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Atlas Peak Appellation Association Elects New Board of Directors

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Atlas Peak AppelationNAPA, CA – The Atlas Peak Appellation Association (APAA), a nonprofit organization of wineries and grape growers in the Atlas Peak American Viticulture Area (AVA), has announced the election of a new board of directors. Chelsea Bellows, vice president of operations at Alpha Omega Winery, will serve a second term as APAA’s president. Also filling their roles for a second year are Bob Liems, owner and winemaker at Atlas Peak Wine Labs, as vice president; Rick Thornberry, proprietor of Soda Canyon Ranch Vineyards, as treasurer; Gabrielle Shaffer, chief viticulturist at Stagecoach Vineyards, as secretary; Celeste Cooper, consumer direct sale manager at Black Stallion Estate Winery, as director-at-large; and Joseph Reisdorf, president of MDM Analytics, as director-at-large.

Newly elected board members include Victoria Coleman, winemaker at Lobo Wines; Bob Almeida, proprietor of Lagniappe Peak Vineyards; Domenick Bianco, viticulturist; and Angelina Calvelli, graphic designer.

Coleman, a graduate of the UC Davis enology program, began her career at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars as a production assistant. She moved to China to work at Jade Valley Winery near Xian and studied classic, Old-World winemaking in 2008 with Erick Tourbier at Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux, France. At Lobo Wines, her focus is on Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

Almeida has more than 20 years of experience in finance, having served most recently as a senior executive at Charles Schwab Corporation. He scouted several locations throughout Napa and Sonoma before acquiring Lagniappe Peak in 1999, and retired from finance in 2007 to concentrate his energies on the wine industry.

Bianco got his start during an internship at one of Napa’s premier vineyard management companies, followed by work as a cellar intern at Etude Wines. He then accepted a position as viticulturist and vineyard development manager at Renteria Vineyard Management. A developer of more than 300 acres of vineyards, Bianco currently works for HALL and WALT wines as their viticulturist and grower relations manager.

Calvelli launched her career in the wine industry as a marketing and sales intern at Constantia Glen Winery in Cape Town, South Africa. She worked as a tasting-room associate at Stolo Family Winery in Cambria before taking the position of marketing coordinator at Alpha Omega Winery in Napa. She currently serves as marketing assistant at The Carneros Inn, and also works as a freelance graphic designer.

All board positions are effective as of January 12, 2016, and officers and members will serve a one-year term.

States Bellows, “The new board members are enthusiastic about our plans for 2016, which include a redesign of the APAA logo and website to generate greater recognition of the Atlas Peak brand. We will also focus on recruiting more wineries to expand our associate membership base—the wineries that utilize fruit from Atlas Peak—and to establish new ways to meet the diverse needs of our members. We anticipate a very exciting year.”

About Atlas Peak Appellation Association:

The Atlas Peak Appellation Association brings together the wineries, growers, and friends of the Atlas Peak American Viticulture Area (AVA) to share information, strategize marketing concepts, and promote the wine made from grapes grown in the region. Its goal is to expand the visibility and notoriety of the Atlas Peak AVA and to educate consumers about the unique characteristics and exceptional quality of Atlas Peak wines.

Home to Napa Valley’s most highly elevated and rugged landscape, Atlas Peak has been producing wines of renown since 1870. The 11,400 acres of land that comprise the AVA include 1500 acres of vineyards. Once known primarily for Zinfandel, the Atlas Peak appellation currently produces premium varietals used to create Bordeaux-style wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, and Merlot. Grapes grown in the region also include Rhone-style Syrah, Marsanne, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

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