NAPA, CALIFORNIA | FEBURARY 23 , 2016: The Napa | Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense’s (WWS) Winemakers’ & Viticultural Roundtable will host Dr. Liz Thach, MW and Distinguished Professor of Wine and a Professor of Management at Sonoma State University on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Carriage House at Domaine Carneros, the Taittinger family’s elegant California estate located at 1240 Duhig Road, Napa. Dr. Thach will lead a thought-provoking discussion about Personal Brand Development for women winemakers and viticulturists.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER, DR. LIZ THACH, MW:
Dr. Thach (pronounced “tosh”) teaches in both the SSU undergraduate and Wine MBA programs. Her areas of expertise include Wine Business Strategy, Human Resource Management, and Leadership Development. Her passion is wine, and she has visited most of the major wine regions of the world and more than 37 countries. In addition, she is an award winning author who has published over 120 articles and 6 wine books, including Call of the Vine, Wine – A Global Business and Wine Marketing & Sales. She has served on many non-profit wine boards and obtained the distinction of Master of Wine (MW). In addition to teaching, she currently conducts research and does consulting with multiple wineries and other local businesses. Prior to coming to SSU in 2000, she worked more than 10 years as an HR manager and executive in Fortune 100 companies.
ABOUT THE HOST, EILEEN CRANE:
With deep historical roots in Reims, France, the Taittinger family founded Domaine Carneros in the late 1970s, selecting Eileen Crane, now CEO and America’s most experienced sparkling winemaker, to oversee the development of their new Carneros winery and vineyards. In 1989 they completed their landmark grand château, inspired by Taittinger’s 18th century home estate, their classic Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne. Known for it’s quintessential expression of the Taittinger style in California, this Napa Valley icon specializes in sparkling wines with varied and distinctive styles and select estate still wines.
ABOUT THE EVENT:
The roundtable meeting will open at 3:00 p.m. with Estate wines, fellowship and networking in the Carriage House followed by a 3:35 p.m. behind-the-scenes winemaker tour with Eileen Crane. At 4 p.m., the group will gather for announcements then enjoy Dr. Thach’s discussion, followed by a question and answer session. Attendees are encouraged to bring a bottle of their wine for the Roundtable host and speaker.
Roundtable chair Julie Hagler Lumgair noted, “We are honored to have two notable women wine industry leaders help kick off our 2016 Roundtable series. It will be a great gathering of peers in a friendly, relaxed environment.”
Lumgair continued “Whether you’re employed by a company or yourself, it’s competitive. To be on the ‘short list’ of people who come to mind when opportunities arise, you have to bring proven value and earn a good name for yourself, in harmony with the brand reputation you support for your winery employer. All while being true to your values, supporting family, community and enjoying life! It’s a lot to consider. We’ll work on it together in a candid, thoughtful discussion with Dr. Thach, an expert who understands the industry, our unique career tracks, the challenges and work-life balance.”
ABOUT THE WINEMAKING & VITICULTURAL ROUNDTABLE AND RSVP DETAILS: The Winemaking Roundtable meets approximately five times a year, taking a harvest break. This inaugural 2016 meeting is a great time to reconnect and meet new folks. The free roundtable meeting is open to WWS Winemaking Roundtable members and interested women winemakers and viticulturists who have emailed and received RSVP guest confirmations through the Winemaker Roundtable Chair (See below). Guests may attend up to two Roundtables before deciding to join.
Please, all attendees must be pre-approved; no walk-ins. To RSVP, or for any questions on this event or future WWS Winemaking Roundtable events, please contact Ms. Lumgair at Julie@Lumgair.com.
Lumgair commented “The Winemaking Roundtable’s past meeting topics have focused upon the skills women winemakers need but aren’t always easy to get in the daily winemaking environment.” She further explained that, “Held at some of the region’s finest host wineries, these programs have been a fantastic opportunity for women winemakers to connect directly, in a welcoming forum, with experts that they otherwise wouldn’t get to meet for personal advice and questions. Some of our recent speakers and hosts have included Wine Enthusiast’s critic and writer, Virginie Boone, at Gundlach Bundschu; global consultant and olfactory expert, Alexandre Schmitt, at Cairdean Estate; Wine & Spirits’ senior editor, Luke Sykora, at Lambert Bridge; media training at Markham with Sonoma County Tourism’s CMO, Tim Zahner; winemaker’s financial finesse with St. Supéry’s former CFO, Lori Felando; winemaker career development at Vineyard 29 with Courtney Andrain of The Cypress Group and generous holiday bottle exchanges at Schramsberg and HALL.”
ABOUT WWS ROUNDTABLES: WWS’ eight current professional roundtables serve to provide a welcoming and confidential environment to meet in small peer groups on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis. Members network, provide advice and support for one another, as well as foster educational occasions by inviting guest speakers in their fields and discussing ‘hot issues’ facing members in their day-to-day work. Multiple Roundtables have developed for WWS industry members in finance, accounting, human resources, winemaking/viticulture and marketing/direct-to-consumer fields.
The Napa/Sonoma Chapter currently has more than 350 members of which 70% are wine industry professionals. To join or learn more about WWS’ roundtables, please visit www.womenforwinesense.org
ABOUT WWS: Women for WineSense is a not-for-profit organization 501(c)6 formed in 1990 which believes that wine enhances and enriches everyday life. WWS is the premier wine education and networking organization for wine aficionados and industry professionals, providing women and men with unbiased information about the cultural heritage, social and health effects of moderate wine consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle. The organization is committed to offering outstanding educational programs and mentoring and networking opportunities to wine enthusiasts and industry professionals.
