Wineries and Winemaking
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Michael Scholz |
Stanley Cheng, president of Hestan Vineyards and Meyer Wines, announced the appointment of Debra Eagle as the new general manager of their Napa Valley concern. Prior to joining Hestan, Debra was GM of Clos Du Val Wine Co. and was director of marketing for Robert Mondavi Winery, Sutter Home Winery and Harlan Estate Winery. Cheng also announced the appointment of Thomas Rivers Brown as winemaker for Hestan. Brown takes over production of Hestan Cabernet Sauvignon and Hestan Chardonnay from winemaker Mark Herold. After three years as assistant winemaker to Ehren Jordan at Turley Wine Cellars, Cheng went out on his own as a consulting winemaker in 2000.
Tom Dodson joined Dobbes Family Estate as production manager. Dodson was cellar manager and then cellar master at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Dobbes Family Estate is located in Dundee, Oregon.
Brad Akkerman joined Ehlers Estate Winery in St. Helena, California as California sales manager. Akkerman was previously sales director for Bounty Hunter Rare Wines and has worked for Henry Wine Group and Andretti.
Benovia Winery, a producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay based in the Russian River Valley, hired Tina Alves to run the winery's operations. Prior to joining the Benovia team, Alves spent more than eight years working at Blend Winery Software (now Orion Wine Software) where she was client services manager.
Ted Osborne was named winemaker for Blue Hall Vineyard, producers of the single-vineyard Howell Mountain estate Cabernet Sauvignon Camiana. Osborne also makes wine under his own label Olabisi, as well as consulting for Phifer-Pavitt and Trahan Winery. Osborne was recently winemaker for Piña Napa Valley, after making wine in Bordeaux, Australia and South Africa.
Clos LaChance Winery, a family-owned winery located in California's Central Coast, promoted Cher Engelstad to national sales director. Prior to being promoted, Engelstad managed regional sales throughout the western United States. She began her career as a sommelier in Dallas, Texas. From there she studied viticulture and worked as an assistant vineyard manager at a small Southern Texas winery. Upon moving to the Los Angeles area in 1989, she held sales positions with Paterno Imports, Guenoc Winery and Distell USA and ran her own sales and marketing
company.
Obituary
Robert Young Dies
Lifelong Alexander Valley farmer and grape grower Robert Young, 90, died June 19, 2009. Young was born March 6, 1919, on farmland that already had sustained his family for two generations. A chunk of the ranch on Red Winery Road became his property and his obligation at age 16 when his father died. He leaves the 317-acre ranch to four sons and daughters who continue to farm premium grapes sold to Chateau St. Jean, Blackstone, Clos du Bois, Simi and other wineries.
The family's oldest and most mutually beneficial relationship is with Chateau St. Jean, which in 1975 used Robert Young Vineyards grapes for a Chardonnay and then credited that fact on the label. With that labeling, Chateau St. Jean became the first U.S. winery to concentrate on vineyard-designated wines. Although Young's children sell most of their grapes, they keep some of the best for their 12-year-old Robert Young Estate Winery. They call their signature wine "Scion" in tribute to the clan's patriarch, a prune farmer who took a chance on the grape.
Word of his death was a painful blow to neighbors and Wine Country colleagues who praised him as a man who was bold, innovative, hardworking, generous and community minded. The Youngs had been married for 48 years when Gertrude died in 1988. Young married Donna Anne Watts in 1992. In addition to his wife, son Jim Young and daughter Susan Sheehy, he is survived by his son Fred Young and daughter JoAnn Young, both of Healdsburg; his sister, Marion Penry of Healdsburg; 12 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Young's family held a memorial service in early July.
Distributors, Importers & Retailers
Constellation Brands announced that Jon Moramarco, CEO of Constellation International, left the company June 30. Paul Hetterich will oversee the international business of Constellation Europe, Constellation Wines Australia and Constellation New Zealand as executive vice president, business development, corporate strategy and international. Reporting to Hetterich will be Troy Christensen, who will assume responsibility for Constellation Wines Australia in addition to his current duties as president of Constellation Europe; and Joe Stanton, CEO of Constellation New Zealand. John Grant, president of Constellation Wines Australia, will report to Christensen.
Megghen Driscoll is the new vice president, public relations and communications for Foley Family Wines, based in Sonoma. She has held public relations positions throughout the industry, most recently with Constellation. Foley Wine Group also named Doug Howell as director of national accounts, based in Orlando, Florida, responsible for all on-premise national accounts. He was previously in charge of national accounts at Zonin USA and was with Remy Cointreau and Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC). Devin Savano also joined Foley Family Wines as western region chain manager, having spent the past 10 years with Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates.
Precept Wine Brands' founder and CEO Andrew Browne and founding partner Dan Baty hired Mike Williamson (CEO of Long Shadows Winery) as the new president and COO of their Seattle-based wine company, now the largest privately-owned wine company in Washington. As the first president and COO for Precept Wine Brands, Williamson will oversee day-to-day operations. Williamson was also the CFO at Corus Brands, now part of Constellation.
Industry Suppliers & Services
Erica Valentine has joined Scion Advisors as a senior associate. Scion specializes in working with family-owned and closely-held businesses. Valentine most recently was estate director at Icon Estates, the luxury wine division of Constellation. She spent 11 years at Seagram Chateau & Estates and 10 years consulting and working for luxury wineries including Shafer, Markham, Hanzell and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.
Ray Walker, previously a cellar worker with Freeman Winery and August West, is moving from California to Beaune to start a negociant business based in Burgundy. Walker will work with winemaker Olier Leflaive. Walker was previously a stock broker at Merrill and a real estate agent before studying winemaking at Napa Valley College. His new venture is called Maison Ilan (maison-illan.com).
Rodrigo Melo was appointed sales manager for Demptos Glass. Prior to Demptos Glass, he was employed by Vitro Packaging for 11½ years, first in Texas and then in California. He served in various sales, marketing and management capacities for Vitro Packaging, finishing up as head of global sourcing and
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Tina Martin |
Tina Martin has started a consulting business utilizing her 25 years of experience in the wine industry focusing on luxury brand building. Martin was sales and marketing manager for Flowers Vineyard and Winery, Keller Estate and Hanzell Vineyards. Martin provides advice on brand building, distribution expansion and all aspects of winery sales and marketing.
Wine Associations
Stephen Schwitalla joined the Culinary Society of America's Advisory Board as its co-chairman. Schwitalla is CEO of the Sonoma County Vintners Co-operative and founding partner of Pack N' Ship Direct, both based in Windsor, California. The Culinary Society of America is a multi-media company focused on "enhancing friends' and members' total enjoyment of the culinary lifestyle experience by serving as their 'Concierge to the culinary world.'" wbm
