This year’s program will include sessions on navigating the competitive wholesale channel with insights from thriving wine brands as they share their strategies for succeeding in the competitive landscape.
The Symposium will provide two data-focused sessions that will provide attendees with an in-depth look at the current state of the wine industry, key insights on consumer demographics, motivations, and behaviors, and how data-driven decision-making can provide a competitive edge and ensure long-term growth.
The conference will also cover customer communication best practices, converting website traffic into revenue, wine club retention strategies and more.
“Despite the reality that these are challenging times for our industry, there are still many brands who are winning over new consumers without losing the ones they have,” says George Christie, President of Wine Industry Network.
“It’s easier said than done, but what those brand leaders have in common is that they embrace change and find new ways to engage. They’re willing to innovate in how they promote their products and they more often than not, work harder than the average,” adds Christie.
Symposium Topics & Schedule
Break: 9:45am - 10:00am
Break: 10:45am - 11:00am
Lunch (Outdoors): 11:45pm - 1:00pm
Break: 1:45pm - 2:00pm
Break: 2:45pm - 3:00pm
Symposium Program
Enter through the Hyatt's Main Lobby and follow the signage to the Conference's registration / check-in area. Grab your name badge then hang out and mingle while enjoying some coffee and breakfast pastries before the conference begins.
Wine Industry Network's President & CEO, George Christie, will kick-off the Symposium by giving you a brief overview of what to expect for the day's schedule.
In a landscape where selling wine demands resilience and ingenuity, Treasury Wine Estates, the largest luxury supplier in the United States, gives us some insight into what’s driving the business forward in this ever changing landscape. Join us for an enlightening keynote session featuring Ben Dollard, President of Treasury Americas, as he shares how they manage their expansive portfolio and how they continue to grow their legacy brands through innovation and luxury experiences.
As consumers increasingly turn to online channels for researching and purchasing wine, the significance of a robust online presence cannot be overstated. Winery visitors, direct-to-consumer (DTC) clients, wine club members, and trade buyers, now heavily depend on search engines and social media for exploring, researching, selecting, and buying wine tastings, allocations, and products.
Investing in digital marketing efforts aimed at driving website traffic not only expands the reach of the winery's brand but also provides valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences.
This session will host a candid conversation about what's working and what's not in the world of digital marketing. Our experts will tackle attendees' toughest social media, SEO, email marketing, content marketing, website design, e-commerce optimization, and local search optimization questions with unscripted, authentic answers.
Regardless of whether you represent a portfolio of brands or a single wine brand, it is essential to foster relationships with both customers and distributors. Strong winery distributor relationships are essential for maximizing distribution, sales, and brand presence in the market.
This session will provide direction for navigating this dynamic landscape from succesful brands who will share the effective distribution strategies to penetrate new markets and expand their reach while continuing to evolve and go after new consumers while never alienating existing customers.
Attendees will also learn about how effective communication, collaboration, and partnership development contribute to sustained growth in the wholesale channel from speakers who have not only worked with wholesale partners, but also have worked in wholesales themselves.
Nick Claitman
Vice President, Northern California Estates Group / Republic National Distributing Company
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In the ever-evolving landscape of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales for wineries, text messaging has emerged as a dynamic tool to connect with customers and drive significant revenue. Wineries are using it for all kinds of communications from automated transactional messages to one-on-one white glove customer service experiences.
This session will focus on the top ways DTC teams are using text messaging to increase wine sales and generate new revenue. Join our panel of experts to learn how to execute the most successful text promotions — and some surprising other strategies — that are proven to move the needle.
This data-driven session will provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the wine industry and consumer, as well as valuable insights and predictions for the future.
Specific areas covered will include a review of how the wine industry is performing - covering both headwinds and tailwinds - across both wholesale and DTC channels, as well as a deeper dive into consumer level insights. The discussion will include a customized study of the Northern California wine consumer, and ideas on how wineries can better target and engage consumers.
These valuable insights into overall trends, as well as customer behavior and preferences will inform and prepare marketing and sales professionals to better target and engage potential customers and retain current customers longer.
Regardless of industry, one thing all long-term successful business have in common is their ability to change over time especially as new generations reach maturity. It's time for wineries to do the same.
By embracing best practices in customer communications, wineries can not only navigate these challenging times but also foster stronger sales and relationships with consumers. In this session, attendees will hear how effective communication strategies can adapt marketing programs to resonate with today's consumer preferences, ultimately driving growth in sales and cultivating lasting connections with customers.
Best practices for wine deliveries, including shipping only on Mondays, originated in a different era of commerce, when commercial addresses were predominant, and carriers operated on a Monday-to-Friday schedule. However, with the evolution of eCommerce, shifting consumer behaviors, and changes in carrier operations, the landscape has transformed significantly.
During this session, we'll unravel the widely held myth surrounding shipping on Mondays and discover why this strategy may not be as effective as once believed. Join us as we delve into proven strategies that increase delivery on the first attempt and discuss:
We're excited to explore innovative approaches to optimize your wine shipments and enhance your customer experience.
Butternut Squash Salad
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Crispy Romaine Salad
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Cheese Tortellini
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Rosemary Grilled Chicken and Oven Roasted Salmon
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Traditional Tiramisu and Chocolate Biscotti
With less traffic in our tasting rooms, it's become even more of a challenge to grow our wine clubs. Conversion is down, attrition is creeping up, and the pressure is on for one of our most lucrative DTC channels.
This panel will discuss the secrets to boosting wine club revenue and fortifying customer loyalty in this session on Wine Club Retention Strategy. Attendees will gain invaluable insights from industry leaders who have mastered the art of member engagement, growing club revenue, and ensuring your wine club thrives even in challenging times.
In today’s highly competitive business environment, one invaluable ally emerges—the power of data analytics.
This session will host a panel of industry thought leaders and wine business executives discussing real world examples of how strategic growth remains a viable option for those equipped with data and analytical tools. Through data-driven decision-making, wineries can identify areas for incremental revenue opportunities, enhancing customer retention, gaining a competitive edge and ensuring long-term growth even in challenging economic conditions.
Lindsey Eddy-Cort
Vice President of Consumer Sales and Hospitality / Distinguished Vineyards
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Join Corksy at the Wine Sales Symposium for a dynamic 50-minute session addressing the pressing issue of aging demographics in the wine industry. Explore the challenges of declining sales and wine club memberships, and gain valuable insights into strategic techniques for attracting and retaining the new generation of wine enthusiasts. From influencer marketing to leveraging emerging platforms like TikTok, discover innovative approaches to connect with a younger audience.
Who are the U.S. consumers who regularly spend $20 or more on a bottle of wine; what motivates them to do so, and for which occasions? In this presentation, Christian Miller from the Wine Market Council (WMC) and Darcen Esau from Terroir Consulting will share the results of the WMC's research study to better understand high-end wine consumers. The results of the study show some intriguing new information on demographics, motivations, and purchase occasions of high-end consumers. Key insights will provide some potential action items for wineries, marketers, and retailers to engage more successfully with this important segment of consumers.
In a world brimming with data, demographics, and doomsayers, successful marketing strategies are often obscured by a surfeit of potential tactics. In this session, we'll take a journey into the world of human-centric marketing, highlighting how understanding your audience's personalities, lifestyles, interests, values, and beliefs can transform your approach to selling wine. With a focus on actionable insights, this talk demystifies the process of gathering and utilizing psychographic data, making it an indispensable tool for any winery looking to thrive in the digital age.
By challenging the traditional reliance on mere demographics and embracing a more nuanced, empathetic approach to understanding what truly matters to your audience, you can pinpoint not just ANY future wine drinker, but YOUR future wine drinker.
Good navigation is crucial when sailing the challenging waters of national distribution. The states all have unique rules that must be taken into account to ensure your brand's success. It's much better to learn the ropes before launch than to get tangled in them once you're in a state and committed to a wholesaler.
This presentation will cover the tools and knowledge you need to expand your distribution into new states and improve it in underperforming markets. It will provide take-away materials, including a comprehensive list for considering new markets: key items to consider before entering a new state, and tips for having efficient and effective meetings with potential distributors. The presentation will prepare you to be successful in managing your distribution, now and in the future.
Winners of the 2024 Wine Marketing Awards will be presented with their awards.
Finish the day visiting with sponsors, exhibitors and other attendees at a networking session featuring hors d'oeuvres and select wines.
Meet the Experts
Lisa Adams Walter brings a diverse professional background that includes PR, promotional marketing, writing and storytelling experience in the consumer, hospitality, trade and B2B sides of the wine business, arts and entertainment, high-tech, publishing, pro sports and corporate environments. As a native of California’s wine country, Lisa brings an intimate, insightful perspective to communicating wine, food, arts and travel messages and stories.
Lisa began her wine industry career working a summer job while in college, in a winery hospitality center in the Napa Valley. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with a focus upon public relations.
Early in her career she worked as the director of marketing and public relations for Wine Business Publications (which then included Wine Business Monthly, Wine Business Insider and SmartWine Magazine), then moved on to work in independent agencies and as the event lead on the second annual Premiere Napa Valley Winter Trade Barrel Auction for the Napa Valley Vintners before starting her own consulting firm. She also created wine industry financial and economic conference curriculum, working as the director of programs for the Wine Industry Symposium Group, for several years.
As a PR consultant, Lisa has worked for dozens of companies and organizations for periods of time ranging from a several-month-long project to more than 12 years on a singular program. This work has resulted in coverage placements locally, nationally and internationally.
Lisa’s written work has been published in media outlets such as Napa Valley Features, NapaLife Extra, Yountville Sun, Appellation Magazine, Wine Country Living Magazine, Wine Business Monthly, Inside Napa Valley, Canvassing Wine Country Magazine, the Napa Valley Register, Napa Valley Marketplace, Sonoma Valley Magazine, and the Sonoma Index-Tribune. She is one of a select group of wine publicists who wrote chapters for the books Spinning the Bottle: Case Histories, Tactics and Stories of Wine Public Relations as well as the second edition of Spinning the Bottle Again. In 2016 she wrote the introduction for the Simon & Schuster hardcover book Napa Valley Cabernets.
Efrain Barragan, the Director of Digital Marketing at Clif Family Winery and Farm, is a driving force behind the success of this prominent B Corp certified business in the Napa Valley. With a talented team of digital marketers under his leadership, Efrain has effectively cultivated the Clif Family brand by harnessing innovative ideas and embracing a technology-driven approach. His visionary strategies and forward-thinking mindset have propelled Clif Family to the forefront of the industry, establishing it as a trailblazer in its field.
Since leaving the corporate information technology arena for good in 2009, James has been spending his time consulting with small businesses and wineries about how to best embrace the web 3.0 landscape for their benefit. Wine and the Web is the culmination of a vision to bring an affordable and, more importantly, a competitive set of tools to small wineries that level the online playing field.
Danny Brager has a wealth of experience in the U.S. Beverage Alcohol industry, analyzing trends over many years. He formerly headed Nielsen's Beverage Alcohol Practice Area in the U.S, leading teams that supported relationships with Nielsen's clients as well as key industry groups and the media.
In his current consulting role, Danny provides data driven analysis and insights to Beverage Alcohol companies seeking to translate information into fact-based insights in support of their goals. Each year, he presents at a large number of notable industry and company events, and is a frequent thought leader contributor to the media/press. His informed opinions are highly respected by the beverage alcohol industry.
Danny is a Special Advisor to the Wine Market Council, and is Managing Director of Category & Consumer Insights at Azur Associates, founded to bring comprehensive advisory & consulting services to wine and spirit companies, including mergers & acquisitions, route to market, and strategic advisory support.
Danny was born in Calgary and moved to Toronto where he graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He relocated to Mission Viejo, California in 1993 where he now resides.
Shana Bull, is a Digital Marketing Educator, Best-Selling Children's Book Author, and Freelance Writer. She has been in wine marketing for over 13 years now.
Shana has worked with big brands like Kendall Jackson, Ménage à Trois Winery, Rodney Strong, as well as lots of small producers all over California. She has also worked with a number of Fortune 500 companies, such as: HP, Xbox Media, L'Oréal and Union Bank. Her true passion is helping small business owners and marketers feel confident with creating social media content, telling their stories, and connecting with their audience, online.
She is a published writer on wine, food, social media, parenting, mental health, and travel, as well as teaches classes on social media marketing.
Shana was named one of the top ‘40 under 40' Young Professionals by the North Bay Business Journal in 2017, and was recently featured by LinkedIn Marketing Solutions as a ‘Marketer You Should Know: 16 Brilliant Thinkers to Follow' on LinkedIn, in 2021.
She can be found on Instagram/Twitter at @sharayray, and LinkedIn at Shana Bull, or you can download her *free* Social Media Marketer's Checklist at ShanaBull.com/daily-checklist.
George Christie, a New Jersey native, settled in Sonoma County after college in 1991 where he quickly realized that the wine industry was where he wanted to concentrate his efforts. Since that time, he has been involved in nearly every aspect of the wine industry, from vineyard operations and grower relations to distributor realignments and national marketing campaigns. Always an active member in the wine community, Christie has also held board positions with the Russian River Wine Road, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley and the Sonoma County Vintners. In 2008, George and his wife Tami, along with the Saini Family, partnered to create Saini Vineyards, a winery specializing on Old Vine Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley.
In 2009, with Elizabeth 'E' Slater, George launched the Wine Industry Network (WIN). What began as an online directory has evolved over the years into one of the leading B2B marketing and media companies serving the wine industry. WIN works with over 600 industry product and service providers and produces the Wine Industry Expo (WIN Expo), the 2nd largest trade show for the wine industry, along with the Wine & Weed Symposium, the Wine Industry Advisor news site and the Afternoon Brief daily news email with over 35,000 industry subscribers.
Nick Claitman is currently the Vice President for Northern California for The Estates Group, a fine wine division of RNDC. Nick has 28 years of industry experience and has held the following positions in the wine and spirits wholesale distribution industry; Sales Representative Grocery Chain, On-Premise Sales Representative, On-Premise District Manager, Northern California Wine Supplier Representative and Vice President Sales Manager Northern California. Nick has a BA from California State Sacramento in Psychology with a minor in Business. His industry certifications include WSET Sake Level 3, Certified Sommelier Wine, and Advanced Sake Professional. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Nick enjoys spending time with his family, his four daughters and three dogs, half marathons, mountain biking, jiu-jitsu, and personal development.
Rachel is a 30-year veteran of the wine industry, with twenty-plus years on the distribution side at The Henry Wine Group and Winebow, seven years on the supplier side as VP of National Accounts for Ancient Peaks Winery, and now Director of Retail Chains, West for Distinguished Vineyards. She was previously the Chief Strategic Officer for the Dream Big Darling Foundation, a central coast nonprofit dedicated to fostering the success of up-and-coming women in the wine and spirits industry, and still sits on the Advisory Team.
Rachel was the first woman Vice President at The Henry Wine Group and the youngest promoted to a VP position and Executive Committee. She spent her early career building chain sales divisions, developing training programs and establishing statewide chain sales teams.
Specialties: Using strategic planning expertise to establish national retail sales divisions from the ground level, brand building, relationship building with both chain retail buyers and national distributor teams, and leadership development.
Certifications: Certified Sommelier, WSET 3 Advanced Certificate
Personal: A home coffee-roaster and a lover of hiking. She has 3 teenagers/young adults and lives in the Bay Area, CA.
MJ is a leader with years of experience developing business strategy and driving wine & beverage alcohol industry innovation. She grew up in Sonoma, and went to high school in Napa – so all her first jobs were in wine; from vineyard to bottling line and in the tasting room. After graduate school, she left to explore new places and honed her management expertise via key positions including Director of Product Development for Westin Hotels & Resorts, Vice President of Customer Marketing nationally for AT&T Wireless, and CMO for Gateway Computers.
She returned to California wine country to raise her family and has since partnered with many wine & spirits businesses to transform their consumer sales & marketing strategy and business operations. She founded Customer Vineyard in 2015 to help the wine industry and beverage alcohol businesses better leverage consumer data – in other words translate detailed customer insights into profitable action. MJ holds a BA degree from Santa Clara University and a JD from UC Davis School of Law.
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.
Ben Dollard joined Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) as President of the Americas division in January 2020 with responsibility for leading the business across the region. Since that time, Ben has re-shaped the Treasury Americas business with a relentless focus on consumers, innovation and unlocking the potential of the premium and luxury business. Ben has been instrumental in the acquisition of Frank Family Vineyards and, most recently, DAOU Vineyards with an eye on future growth.
With 20+ years’ experience in the alcohol beverage industry in the Americas region, Ben joined TWE having worked in various senior executive leadership roles with Constellation Brands in the US and Canada. Ben has had extensive General Management experience in leading the growth agenda for wine and other alcohol beverages, including all aspects of marketing, sales and operations across a number of key roles including Chief Growth Officer, President of the Canadian division, Chief Marketing Officer and head of International Markets for Constellation Brands’ Wine and Spirits Division.
As Vice President of Consumer Sales and Hospitality, Lindsey leads the strategy and execution of our sales and marketing programs in the direct-to-consumer channel. This includes managing the DTC teams at Argyle, MacRostie, and Markham, where she guides hospitality, guest services, events, e-commerce and outbound sales. With a diverse background in fine wine hospitality and sales spanning two decades, Lindsey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role. Before joining Distinguished Vineyards, she helped to grow the direct-to-consumer business at E & J Gallo winery for over 10 years, and championed diversity and inclusivity in the wine industry by co-creating J Winery’s Shifting the Lens initiative. Fun facts: Lindsey holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma and is a professionally trained chef who once cooked Michelle Obama’s birthday dinner, making her the perfect dinner party host. She enjoys yoga and spending time dancing to live music with her husband and daughter.
April serves as a seasoned Wine Club Assistant Manager at Far Niente Winery, a beacon of excellence in Napa Valley’s esteemed viticultural landscape. With over 10 years of experience in the wine industry spanning from managing tasting rooms, to overseeing wine club operations. Her focus is on providing exceptional service to loyal and discerning club members, while driving revenue and retention for the winery.
April has a proven track record of managing and growing the wine club operations, from overseeing the logistics and inventory of wine shipments and events, to creating and implementing innovative marketing and sales strategies.
Outside of her professional life, April enjoys spending time with family, all things food & wine, and traveling to new places.
With over a decade of expertise in the wine industry, Justin Erb, O'Neill Vintners & Distillers' Digital Marketing Director, has led with his passion for crafting impactful digital experiences. Having collaborated with brands of various scales, he possesses a proven track record of cultivating brand loyalty and consistency across the digital ecosystem. Justin is at the forefront of revolutionizing wine clubs, specializing in tailoring modern, digital-first approaches that elevate brand engagement and consumer satisfaction.
Darcen Esau is a wine researcher specializing in consumer behavior, sensory evaluation, and global trends. He is co-founder of Terroir Consulting, one of the largest wine research and development consultancy firms based in Canada that is dedicated to supporting wine producers and regions across the globe. Leading and working with a team of 15 dynamic specialist consultants, Darcen supports custom market, consumer, and export research; sensory evaluation; strategic, marketing and export planning; business coaching; brand development; winery and regional marketing; hospitality training; winemaker coaching and vineyard planning; wine professional education; and wine industry events.
Darcen is also part-owner at TasteAdvisor, which developed the world's only white-labeled wine tourism platform and Taste Escape, which specializes in providing travel discounts to the food & beverage industry. He completed his Masters at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) where he studied the sensory experience of wine and how this impacts consumer decision making. Darcen continues to contribute to academic publications through multiple universities, including UBCO and Thompson River University.
Ridge bought what we call the "Home Farm" in 1982.
He grew up in suburban Cleveland where — despite the fact that everything came either frozen or wrapped in plastic — he developed a real love for great food, and the land.
When he first came to California in 1967, he knew it was where he wanted to live. And when he first saw the farm in 1982 he knew he’d found home. He’s had a long career in high-tech, but always in parallel with the farm, and it’s clear where his heart and passion are.
Today, in addition to leading DaVero, he is focused on sequestering carbon at scale by converting conventionally-farmed land to regenerative practices, and teaching others how to do so themselves.
Ed Feuchuk is a marketer and mistake-maker with over 15 years of experience building innovative DTC wine brands. As the General Manager for Farm Collective Napa Valley, Ed has led creative, strategic, and technical initiatives for brands like Tank Garage Winery, James Cole Winery, Regusci Winery, and T-Vine Winery. With a passion for authentic experiences and renegade marketing, Ed and his work have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, Wine Spectator, and Playboy.
Born and raised in the Napa Valley and with a 16-year career in wine, Jessica Fillion cut her teeth in the industry as a hospitality and wine education professional. Joining the team at Repris Wines, Pangloss Cellars, and Texture Wines in 2017 as Member Relations Manager, she now serves as their Director of Sales & Marketing. Specializing in DTC sales strategies, Jessica prioritizes innovation, creativity, and data-driven problem-solving. As a Certified Sommelier with a degree in Viticulture & Enology, Jessica's passion for wine extends to all realms of the industry.
Outside of the office, Jessica spends time tending her eclectic menagerie of house plants, nurturing her home garden and cultivating a sense of wonder through travel, backpacking and exploring the great outdoors.
As a Founder of RedChirp, Jennie is obsessed with helping businesses meet consumers' newly expanded expectations for virtual interactions. Calling and emailing may have been enough before, but now 89% of consumers want to text with businesses. RedChirp makes business texting easy: compliance, web chat, payments, marketing campaigns, club communications, automation, and wine industry-specific integrations to tie it all together.
A true nerd at heart, Jennie loves spreadsheets and a good data set to dig into, is a frequent speaker at business conferences, and the co-author of two books. When not in the office, Jennie spends time cooking with her husband and chasing her preschool-aged son. Her most prized possession is their well-worn – and heavily stained – wine-tasting notebook.
Polly Hammond is a well known figure in the world of wine marketing. Speaker, podcaster, advisor, and founder of the award-winning digital marketing agency 5forests, she splits her time between Barcelona, Auckland, and Napa, where she works with some of the world's largest (and smallest!) wine producers.
She’s the host of over 100 podcasts on the subject of wine business, including the 2024 YouTube series Headtraining, the 2022 series Uncorked for the Italian Wine Podcast, and the 2020 series The Real Business of Wine with Robert Joseph. She's a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned degrees in International Relations and French. Those studies led to a deep and abiding love affair with Behavioural Economics, and her work is based on insights into all the crazy and irrational reasons consumers engage with brands.
(Oh, and beware, she’s mad about pop culture and good stories, so any presentation is sure to have at least one Star Wars reference thrown in!)
Steven Harrison is President & CEO of Zero Link Markets (ZLM). The company operates Vinoshipper and CompleteDTC, e-commerce, compliance, and Customer Relationship Management platforms for the direct sales of beverage alcohol. The businesses enable micro to medium-sized alcohol producers to sell and ship their products directly while connecting closely with customers.
With a background in finance, accounting and regulatory compliance, Steven develops modern business platforms with innovative technologies that are leading transformation in the complex alcoholic beverage industry.
The platforms ensure producers navigate and comply with multi-jurisdictional regulations, reporting, and tax requirements involved with online transactions. With over sixteen years of experience in direct sales and intricacies of various state rules and taxes, Steven has a unique perspective of the practicalities of each state's regulations.
Steven also chairs the Craft Wine Association direct sales advocacy group, a non-profit, formed in 2016 to advocate for the interest of craft wineries around the Nation.
ZLM is at the forefront of the direct sales movement for craft producers, modernizing an industry which dates back to the Prohibition era. With more than 2,700 craft producers around the country using the platform, Vinoshipper is a leading compliance and sales platform.
After 20 years working in this most complicated field, Vinoshipper is now one of the leading software and compliance platforms delivering state-of-the-art digital services that validate age verification, licensing, and tax calculation & remittance while creating a full audit trail which gives both clients and regulators high confidence in all online transactions.
Alex Heckathorn is a senior editor of The Digest of Wine & Spirits Law, the industry's most comprehensive resource on the distribution and sales of wine across the United States. Alex brings over 20 years' experience in handling compliance and distribution issues for wineries as one of the principles of Compliance Service of America. This practical experience, combined with a legal background, gives him a unique ability to advise wineries on expanding their sales and distribution. Alex lives on the coast of Oregon, where contrary to rumor, the sun does shine often.
Grant is a dynamic, passionate entrepreneur who has devoted his entire 18-year career to growing wine brands. He has worked in a variety of capacities throughout the industry, ranging from Vineyard Manager to Winemaker, Sales + Marketing, and General Manager. Prior to founding Libby, he was the General Manager overseeing the Wine + Spirits division at Molson Coors. Grant currently resides in downtown Napa with his wife and two children.
Drew Thomas Hendricks is a seasoned veteran in the wine industry, known for blending his passion for wine with innovative digital solutions. In the mid-nineties, Drew launched one of the first wine eCommerce sites, setting the stage for his future ventures. He has since founded several wine-focused businesses, including Vintellect and Vine Cat, each contributing to the digital evolution of wine marketing and sales.
Currently, Drew leads Barrels Ahead, a wine and craft marketing agency dedicated to helping wineries engage with their audiences through authentic content. His approach prioritizes storytelling and genuine connections, reflecting his belief in the power of authenticity in marketing.
As the host of the "Legend Behind the Craft" podcast, now in its fourth season with over 170 episodes, Drew explores the stories and innovations behind the craft beverage industry. He champions low-fi marketing and the audio channel as two of the most effective yet underutilized tools for wineries to convey their unique stories.
Through his work, Drew has consistently demonstrated a commitment to enhancing the wine experience with technology while maintaining the personal touch that defines the industry.
Dan Hoban is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of sales experience in the beverage industry. He is known for his strategic leadership and proven track record managing the complexities of multi-state suppliers and wholesale operations. As both a supplier and wholesaler, Dan has successfully navigated the intricacies of the 3-tier wholesale system. He has also demonstrated expertise in brand strategy, sales operations, forecasting, and P&L management.
Dan most recently served as the Managing Director of Sales Southwest Region at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, leading a team of ten sales managers across five states. Prior to this, at Young's Market / Republic National Distributing Company, his last role was SVP of Wine Sales & Strategy California, overseeing sales leadership, brand strategy, supplier management, pricing, supplier recruitment/onboarding, and negotiating annual goals for top wine suppliers.
Cathy Huyghe is an entrepreneur, writer and mindfulness proponent. She is the co-founder of Enolytics, a technology-centric disruptor and provider of business solutions for the wine industry whose most recent development combines DTC with wholesaler data for full 360-degree sales channel visibility. She writes about the business and politics of the wine industry in her column for Forbes online, and she also co-creates the content for A Balanced Glass, a community dedicated to wellness in the wine and spirits world. All three of those ventures have been recognized for their innovative contributions. In 2021 Huyghe was named one of the industry's Most Inspiring People by Wine Industry Network, and she was also a Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award finalist for Innovator of the Year. Most recently, Huyghe has joined the advisory board of the Harvard Data Science Review, and she has given presentations on key topics involving AI and developing a culture of data.
Ray Johnson is the Executive Director of the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. Johnson joined the wine business in 1986 at the Christian Brothers' Greystone Cellars in Saint Helena, California. He went on to sell wine, first on the supplier side, and later in retail, working directly with consumers. He earned his Master's in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide in South Australia and taught for fourteen years. Johnson's work has been published in the Journal of Consumer Marketing, the International Journal of Wine Business Research, Vineyard & Winery Management, and in reviews for consumers and the primer The Good Life Guide to Enjoying Wine.
Jordan Kivelstadt will tell you he has always had the "entrepreneurial bug". Growing up in a family that championed independent thinking and creating your own path, he did just that. As a proud alumnus of Tufts University, he began his long journey of building companies when he pioneered the wine-on-tap movement by co-founding Free Flow Wines, which changed the way Americans drink wine by the glass. He grew the company from his garage to 120 employees and sold Free Flow in 2016. Jordan parted ways in 2019 to start his own hospitality business - Trellis Management. Today, Jordan runs multiple hospitality businesses and consults for several companies around the world, teaching and mentoring. His businesses include Bohemian Highway Travel Co, Bloom Carneros, and Kivelstadt Cellars; however he's looking to continue to build on these ventures in 2024.
Debi Leal has been lending her considerable talents to the Napa Valley wine industry since 1992,after moving from Washington, D.C. to California. Her early career in public relations made her the perfect fit for leading teams as a General Manager at boutique wineries in the region. She served as Winemaker and General Manager at Vincent Arroyo Winery for 12 years then led Baldacci Family Vineyards as General Manager for 8 years.
Debi joined Knights Bridge Winery in 2014 and during her tenure she has created a strong culture focused on success while leading a team of skilled and enthusiastic professionals. Most recently, she collaborated with proprietors Kelley and Jim Bailey to build the new estate winery, sharing their commitment to excellence in this exciting journey. Completed in 2021 it is only the second winery ever built in Knights Valley.
Working at the Knights Bridge Winery in the beautiful and untamed landscape of Knights Valley, amid rolling hills and the organically farmed estate vineyard suits Debi’s style perfectly. She believes that there is nothing more important than developing and enhancing the relationships between the vineyards, the winery, the team, and the guests. This essential philosophy is the foundation of her success–a multi-layered approach, much like the wines that she enjoys.
While not busy at the winery, Debi devotes time to the non-profit organization she founded in 2009, Notes for Education. Comprised of Napa Valley wine professionals and Nashville music professionals, Notes hosts fundraising events to support music education programs in local communities. To further the fundraising effort, Debi puts her winemaking experience to use by making a small amount of Napa Valley Zinfandel called Harmony, with all sales proceeds benefitting Notes.
Debi and her husband Javier live in Napa with their lively rescue dog, Stryker. They have three grown children and enjoy family travel in their spare time.
Heather McCarthy brings a dynamic blend of passion and expertise to the wine industry as the Director of Marketing at Rombauer Vineyards. With an academic foundation in Public Relations and Wine and Viticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, international wine studies in Australia, and an MBA in Wine Business from Sonoma State, Heather has consistently leveraged her knowledge and experience to foster connections within the wine community. In awe of wine's ability to bring people together, her customer-centric approach to marketing is deeply rooted in storytelling, engagement, and creating memorable experiences. She leads all facets of the marketing strategy, securing Rombauer's position as the #1 wine brand in the super luxury wine category including its iconic Carneros Chardonnay, category leading Zinfandel, and fast-growing Sauvignon Blanc. Outside of her professional life, Heather enjoys family time, a good game of pickleball, and, of course, conversations with friends over great bottles of wine.
A fifth-generation Napa native, Mallory McEligot graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies, and started a career in the hospitality industry in 2003. From managing the private membership programs for CADE, PlumpJack and Odette Estate Wineries for the PlumpJack group she moved on to work as Director of Memberships and Events for Silver Trident Winery, owned by Bob Binder the founder of Oceania Cruise Lines. She eventually awarded the wine Marketer of the Year from the SF Luxury Marketing Council in 2018, and today serves as the Director of Operations for Flying Lady Winery. Founder of the popular blog “Vine Living” and Mallory also established BANG Wine Country in 2014.
Having grown to over 300 members and celebrating its 10th years, BANG Wine Country serves as the pre-eminent networking organization serving Napa and Sonoma. Offering hosting opportunities, social media promotion, job listings, a services directory, monthly events and more under Mallory’s guidance BANG Wine Country has become the go-to source for promoting local businesses and helping the wine industry build personal relationships. Now participating in the nationally recognized, award-winning program Leadership Napa Valley, Mallory is striving to have a further positive impact on her community. While not working Mallory enjoys spending time with her husband Matt, son Macklin, and pups Carmelita and Zula.
Christian Miller has worked in market research as well as brand and category management for over two decades. He is the proprietor of Full Glass Research, which provides market research and industry analysis for food and beverage producers and marketers.
An original member of the WMC Research Committee, he helped launch the Wine Opinions consumer and trade panels, and currently serves as the head instructor of the UC Davis OIV Wine Marketing course. Christian's wine industry experience includes work at wineries, retailers, restaurants, as an importer, and as a négociant. He has marketed wine brands ranging from a few thousand cases to over a million, granting him a comprehensive understanding of the industry. Christian holds a BA degree in Economics from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from the Johnson School of Management, Cornell University.
Troy Monteyne has been with Wilson Artisan Wines since 2016 and oversees the strategic direction of the tasting room, wine club, e-commerce, and telemarketing teams.
After a decade working in the Bay Area restaurant industry, and a year spent backpacking around South America, Troy realized that his true passion was wine and decided to move to Sonoma County in 2016. After working a harvest in the Russian River Valley that fall, he transitioned into sales, joining Mazzocco Sonoma, a part of the Wilson Artisan Wines family, at the end of that year.
Drawing upon a solid foundation in hospitality, Troy brings a unique perspective to his role, emphasizing the importance of customer satisfaction and personalized experiences in every interaction, whether in person in the tasting room, or by email, phone, or text. His commitment to exceptional hospitality, combined with a genuine enthusiasm for the world of wine, continues to motivate him to find new ways to enhance the guest experience and promote sales.
Outside of work, Troy has a passion for travel and spends his time exploring the world of wine. He is always on the hunt for varietals he has never tried before and loves to share them with family and friends, especially over board games. He is also an avid watcher of "Jeopardy!"
Troy holds a B.A. and M.A. in European history from San Francisco State University.
Julie is a Dry Creek girl, growing up in the family home next to the winery. She attended Dominican University and, soon after graduating with a BA in English, she returned home to work at the winery, first in the tasting room and then in the office. Julie later took on additional marketing communications responsibilities. She began by writing Pedroncelli’s first newsletter, and later, started the winery blog Vino in my Dino, and developed materials promoting their line of wines for the trade. Travel as the ‘Brand Ambassador’ takes her from the northwest through the northeast of the United States as well as Canada. Wine and food pairing is a passion evident by the many wine-friendly recipes collected and posted on the winery website. She became Chair of the winery board in 2021.
Julie is and has been involved with many wine industry groups over the years (Wine Road, Sonoma County Vintners, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley) including her current role as a board member with Wine Institute, and Sonoma County Wine Library Association. Married to Ed St. John since 1989, they reside in Healdsburg with their Australian Shepherd Jasper. 2024 marks her 39th year in the family business.
Jacqueline Rullman is the Vice President of Marketing at Corksy, the all-in-one DtC platform helping wineries sell more wine. With 15 years of winery experience spanning from managing tasting rooms to overseeing wine club operations and leading e-commerce initiatives, most recently as the Director of Sales and Marketing for one of Virginia's largest wineries, Jacqueline has proven her ability to innovate and drive growth. Her approach combines traditional wine industry practices with new, creative marketing strategies, positioning her at the cutting edge of her field.
Eric Schwartzman is a search engine optimization (SEO), public relations, DTC, and green marketing consultant to wineries.
He helps clients boost their wine tasting room rankings on Google Maps and drives traffic to their Product Landing Pages (PLPs), Product Detail Pages (PDPs), and unique content offerings through Google's universal, news, image, and video search algorithms.
Although Eric Schwartzman has spent the last 15 years in digital marketing, he started in public relations pre-Internet and has extensive experience in media relations, corporate communications, brand journalism, internal communications, reputation management, integrated marketing communications, and investor relations. He optimizes the technical aspects of his creative content marketing campaigns to attract inbound links that lift rankings and authority.
Eric Schwartzman is the author of two best-selling books on digital marketing, a frequent speaker at industry conferences, an award-winning podcaster, and a contributor at AdWeek, Wine-Searcher, Healdsburg Tribune, Sonoma County Gazette, TechCrunch, Fast Company, and many others.
Dale Stratton brings over 40 years of experience in the Beverage Alcohol Industry to his role as an industry consultant. Dale retired from Constellation Brands in May of 2019 where he was the Vice President, Commercial Insights working across their Beer, Wine, and Spirits divisions. While at Constellation Brands he oversaw consumer and shopper insights, consumer affairs, business analytics, market research, category management initiatives, and established their wine sensory program. Dale's extensive work linking consumer, shopper, and market analysis with business objectives and strategies enable him to translate insights into revenue generating actions.
Dale is currently Managing Director for Azur Associates and works with the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America's on their SipSource deliverable. Dale recently ended his tenure as President of Wine Market Council, a post he held for three and a half years.
Prior to joining Constellation Brands in 2006, Dale spent 22 years working at E&J Gallo where he began his career. During his tenure, he covered a wide range of responsibilities that included distributor management, account management, strategic insights, and Lean Six Sigma. Dale has a bachelor's degree in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations from Colorado State University and an Executive MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Karin Strykowski has been in the wine industry for 18 years where her journey began in Navarro Vineyards's tasting room and evolved into management where she developed a passion for DtC wine sales and customer success. From Navarro, Karin joined VinoPRO as the Director of Operations where she helped wineries achieve their DtC sales goals. In April 2022, Karin joined Wineshipping and is now the Director of Client Change Management. She works to keep the client at the heart of Wineshipping and is passionate about helping them succeed. When she is not leading in-person or virtual training on ACP, she enjoys walking her dog Yogi, spending time with her family, hiking, going to see live music, and traveling the world.
Mike Wangbickler is President of Balzac. With nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations, Mike is a trusted advisor and strategic consultant to his clients. While others are frozen when faced with barriers, Mike is energized by it. He relishes analyzing problems for his clients, finding what is wrong, and providing them with innovative solutions. Mike's strategic mind enables him to sort through the noise and find the best way forward. He embraces ambiguity and can identify paths to real progress.
Before following his heart to wine country, Mike followed his head to Silicon Valley where he spent 8 fast-paced years in technology communications, where he caught the bug for following the latest trends in marketing tech. Armed with a "live to eat" motto and an evident passion for craft food and beverages and the land, Mike entered Balzac's life in 2004 and became the agency's President in 2016.
As a studied disciple of Walt Disney, Mike thinks it's fun to do the impossible. He believes leadership, imagination, and innovation require a certain level of fearlessness and he encourages his team to step off the worn pathways and break new ground. He leads a team who are driven forward by the stories that inspire people to share in a dream. It is with this philosophy that he's guided successful marketing and communications campaigns for more than 70 global companies and trade associations from a dozen countries.
But he'd trade it all to be a Jedi.
Jennifer is an industry professional with 24 years of experience, including 12 years with WISE. She began her career in the wine industry working for Lesley Berglund (Co-Founder & Chairman of WISE) at Ambrosia Wine Catalog/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.
