Dan Zepponi
President / Cuvaison and Two Estates Wine Collective
Session: Leveraging DTC Sales Insights to Grow Sales Nationally
Dan Zepponi's first day of work at a winery was when he was just five years old. Today, as the president and CEO of Two Estates Wine Collective, Dan literally brings a lifetime of knowledge and experience to his role guiding the future of Cuvaison, in Napa Valley's Los Carneros region, and Brandlin Estate on Mount Veeder. Having worked in every facet of the wine industry, Dan applies what he calls a root-to-wine approach that empowers his teams to create wines that are quintessential expressions of their appellations, and of the estate vineyards where they are grown.
In 1969, the same year that Cuvaison was established, Dan's father, Gino Zepponi, cofounded ZD Wines, with a focus on Los Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A true family operation, all six of Gino's children worked at the winery on weekends and during summers. "Other than my time in school, I was completely immersed in the winery. By the time I was a teenager, I'd learned to drive a tractor, prune, fill barrels, run the crusher, do lab analysis—you name it. I also learned from my dad that running a successful family business is about care and quality, and that it requires hard work and integrity."
Later in high school, and during his time earning a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, Dan worked at Domaine Chandon as a crew chief overseeing crush operations. "I loved the wine industry, and I wanted to gain experience beyond our family winery," says Dan, "and unlike at ZD, at Domaine Chandon, I actually got paid." After university, Dan pursued a passion for aviation at Delta Airlines, where he spent a decade rapidly moving through the ranks from engineer to general manager. "I always knew that I would return to the wine business, but I felt it was important to gain experience outside the industry. I worked in many areas of operations at Delta. That breadth of knowledge has been invaluable in my approach to running a winery."
In 1998, Ed Sbragia asked Dan to join the team at Beringer Wine Estates (now Treasury Wine Estates). Beginning as director of Central Coast operations, Dan ultimately rose to the position of senior vice president, production, and supply chain, where he was responsible for managing all of the company's North American viticulture, winemaking, packaging and warehousing. In this role, he oversaw the winemaking and vineyard management for Beringer, Etude, Chateau St. Jean, St. Clement, Chateau Souverain, Meridian, Souverain and Stags' Leap Winery. Following his tenure at Beringer, Dan was the president of the Mark Anthony Group wine division, a multi-brand Canadian-based wine company anchored by Mission Hill Winery. He later served as president of Vintage Strategies, where he specialized in wine industry strategy and management, and most recently Dan was a president and partner at West Coast Wine Partners, where he oversaw such wineries as Valley of the Moon, Lake Sonoma, Madrone Vineyards, and PLUME Napa Valley.
In 2016, Dan returned to his independent winery roots, when he was named the president and CEO of Two Estates Wine Collective. "Cuvaison played a pivotal role in establishing Los Carneros as one of the world's great wine regions, and Brandlin Estate played an equally important role in pioneering Mt. Veeder," says Dan. "Both have influenced generations of vintners and wine lovers. These legacies are the foundation we are building on. As an independent, family-owned company with remarkable estate vineyards, the story of our next fifty years is ours to write."
