Rohnert Park, CA (February 25, 2015) — Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute will kick-off it’s 2015 Spring Seminar Series with two new seminars on March 12. The seminars, “Exploring a Career in Wine Business” and “Setting Up Your Wine Business from a Legal Perspective” come as a direct response to inquiries from individuals looking to begin a career in wine business.
“Exploring a Career in Wine Business” will be led by Patrick Baker, North American Sales Director for VINx2, a leading cloud-based, winery software service. The seminar will discuss wine industry career options ranging from vineyard and winery development to positions in sales and marketing and touch on salary scales in these fields. The session will also include discussions with Daniel Bishofberger, Senior Sales Manager at Chatterbox Wine Marketing Services in Napa and Dave Dobson, Consulting Winemaker for Whiplash wines for a candid look at what these positions offer and demand.
“Setting Up Your Wine Business from a Legal Perspective” will be led by Richard Idell, Founding Partner of The Idell Firm. Established in 1986, the law firm is a litigation and transaction practice focusing primarily on the entertainment and wine industries in the San Francisco, Napa and Sonoma areas. The seminar will review licensing and permitting and the various agencies overseeing the these processes from beginning to completion as well as the short term and single use permits obtained by wineries and other facilities for events and entertainment purposes.
Both seminars are part of the Wine Business Institute’s 2015 Spring Seminar Series and can be taken in combination with other elective and core seminars to earn either the Wine Industry Finance & Accounting or Direct to Consumer certificates. Register for these seminars by Friday, February 27th to take advantage of the early registration discount. For more information on the Wine Business Institute’s certificate offerings, please contact Erin Ringstad, erin.ringstad@sonoma.edu or 707-664-3235.
About Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute:
Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute is located in the heart of California wine country and was created through a public-private partnership between the University and the wine industry. It offers a B.S. with a concentration in wine business strategies (since 1998), an MBA with an emphasis in wine business (since 2008), and an executive MBA in wine business (since 2012). In addition, seminars and an online Certificate in Wine Business Management prepare students and industry professionals on topics such as accounting and finance, wine sales and marketing. Its faculty members are published experts, active researchers, and requested presenters on pressing industry topics locally and around the world. The Wine Business Institute operates within Sonoma State’s School of Business and Economics, a fully accredited AACSB institution. Learn more at sonoma.edu/winebiz.
