:00pm
1:30pm - 2:30pm
Session Details
In an increasingly competitive marketplace both winemakers and researchers have reconsidered the role of non-traditional yeast strains as a path for improving wine quality. In particular, Metschnikowia pulcherrima has been gathering momentum in wine yeast research circles due to certain advantageous winemaking properties, namely biocontrol, enhanced finished wine quality, and possible alcohol reduction.
Attend this session to taste trial wines made with Maurivin AWRI Obsession (a strain sourced from the AWRI) and experience how these new strains can potentially create novel wine styles with increased aroma, palate complexity, and enhanced color as compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and uninoculated controls. This panel of winemakers and technical representatives will discuss benefits they have discovered utilizing these non-Saccharomyces strains. Learn about these new strains of yeast and how best to use them to add value to your wines.
The wine industry has been lagging behind other consumer online experiences. Long gone are the days of consumers enjoying exclusivity through complex logins to static experiences. Today's consumer expects brands to know their preferences and tailor offers to align with that knowledge. Finally, when it comes time to make the purchase they expect an instantaneous solution that follows them through to completion even at times when they are pulled from the original purchasing goal.
Leaders in the eCommerce space and experts studying the demands of the direct-to-consumer experience will offer a panel exploration to guide you through these new buying experiences and the solutions available to meet your consumers where they expect brands to be.
Dr. Robert Eyler will begin the day with a State of the Industry session focused on the financial markets. From impending geopolitical issues, both domestically and internationally, to quickly evolving financial pressures, there are opportunities and challenges facing the wine industry and its consumers.
Dr. Eyler provides a forecast of the U.S. economy, with headwinds and tailwinds for the wine industry from vineyards to retail. How will a slower economy, which is predicted through at least 2024, impact winery and vineyard profitability? More importantly, Dr. Eyler provides insights as to what you need to do to position your business in this downturn and be ready to strike at new opportunities as they arise in the next one to five, to ten years, and beyond.
One of the most important aspects in farming is water management. Technology is a helpful aid in managing water, through automation and improvements in farming tools. The data and the control provided by the right-fit system increases efficiency and lowers costs.
This session will feature technology solutions that help support efficiency in irrigation and utilize the precious resources of time and water effectively. Listen to cutting-edge irrigation solutions as they highlight various approaches from valves, to timing, to data and feedback in an effort to increase water efficiency. This panel will go one step further by also featuring speakers that are growers utilizing solutions in real-world applications to help attendees understand both the potential and reality of implementation.
Tannins have a major impact on the organoleptic properties of the wines they enrich; as development of technologies to support winemaking advance, it will become key to also facilitate winemakers' access to measuring these impacts. Oak compound analysis results enable them to create a criteria for the selection of barrels used to better align with winemaking goals.
Until now, the only tool for measuring ellagitannins has been chemical measurements. However, after several years of research, Radoux has developed near infrared technology to allow instant measurement of the quantity of polyphenols contained in staves. This session will cover how oak compound analysis allows you to exploit the full potential of each barrel to improve wine quality.
"Artificial Intelligence (AI), has the capability to produce written and visual marketing content, assist with brainstorming, and streamline tasks; everyone now has access to this tool, but what is the best way to use it to make our businesses more efficient and more effective?
This session, featuring a panel of winery AI users, is going to dive into real-world and practical uses of AI that you can use to benefit your marketing and data mining efforts today. This will not be a conversation stuck in the "theories and what ifs," but rather, a conversation that will go into the nitty gritty tactics of how to utilize AI with the resources you already have.
The North Coast Wine Industry Expo's State of the Bulk and Wine Markets, brings together industry leaders to share insights from the recently completed harvest and its anticipated impact on the year ahead. From grape, to bulk, to integrated activity, this session will offer data and insights to provide the key information you need to guide your business into 2024.
This year's session will be led by Glenn Proctor, Todd Azevedo and Greg Livengood of The Ciatti Company. They will apply their combined decades of experiences in the industry to give you valuable insights needed to look into the future.
Monitoring soil carbon sequestration is key for any regenerative program, but what is the best way to go about doing it? Even beyond those specifically interested in regenerative certifications, the measurement of soil carbon provides key data for controlling the carbon footprint and supporting environmental impact goals.
From soil testing to vineyard-level data, this session will outline how growers can quickly detect carbon loss via carbon dioxide emissions events, attribute carbon emissions to natural occurring weather patterns, handle anomalous events that release carbon, and understand how soil moisture levels and water tables can play into the health of your soil.
The aromatic qualities of a wine invoke a multisensory experience and give consumers their first impression on your product. Vineyard management, picking decisions, and winemaking practices can all impact the aromatic profile and wine quality. Varietal aromas such as thiols, terpenes and norisoprenoids play an essential role in the aromatic profile.
This session will explore varietal aromas, their origin and expression, and how to optimize them in winemaking. A trial tasting will focus on thiols, particularly covering the new research related to thiols in red wines. Winemakers will take away knowledge on how to improve the aromatic quality of any wine with real-world solutions ready for immediate implementation.
Video content is no longer only for wineries with huge marketing budgets. Beginning with YouTube and transitioning through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, the consumption and expectations of video has dramatically evolved from overly produced to a more personal and authentic style and way of engaging with customers. This, combined with the easy ability to produce video content, has opened new doors for wineries of any size to leverage video as another way to interact with their audience in a more meaningful way. This session will feature a panel of wine marketers successfully using video content in different ways to drive consumer engagement and wine sales.
Attendees will learn valuable lessons on how to incorporate video effectively into their marketing strategy today.
The California State Water Board adopted New Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements for Winery Process Water (New Winery General Order) that applies to California facilities making wine or grape juice, producing 10,000-15,000,000 gallons of winery process water per year, and with discharges of winery process water to land for reuse or disposal. This panel features the regulatory bodies, industry lobbyists, and compliance consultants that helped guide the development of the New Winery General Order.
The first quarter of 2024 marks the initial deadline for wineries to enroll in the New Winery General Order and begin benchmark reporting to stay in compliance. This panel will give you facts straight from the source so that you can plan your resources accordingly, be prepared, and proactively work to ensure you are not scrambling when the deadlines arrive.
If you have questions about the New Winery General Order and California’s Statewide Waste Discharge Requirements, we encourage you to submit your questions below and the panel will address them during the session.
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Laurel Warddrip
Senior Environmental Scientist, Waste Discharge Requirements Program Manager / California State Water Resources Control Board
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Melissa Gunter
Water Resources Control Engineer / SF Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
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Regenerative Agriculture has helped us realize that soil health lends to vine health, which ultimately influences the quality of the wines offered to consumers. In order to continue farming the lands into future generations, actions must be taken today! Learn about the steps taken by growers pioneering the regenerative agriculture programs and measurable impact they have seen these actions make towards supporting soil health along with grape and wine quality.
Research has shown that today's wine consumer values lower calories, lower alcohol, vegan, and allergen-free wines; the challenge that winemakers face is how to offer those options without sacrificing the body and flavor of the wines. This session will highlight products and processes winemakers can use to deliver on consumer trends without making concessions on wine quality.
European producers have outpaced their U.S. counterparts in embracing new techniques and additions that allow for high quality low alc, low cal, and vegan wines. This session will feature a panel of winemakers sharing their experiences of evolving their processes and the results they achieved. This session will include a trial tasting.
Exhibit Hall Trial Tastings
The exhibit hall trial tastings program features complimentary trial tastings exploring how different products and methods affect wine outcomes. These trials are unique to the Exhibit Hall Floor and are separate from any Conference Session Trials.
10:15am - 1:45pm (Booth #718)
Polysaccharides and mannoproteins are key elements of the wine body. Increasing their content improves the sensation of the body and the volume in the mouth. Moreover, by interacting with the phenolic compounds of red wines, the sensation of astringency and bitterness of the tannic fraction is reduced. On the other hand, polysaccharides and tannins increase the aromatic perception, prolong the length of the palate, and contribute to the wine structure. Our tasting is based on these principles and seeks to highlight the qualities of the wine by adjusting their concentrations in polysaccharides, mannoproteins, but also in tannin extracts from French oak. Subli’Sense is an association of mannoproteins and polysaccharides enhancing softness, smoothness, and tannic balance to wines. Manno'Sense is a pure mannoprotein selected from Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell walls, rich in sapid peptides. It enhances the aromas and increases the roundness and the perception of sweetness. Tan & Sense Origin is a pure untoasted French oak tannin. A great tool to get more roundness and a softer mouthfeel.
Engage participants with a digital accompaniment to your group-format tastings. Curate is an app centered around tasting notes and shared wine experiences. Our Collaborative Tasting feature adds an interactive element to group tastings, giving consumers a memorable experience while also collecting data to provide market intelligence to wineries and tasting rooms.
Here’s how it works:
The host designs a flight of wines and invites participants. Using their own phone or tablet, participants build digital tasting notes as the host guides them through each wine. Participants can see the flavors and characteristics each other are selecting in real-time, increasing their understanding of the wine and encouraging discussion. Tasting notes are saved to each participant’s account for easy future reference and sharing with their friends. The venue can access detailed analytics to refine marketing strategies based on qualities of the wine that resonate most with consumers in their target demographic.
The Collaborative Tasting feature can be used for both in-person and virtual tastings. It’s also perfect for wine education and deductive tasting workshops, as instructors can see sensory perceptions of all students and guide accordingly without relying on breakout groups.
Drop by Booth #407 for a live demo if you miss our Trial Tasting, or if you want to learn more about our suite of free and premium tools for wineries and tasting rooms.
Mannoproteins are components of yeast cell walls and are released during alcoholic fermentation and aging. Mannoproteins are known to confer potassium tartrate and protein stability, reduce astringency, improve color, and improve wine texture, softness, and roundness. The mannoproteins of different Saccharomyces strains vary in composition and molecular weight, which affects their properties in wine. Even though the mannoprotein products in our portfolio have the same basic composition and all confer colloidal stability, they all have unique secondary impacts based on the strains they were prepared from. Join us for this tasting session where you can experience how the Final Touch® mannoproteins can positively impact wine quality.
In this tasting you will sample sparkling wine produced in 2 different methods: Méthode Champenoise & Charmat and learn how each is crafted by our Winemaking team. Each style of wine will be finished 3 different ways; a neutral (no dose), a sugar dose, and a wine or spirit dose. Taste for yourself how the two winemaking methods produce diverse styles of sparkling wine and how each dose uniquely compliments and changes the final profile of the wine. With four modern wineries located in Healdsburg, Alexander Valley, Geyserville and Lodi, Rack & Riddle specializes in Méthode Champenoise, Charmat, and in-line carbonation solutions producing the best of all things sparkling.
Speaker Bios
Lorenza B. Allen is the Technical Marketing Specialist at Enartis USA, providing technical expertise for marketing strategy and working alongside both Enartis local and international teams. She collaborates with the Enartis Research & Development department, supports the Sales Team, and communicates Enartis products, services, and research to the public.
Originally from Piedmont, Italy, Lorenza has worked in the wine industry since 2009. She developed a worldwide perspective of winemaking by working and studying in Italy, France, Portugal, Australia, and California, as well as obtaining a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Viticulture and Enology.
Her goal is to dedicate her skills and expertise to develop efficient and long-term solutions to wine industry challenges through science, innovation, and creativity.
Lucas was born and raised surrounded by vineyards in the heart of Sonoma County, California. As the son of two educators, he believed in the pursuit of science and its application in everyday life. This passion led to his love of nature and sustainability as he continually strove to better understand and improve the world around him. After earning a biochemistry degree from the University of California Santa Cruz he returned home to apply his passion for molecular biology to the industry. Self-taught in enology and fermentation science, he then spent his time in cellars, vineyards, and tasting rooms learning as much about wine production. Today he hopes to become one of Sonoma County’s finest through a modern and molecular approach to winemaking.
Todd Azevedo joined the Ciatti Company in 2004 after completing his Agricultural Finance degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Todd's concentration is on California's Central Coast, despite brokering wine, grapes, and wine products throughout the state. Todd values the people he meets, connections he makes, and destinations his work leads him to and enjoys being available as a resource for real-time information.
Born and raised in Sonoma County, Chris was originally taught how to make wine by his father in their garage. Chris only left wine country, briefly, to earn his degree in biology from California State University, Chico, then returned with his loving wife, Angela, to follow his passion and dream.
Chris has always learned the ins-and-outs of wine analysis while also developing his skills in finding winemaking products. He then took the senior analyst position at Sonoma Wine Company where he was quickly promoted to Enologist.
As Winemaker for Pezzi King and St. Anne's Crossing, Chris has won 7 Sweepstakes awards, including a rare "Double Sweepstakes" award at the 2012 Sonoma County Harvest Fair for his Pezzi King Reserve Row 26 Zinfandel and Royal Rot Sauvignon Blanc. He has accumulated numerous Double Gold and Gold medals, as well as multiple 90+ ratings on multiple varietals and vintages from Robert Parker and Wine Enthusiast. With his strong desire to make his own wines, he took the helm at Pezzi King during the 2008 harvest, producing multiple Gold Medal-winning wines. Chris has worked closely with Ken Wilson to replant the Estate vineyards and help grow Pezzi King's production.
had one foot in the lab and while the other is in the cellar. Working for Vinquiry, h
When not managing the Pezzi King Estate and producing wine, Chris can be found at a Giants game with his family or on one of their many fishing trips.
Stuart Boyd is the founder and CEO of Winealytics. He started Winealytics so that winery DTC teams have the insights and focus they need to grow their revenue. By delivering a unified view of the customer from the first marketing touch through the entire customer lifecycle, wineries focus on their most valuable customers and work to grow these relationships.
Prior to Winealytics, Stuart led technology teams working at the forefront of digital marketing and analytics. This included delivering solutions for North America's largest nonprofits and for-profit companies. Whether on mobile applications, social publishing software, or innovative CRM solutions, the consistent theme of his work has been commercializing technology to solve critical business problems. By starting with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by an organization, he has consistently crafted technology solutions that lift their performance.
Zac drives the DRINKS vision of leveraging technology to make wine convenient, simple, and affordable to buy. A serial entrepreneur and digital advertising innovator, he was the Founder and CEO of Hydra, a $100 million+ digital ad platform (acquired by Adknowledge in 2010). He's operated and invested in all facets of tech, from social games to the pet industry.
Born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California, Kendall has been involved in visual arts since a young age - from creating short films with friends, to capturing photos in Southern California and beyond with her ever-present camera.
Kendall moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania after graduating from high school to study English Literature and Film Studies at Dickinson College. The summer she was 21, she started her first wine marketing internship with the Santa Barbara Vintners Association in Buellton. On the weekends, she helped her dad pack wine club shipments and captured social media content for Palmina Wines in Lompoc.
Before graduating from Dickinson College, Kendall worked for Jordan Vineyard & Winery as the Digital Media Coordinator where she edited videos, managed social media, and assisted with copywriting all while she finished her senior thesis in Pennsylvania. A week after her graduation, she moved to Sonoma County to work full-time at Jordan. In this role, she captured DSLR footage, edited long and short form videos, and managed various social media accounts for the company. She then moved to Red Car Winery in Sebastopol, where she led marketing efforts for 2.5 years before she returned to Jordan in 2019. Since her return, she's been promoted numerous times within the marketing and communications department and as of July 2022 has been Director of Marketing & Communications. Kendall now oversees all day-to-day operations for Jordan's marketing department, including social media, email marketing, public relations, print marketing, advertising, and copywriting. Additionally, she serves as the primary in-house photographer, videographer, and editor.
Kendall lives in Healdsburg with her boyfriend and white Labrador. When she's not taking photos, she enjoys traveling, the outdoors, and spending time with her family.
Eglantine holds a double Master's Degree in Viticulture-Oenology and Agronomic engineering from Montpellier SupAgro (France). Her international background, with winemaking and cellar experience in France, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, plus five years in the U.S., gives her a comprehensive view of wines and processes around the world. At Bucher Vaslin North America, Eglantine is the Enology Director and in charge of developing Lamothe-Abiet products in North America. Working as a winemaker, research projects manager, technical support, and winemaking consultant, she enjoys helping winemakers optimize their process, express their terroir, troubleshoot difficult wines and has a passion for making rosés!
Michael Coode is a passionate and driven wine business professional with a wide breadth of experience including international winemaking, product development, facility management and global wine education expertise.
Coode's experience spans 18 harvests across four countries and has resulted in the development of several outstanding products and brands. His experience includes tenure at the world-renowned Chateaux Margaux in Bordeaux, Paul Jaboulet Aîné in the Rhône Valley, Inglenook in Napa Valley, Inniskillin in Niagara, and Wolf Blass in Adelaide.
Integral to his success in developing innovative products and repositioning existing product lines has been Coode's uniquely blended experience of old-world winemaking, technical background in wine research, and new-world business acumen.
Coode specializes in crafting distinctive wines from conception to market by leading cross-functional teams spanning production, marketing, operations, research, and customer preferences.
The decision to join Rutherford Hill was an obvious choice for Coode. "Rutherford Hill is an iconic winery in an idyllic location. I'm looking forward to working with such a dynamic and experienced team and learning about the many unique attributes this property has to offer as we set out to make world-class wines together."
Coode has a Masters of Wine Business from the University of Adelaide and Bachelor of Applied Science in Wine Science from Charles Sturt University. He resides in Angwin with his wife and two Labrador Retrievers.
Noelle Cremers works for Wine Institute, representing California's wineries before the state legislature and regulatory agencies. Specifically, Ms. Cremers splits her time between water quality, air quality, and sustainability issues. Prior to joining Wine Institute, Ms. Cremers served as Senior Policy Advocate at Farm Bureau for 15 years and most recently represented farmers' interests in the areas of air quality, endangered species, and climate change. Ms. Cremers has a Master of Agriculture degree from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She was a fellow in Class 35 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.
Noelle resides in Sacramento and is married to Bart Cremers. Together, they are raising a daughter and son and a herd of Angus cross beef cattle.
Alison Crowe is a Californian native where she currently resides in Napa Valley. She graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Enology. Alison is a professional winemaker and a published author. She is currently the winemaker for Plata Wine Partners, LLC, and provides custom winemaking services and consulting to both nationally distributed and small start-up brands. However, Alison has made wine at Chalone Vineyard, Curtis Winery, Byington Vineyards & Winery, Bonny Doon Vineyards, and Bodegas Salentein in Mendoza, Argentina.
Authoring The Winemaker's Answer Book, published by Storey Publishing, Alison has made the book accessible to the professional winemaker, the hobbyist "micro vintner", and even the curious connoisseur. The book is a comprehensive and well-organized collection of questions and answers that explains the mysteries of turning grape juice into wine for its readers.
Ryan is a Northern California native where his farming roots date back five generations. His great, great grandfather settled in Alexander Valley in 1858, where his relatives still farm the same land to this day. He began his wine industry career in hospitality, working for a tasting room in Healdsburg for two years before transferring to CSU Fresno and obtaining a BS in Viticulture in 2006. While there, Ryan worked in the Plant Physiology lab where he spent most of his time conducting experiments on vine water relations and the effects of extended hangtime on grape phenology and vine health.
He spent the first 15 years of his career at Rodney Strong Vineyards where he started as a field scout, managing their large grower portfolio that stretched across seven California counties. Ryan then became the Director of Estate Vineyards, where he managed viticulture on the winery's 850 estate acres. Since 2022, Ryan has been the Viticulturist & Grower Relations Manager for Clos du Val Winery, located in Napa's prestigious Stag's Leap District, where he is embarking on a ten year redevelopment plan for all 120 acres of Clos du Val's SLD vineyards.
Ryan's experience spans from high-yielding valley floors, high-end hillsides, as well as mountain-top vineyards. He has worked with numerous industry consultants, has been a member of several industry boards and technical groups, and has also presented at educational seminars and hosted wine dinners across the US. To bolster his winegrowing knowledge of Pinot Noir and Malbec, Ryan has traveled to Burgundy and Mendoza.
Aside from growing world-class grapes, Ryan enjoys hiking, camping, making beer and wine, cooking, and gardening in his free time. He can also be spotted on the sidelines watching his kids, ages 14 & 11, playing soccer, basketball and softball.
Susan DeMatei has over 30 years of luxury direct marketing experience, but in the past 18, she has worked exclusively in the wine industry. In 2012 Susan started WineGlass Marketing, a full-service direct marketing agency for the alcohol space.
Susan holds a B.S. in Communications from Boston University and an A.S. in Viticulture from Napa Valley College. She is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Specialist in Wine/Wine Education with the Society of Wine Educators and was awarded a DMA (Direct Marketing Association) award for strategic excellence. She is the marketing columnist for Grapevine Magazine, Crush Magazine (Canada) and a frequent freelance writer and speaker at conferences. Susan also is a marketing instructor at the WISE Academy as well as Napa Valley Community College, and a repeat lecturer at the Institute for Enology & Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College and California Polytechnic State University. She is currently collaborating on two marketing and sales textbooks.
Her firm, now in its tenth year, is based in downtown Napa and supports domestic and international wine and spirits clients with both B2B and DTC marketing in digital as well as traditional channels. For two consecutive years, Inc. Magazine recognized WineGlass Marketing as the only Napa company listed in the top 250 hyper-growth tier of the "5000 Series California's Top Companies". WineGlass Marketing is also admired by the community winning the North Bay Bohemian "Best Creative Agency" spot for the past three years as well as being honored as Napa's "Best Company to Do Business With" in the 2021 North Bay Business Journal. The firm's creative strength is acclaimed, winning 12 Platinum, 5 Gold and 7 Silver national and international creative awards for websites, social campaigns, and emails within just the past 24 months.
WineGlass Marketing is located at 531 Jefferson Street in Napa and also can be reached online at www.wineglassmarketing.com or by calling 707-927-3334.
Casey Di Cesare has been a part of the Scheid Family Wines team since 2017. There, he has focused on innovation after receiving his master's degree in Enology from Cornell University. Casey's dedication is on distinctive brands like Metz Road and Sunny with a Chance of Flowers. With these two brands, he has explored unique approaches to making great tasting wines. For Metz Road, he utilizes the microbes from an in-vineyard, native yeast fermentation to best showcase the terroir. For Sunny with a Chance of Flowers, Casey created a low alcohol, low-calorie, and zero sugar wine with fully ripened grapes. With this proprietary process, Casey catapulted Sunny with a Chance of Flowers to the top of the ‘Better for You' wine category and earned recognition for his Chardonnay as one of Wine Business Monthly's 2020 Hot Brands. He was also named a 2021 Wine Industry Leader by Wine Business Monthly and was selected to represent Monterey County as a Founding Board Member of the Vintners Institute in 2022.
Amanda S. Diefenderfer founded Big Red Marketing in 2012. She began her career working for the California Wine Institute, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and in strategy for a local print company expanding services to meet the evolving needs of their clients. Diefenderfer participated in SLO Leadership, actively supports the local chapter of the Santa Clara University Alumni Association, and attended the Panetta Institute's Leadership Seminar. She was also recognized by CalTravel as an Emerging Leader in Tourism, and she published her first book, "Listening to Millennials: 56 Priceless Tips for Managers" in 2016.
During her four years at Santa Clara University she earned a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Commerce with a marketing concentration. Diefenderfer named her company after the family ranch she grew up on in Paso Robles – Big Red Vineyard.
Kela Driggs studied Wine, Viticulture and Agriculture Business at California Poly San Luis Obispo. Over her thirteen years in the wine industry, she has worked in tasting rooms, production, sales, event management, winery associations, public relations, and brand marketing. She received her MBA in International Wine Business at INSECC Bordeaux, France. Kela is currently a Senior Brand Manager for Wente Family Estates, focusing on the namesake Wente Vineyards' brand. She oversees the brand presence, paid media, digital media, sales thematic programming, public relations, influencer partnerships, DTC marketing, content creation, and works cross-functionally with production and procurement. She is passionate about the ever-changing digital marketing world, food, travel and, of course, wine.
Tinus holds diplomas in both Viticulture – Husbandry and in Science and Practice of Cellar Technology from Elsenburg College of Agricultural in Stellenbosch, South Africa. He entered the wine industry as the Winemaker/Viticulturist at a small winery in Paarl for 2 years, then moved to larger wineries and completed 5 harvests in Stellenbosch and Robertson regions. Tinus joined a team of UK-based Flying winemakers in 1999, and completed 6 years of intense project winemaking in Bordeaux, Languedoc, Spain, Chile, and South Africa. He accepted the CEO / Winemaker position for the Laroche Group in South Africa in 2005. For 7 years, Tinus oversaw all aspects of operations and winemaking at L'Avenir Vineyards in Stellenbosch. After the economic crisis impacted the South African Wine Industry in 2013, Tinus joined Vivelys US in California as a Technical Consultant. He worked the next 3 ½ years on fermentation and aging technology, with more focus on the integration of oxygen and oak. After 16 years of French collaborations, he joined BSG in December 2016 until April 2023. With BSG, he started as the Technical Sales Manager and later became the Director of Wine Sales. Most recently, Tinus joined the Ravago's Fermented Beverages Team in late April of this year as the Commercial Regional Director.
Robert specializes in public policy analysis for firms and governments. He is also a Professor of Economics at Sonoma State University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and a B.A. in Economics at CSU, Chico. He is frequently consulted by the media for his expertise, and provides economic impact analyses for both private firms and public entities to help guide public policy. He also acts as an expert witness and forensic economist, primarily for wine industry clients. Robert has been a visiting scholar at both the University of Bologna and Stanford University. Robert is a Sonoma County native, and his family has been sheep and cattle ranchers in Marin and Sonoma counties since 1910.
Nick Filice graduated from Chico State with his B.S. in Agricultural Sciences. Following his graduation, Nick managed grower relations for Justin Winery, located in Paso Robles. He then began working for Silver Oak Cellars, located in Napa Valley, where he has been dedicated nearly 15 years to achieving the highest quality of fruit for their wines.
Miguel García has been assisting farmers in implementing sustainable farming practices in California since 2016. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences and a B.S. in Chemistry from UC Riverside. Miguel is also a Certified Crop Adviser. He provides on-farm technical assistance and planning related to soil health, carbon sequestration, erosion control, and water management in Napa County. He also designs bilingual educational programs aimed at providing local growers and farmworkers with valuable information on topics related to sustainable agriculture. Miguel believes the future of our local water resources and the world's food security depends heavily on the implementation of sustainable farming practices today.
Gina has a background and education in environmental resources engineering and is a licensed Civil Engineer. Gina joined Summit Engineering as her first job after graduating from Humboldt State University and has grown up alongside the firm ever since. Now, as a Principal and manager of the Water/Wastewater Division, she is responsible for managing a wide variety of projects that cross all disciplines, with a special emphasis on the planning, design, and permitting of water and wastewater treatment plants, collection systems, and disposal systems. In an era where water scarcity and regulations continue to become a pressing concern, her invaluable experience designing systems ranging from 1,000 gallons per day to over 1 million gallons per day helps support the winery industry for generations to come.
Melissa Gunter has an M.S. in environmental engineering sciences, with a focus on ecological engineering and systems ecology, a B.S. in civil engineering, and a graduate certificate in forest carbon, science, policy, and management. Melissa has been involved with winery regulatory efforts since 2015. She currently works as a water resource control engineer with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board where she focuses on various types of projects including recycled water, wastewater treatment systems, discharges to land, wineries, policy and regulation, and climate action. Melissa has also participated in MESA’s Agroecology, Farming, and Food Pathways program.
Grace Harper is a seasoned Marketing Manager with over a decade in hospitality and five and a half years deeply immersed in wine marketing. You'll find her leading the charge for all things marketing at Farm Collective, where she oversees the esteemed Tank Garage and James Cole wineries. Grace's knack for crafting compelling video content through social media has positioned her at the forefront of embracing platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Grace's artistic roots in music and theatre seamlessly merged with her passion for wine after she attended the Culinary Institute of America. This fusion ignited her expertise in photography, design, and digital marketing. She has proudly taken the wineries' social media presence to new heights, setting industry benchmarks that have garnered acknowledgment from local media outlets as well as prominent national digital platforms.
Anthony completed his PhD at The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) in 2004. His research focused on "what makes wine yeast unique compared to other commercial yeast." After achieving his PhD, he joined AB Mauri as a Technical Sales & Product Development Manager for beverage yeast across Asia-Pacific and South Africa. In this role, he was responsible for introducing novel innovation to the business. These innovations included AWRI hybrid yeast for added complexity in wine, as well as the first commercial low hydrogen sulfide yeast, which has extended to the global wine market. In 2008, Anthony became the Global Business Manager for AB Mauri's wine business. He then supported the global head office team with various alcohol ingredient and speciality yeast functions. His passion for delivering new technologies is evergreen and has led him to be involved in several research publications with collaborators, including the delivery of non-Saccharomyces yeast to impact wine aroma and flavor. In 2018, the speciality yeast and ingredients business of AB Mauri was rebranded as AB Biotek. Anthony continues to lead the global wine strategy, which includes the development of ingredient innovation for the benefit of winemakers.
Jean Hoefliger is a man with a quixotic mission: He is inspired and driven by the quest for creative perfection while knowing full well that it can never be achieved. "It's true, I'm a perfectionist," he says. "I don't believe in perfection in wine but I'm going to fight my entire life to find it." An artisan who has always been motivated to push the envelope, he relies on a commitment to constant scientific research matched by an open-minded, entrepreneurial creativity. With his background in international finance and decades of wine industry experience—from Bordeaux and South Africa to Spain, Italy and California—Jean brings to his clients a rare combination of expertise in winemaking, viticulture and real-world business acumen.
That nexus of science, business and art fascinates Jean. "It's a constant balance," he explains. "If anything, I lean to the art side. Ultimately decisions have to be made by a nose and a palate." But, he adds, the wine's eventual purchaser is always top of mind. "My role is purely to translate the site with my philosophy, which is: who do I make wine for? You have to accommodate your customers' tastes."
Jean Hoefliger was born and raised in Switzerland, where his first winery experience was at his godfather's estate. He soon left for California where he worked at Michel Schlumberger and Hartford Family in Sonoma, followed by moves to Bordeaux and South Africa, where he made wine at the esteemed estates of Chateau Carbonnieux and Meerlust. After earning degrees in enology and viticulture at Switzerland's Federal Winemaking School of Changins and in science at the Maturité Fédérale, Jean returned to Bordeaux to make wine at Chateau Lynch-Bages. Moving back to California—which he calls "the golden land" and credits with giving him opportunities not available in Europe—he spent five years as winemaker for Newton Vineyard from 2001 to 2005.
Jean was a part of the Alpha Omega team from its inception in 2006, where he was winemaker while concurrently building his global consulting business. In early 2021, he decided to wrap up his winemaking role and focus on his consulting clients. Jean has built his client wineries over the years to include: Monteverro in Tuscany, Grapeheart in Suisun Valley, V. Vineyards in Sonoma County, and in Napa Valley: AXR, The Debate, Clark-Claudon, Decades 5, Denali Estate, Harbison Estate Wines, Joseph Carr Wines, MR Michel Rolland, Theorize, and Sunshine Valley Vineyards. Jean's consulting business includes everything he loves from managing farming, to crafting world class wines, to advising on business strategies and even building and implementing the sales structure for clients. Jean's passion, knowledge, scientific training and innate ability put him in a unique position to take the best grapes around the world and transform them into wines and brands worthy of global standing.
Jean's naturally ebullient joie de vivre and love of a good joke run in counterpoint to his typically Swiss discretion and analytical nature. He has an insatiable appetite for art, philosophy and a good discussion, all pursuits he enjoys indulging whether in the vineyard, at the winery, at home, or around the table with friends old and new. Jean Hoefliger lives in Novato, CA with his wife, Chelsea Bellows.
Craig Holme was born and raised in Mount Benson, South Australia on his parents' farm. He grew up working with cattle and sheep and farming the family's Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz vineyards. The family sold the grapes to Cape Jaffa Wines, which is where Craig's wine industry adventure began.
For the past 24 years, he has worked in the wine industry, initially on the winemaking side, where he gained experience working harvests at wineries around the world.
Moving to the barrel business, Craig settled in at Tonnellerie Radoux, where he has worked since 2016.
From his office in Santa Rosa, he works with hundreds of wineries across the U.S. as well as a team of other sales and research/warehousing personnel located across the U.S. and Bordeaux, France.
Craig lives in the Napa Valley with his family, where he enjoys being outdoors: hiking, gardening, and other activities with his family and dogs.
Pete, originally from Sonoma County, and has a career spanning technology and wine. Since co-founding Aesthete Wines with his brother in 2016, he continues to advocate for impactful technology solutions and partnerships. After 15 years in San Francisco, Pete now lives in Portland, Oregon with his family, exploring the Pacific Northwest and local wines.
Prior to his current role, Taylor received both his Masters and PhD from Virginia Tech in Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Sciences where he studied virus/vector interactions and IPM in East Coast vineyards. Since 2016, Taylor has been a part of the Star Lane & Dierberg Vineyards' team in Santa Barbara County and is currently the Director of Viticulture. Along with sustainably managing estate vineyards that have a 250-year business plan, he utilizes his role to experiment with new technologies and farming strategies that challenge current agricultural dogmas. His experimentation primarily revolves around water saving methodology while maintaining high quality fruit in a region that receives an average of 9-15 inches of rain per year. When not in the field, Taylor enjoys beach days with his wife and two kids.
Adam is the CEO of Agrology. His motivation is to grow enough food to feed the future world. He focuses on discovering customer problems, developing products to solve them, and designing business models to get products into customers' hands. While growing up in California, Adam enjoyed working in his godparents' apple orchard in Sebastopol and visiting many Central Valley farms during family road trips. He also experienced many droughts. This led to his interest in agricultural optimization. Adam has experience at multiple early-stage companies, as well as corporate research labs. He has 48 granted patents and 69 applications under prosecution. As the leader of Agrology, Adam is devoted to developing ground-truth technology that monitors, measures, and quantifies carbon and greenhouse gas emissions so that growers can easily secure the carbon credits they so rightfully deserve.
Greg holds a B.S. in Viticulture and Enology from U.C Davis. He is a Northern California native and began working for La Crema in 2013. He started as a Harvest Enologist and was asked to join the team full-time post-harvest. Since 2019, Greg has been an essential part of Carneros Hills Winery managing the day-to-day winemaking operations.
Greg Livengood graduated from the University of San Diego, where he studied International Relations. He joined the Ciatti company in 1994 as an import/export broker and spent many years helping to build the international structure of the company. In 2007, Greg became the President of Ciatti while continuing to work in both the domestic and international bulk markets. When not working in the world of wine, Greg can be found volunteering in various capacities for his local Little League baseball organization.
Garett is a farmer and soil scientist who believes healing the planet is parallel with healing the human spirit. He spent five formative years practicing biodynamic and regenerative farming at Apricot Lane Farms (see: "The Biggest Little Farm" documentary), and earned his M.S. in Soils & Biogeochemistry from the University of California-Davis. He co-founded Soil Life Services, which supports producers in monitoring and evaluating the impacts of agricultural management on soil carbon and other metrics of soil health. He was also the Board Treasurer for the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics (2019-22). Since 2021, he has served as the Director of Agriculture at Troon Vineyard, Oregon's only Biodynamic and Regenerative Organic Certified farm.
He is passionate about real, good food, preaching the value of soil, and the interconnectedness of all life. He has lectured on soil health, composting and regenerative farming for individuals and brands. Garett has engaged the movement at the intersection of agriculture and ecosystem management, working with people in resolute action to conserve what we have, and restore what we have lost. In his free time, he enjoys camping, playing music, dancing, and exploring the local food scene.
Over the past two years, Ben has helped roll out the industry-leading Napa Green Vineyard Certification. His involvement includes developing custom carbon farm plans for each vineyard site, facilitating workshops on contemporary topics, and helping managers implement progressive practices in the vineyard. Ben also educates the next crop of land stewards to follow these practices. He has a background in designing, managing, and owning diversified regenerative farms, and is passionate about developing long-range, holistic land use plans, leveraging soil management to address climate change, and integrating livestock in any way possible. When not in the vineyard, Ben is in the woodlands or out on the water with his family.
Julian Malone fell in love with agriculture while working on farms during his high school years, on California’s Central Coast, and went on to earn a degree in agricultural science and integrated pest management from the University of Adelaide in Australia.
After University, Julian spent three years as a project manager for the Central Coast Vineyard Team, a nonprofit organization that advocates and educates for sustainability in the wine business and oversees the Sustainability in Practice (SIP) certification program.
In the years that followed, Julian served as a viticulturist for Scheid Vineyards, and as a vineyard manager for both Gallo Family Vineyards and Coastal Vineyard Care Associates, before joining Sea Smoke in early 2017.
As the director of vineyard operations for Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard and Rita’s Crown, Julian guides one of California’s most celebrated estate programs. He has combined his extensive knowledge of sustainable viticultural practices and a belief in organic and Biodynamic farming systems to achieve ever greater levels of quality.
In addition to his role at Sea Smoke, Julian enjoys playing an active role in his community where he lives with his wife and two girls in Santa Ynez, California.
Laurel Marcus has directed the nonprofit California Land Stewardship Institute since 2004 and possesses over 40 years of experience working with private landowners to improve both environmental quality and sustainable economic land use. Laurel authored the "Fish Friendly Farming Certification Program," which involves collaboration among private landowners, scientific assessments, and analysis to promote the recovery of salmonid species and water quality improvements. The Fish Friendly Farming Certification Program has enrolled over 280,000 acres of land in 13 counties and is very popular with a broad range of growers and property owners. Together, with a collective of grape growers and ranchers, Laurel recently developed the Climate Adaptation Certification, providing a science-based approach to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration on agricultural properties.
Mark Neal is Napa Valley's organic and Biodynamic® farming trailblazer and the founder and owner of Neal Family Vineyards. After purchasing two other vineyards in Napa Valley, starting at the age of 20, he stumbled on a unique piece of property in the Howell Mountain AVA. Mark purchased this property in 1990, knowing it needed a vision and a lot of work for its next chapter. After years of hard work and creativity, the end result became a perfect location for his family home as well as his eponymous winery, built in 1998.
Mark's identity is deeply rooted in his relationship with Napa Valley. Growing up in the Valley's Rutherford region as the son of a farmer, Mark was ensconced in viticulture from a very young age and eager to follow in his dad's footsteps. However, it is Mark's maternal grandmother whom he credits for their early adoption of biodynamics.
Mark is now best known as one of the first grape growers to practice organic and biodynamic farming in Napa. In 1968, Mark entered his father's business, Jack Neal and Son (JNS) Vineyard Management, and the duo helped establish some of the most storied estates in Napa Valley, numerous famous Napa Valley Wineries such as Heitz Cellars, privately owned vineyards like Martha's Vineyard, and many absentee owners that kept their properties throughout the last 5 decades. Today, Mark still runs JNS in addition to Neal Family Vineyards and has built the company from 80 employees to over 500. Between vineyard management and supplying labor for over 1,500 acres, JNS is the largest certified organic farming company in northern California and one of the largest Biodynamic® farming companies in the country.
Mark's enterprising instincts are not limited to his agriculture and management skills. Known as "Renaissance Man" by his family and close associates, Mark drew up his own architectural plans for both the Neal Family Vineyards estate winery and their family home next door to it. All the buildings' rock walls came sustainably from the property on which it sits and were built by Mark and his team. Mark's philosophy goes back to Rudolf Steiner (the father of Biodynamic® farming); To be a true farmer, one must be able to self-sufficiently live off the property.
Mark has been walking the vineyards almost daily since 1966 and his unparalleled instincts and intimacy with Napa Valley shines through in every bottle he makes. Through ceaseless drive, constant education and creative innovation, Mark Neal has cemented himself as one of the most sought-after winegrowers in the Napa Valley.
Justin Noland is the Senior Director of DTC Marketing and E-Commerce at Treasury Wine Estates, one of the global leaders in wine. From the start of Justin's career in wine, he has worked to bring digital transformation to marketing and consumer experiences. Working with an incredible team, he is enabling new technology and building better ways to connect with customers online.
With vast experience in marketing, Justin specializes in a channel-agnostic approach to digital marketing, giving brands the opportunity to deepen their engagement with a consumer, explore new experiences, learn through data, and support the customer towards the purchase path of their choice. He is a marketing leader with a vision to drive positive change in the wine industry and help new generations of wine drinkers engage with brands through digitally native channels.
Glenn's family immigrated to the Dry Creek Valley in 1889 and bought the Puccioni Ranch in 1904, farming grapes from the beginning. He started Puccioni Vineyards in 2002 – a small handcrafted Old Vine Zinfandel brand using the grapes from the family's property.
He is a partner at The Ciatti Company, where they broker wine and grapes between buyers and sellers and have offices in 10 different countries worldwide. Glenn has over 30 years of experience relating to wine supply strategy, wine-grape quality and production, brand strategy, and business development.
He received a Bachelor's degree in Viticulture/Plant Science from California State University Fresno and a Master's degree in Horticulture from UC Davis.
Glenn has served on the Board of Directors of the California Wine Institute, American Vineyard Foundation, California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), California Ag Leadership Alumni Council, Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, and the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission. Currently, he is on the Executive Board of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission and the Board of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation.
Glenn is happily married to Laurie and has two boys, Joshua and Noah.
Carol is a renowned winemaker and owner of Carol Shelton Wines in Sonoma County, California. Known as the "Queen of Zinfandel," she is celebrated for her sustainable winemaking practices and exceptional Zinfandel wines. With a background in biology and extensive industry experience, Carol's dedication to the land and innovative winemaking techniques has earned her numerous awards and a prominent place in the world of wine.
Samantha is a graduate of Cal Poly's Wine & Viticulture program. She is a native of the Lodi wine country, and grew up in her family's Italian restaurant. Following an MBA program rejection, completing a harvest internship, and working a short stint in the tasting room, Samantha has been a part of Hope Family Wines since 2010. Having grown to become an integral part of the winemaking team, Samantha oversees all daily winemaking and leads a dynamic team in producing award winning wines that set the standard for luxury Paso Robles Cabernet. When not at the winery, she is often deep in home renovation projects with her husband, traveling the world to experience acclaimed restaurants, or touring historical homes.
Caine Thompson, Head of Sustainability for O'Neill Vintners & Distillers and Managing Director of Robert Hall Winery has cemented his industry leadership in sustainable winegrowing and operations throughout his wine industry career.
Caine was born and raised in Tauranga, New Zealand and grew up on a family farm which led to his interest and studies in horticulture at Massey University in New Zealand. He holds an MBA and has multifaceted wine industry experience in executive management, viticultural operations and technical research. His ascent in the wine industry was rapid. He was named New Zealand's "Young Viticulturist of The Year" in 2009 and earned a "Leadership New Zealand Scholarship" in 2010.
After moving to the United States in 2015 he worked for Dave Phinney from Orin Swift as his General Manager for the Locations portfolio of wines.
In 2017, he joined Rabble Wine Company and as President (prior to O'Neill's acquisition in 2021), he led the brand with the Earth in mind. Several of these sustainability programs he started continue at Rabble today through Caine's direction at O'Neill. He also initiates and implements green practices and leads the charge for sustainable certifications on behalf of the entire O'Neill organization. Since joining O'Neill Vintners & Distillers in October 2020, Caine has developed and launched a regenerative viticulture living case study that will impact wine farming practices for years to come, has lead the organization to becoming the largest B-Corp certified beverage company in the world and the largest Zero Waste Certified beverage company in the world.
He also supports the wine community through board positions with the Wine Institute, Cal Poly Vit & Wine and the Cab Collective, where he is Chairman of Vit & Wine Research. Caine has proven to be a leader in the wine industry and has recently been selected as one of Wine Enthusiasts Future 40 in 2023 and is poised to impact sustainable wine growing and green wine initiatives for future generations.
Zach Waltz is the Director of Operations at Waltz Vineyards Estate Winery in Manheim, Pennsylvania. He grew up working for the business and developed a passion for grape-growing and winemaking from a young age. Zach is an alumnus of Cornell University where he received a bachelor's degree in Viticulture & Enology. Prior to joining Waltz Vineyards full-time, he completed internships at E. & J. Gallo Winery as a Winemaking Intern and at Chateau Ste. Michelle as a Viticulture Technician Intern.
Laurel started her career at the Central Valley Regional Water Board as a student assistant. In 2008 she was hired on with the State Water Resources Control Board in the Industrial and Construction Stormwater NPDES Permitting program. Laurel transitioned from that position in 2020 to her current role as the Waste Discharge Requirements program manager. She now works primarily with industrial and sanitation waste discharge permitting to land. Laurel holds a B.S. in plant science from UC Santa Cruz and has completed an A.S. in Geographic Information Systems from American River College.
Jennifer is an industry professional with 24 years of experience, including 14 years with WISE. She began her career in the wine industry working for Lesley Berglund (Co-Founder & Chairman of WISE) at Ambrosia Wine Catalogue/The Winetasting Network shortly after completing her BA in English Literature. Over the course of her career, she has developed expertise in project and account management, market research, copywriting, and editing. Today, in her role as The Glue, Jennifer oversees WISE Operations, which includes spearheading the WISE Mystery Shopping Program (now over 5,000 shops); overseeing content development; coaching; account management of WISE wineries; overseeing marketing programs; moderating WISE Cabinets; coordinating, scheduling, and communicating with coaches, attendees, and winery partners for a robust class schedule of 20+ courses and onsite training programs throughout California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and more.
With a genuine passion for the wine industry and a strong background in analytics, Nathan Westfall strives to help wineries adapt to the ever-evolving technological landscape. Drawing from his experiences in the United States Air Force and various technical roles within the wine business, he aims to be a guiding force for the new generation of wine professionals, blending innovation with a deep respect for the traditions and expertise of those who built the industry's foundation.
Ernie is the Customer Success Manager for Tule Technologies, which provides tools for remotely monitoring the water status of vineyards. Over the past five years at Tule, he has collaborated on irrigation strategies with hundreds of growers throughout California and Washington. Prior to Tule, he worked in project management in the outdoor industry. He is a Napa native, and his favorite thing to do is weed eating at his family's cattle ranch near Lake Berryessa.
Devon is the CEO and Co-founder of Lumo, a smart irrigation technology company on a mission to massively improve freshwater efficiency for humanity by helping farmers optimize their irrigation operations. Prior to Lumo, Devon was CEO and Co-founder of Turnstyle Solutions, one of the largest local marketing platforms of its kind, before being acquired by Yelp in 2017. Devon regularly speaks on entrepreneurship & tech and has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg & CNBC.
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