NAPA, CALIFORNIA | DECEMBER 7, 2015: The Napa | Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense’s (WWS) Winemakers’ & Viticultural Roundtable will hold its Harvest Wrap Up & Holiday Bottle Exchange on Wednesday, December 9, 2015, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 pm at an iconic landmark that is known for its vibrant evolution and some of the deepest historical roots in California’s wine industry, Schramsberg Vineyards, 1400 Schramsberg Road, Calistoga, CA.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The event is hosted by Jessica Koga, WWS member and Associate Winemaker, the Davies Family and the Schramsberg team. The group will meet in the hand-hewn caves, a national historic landmark and one of Napa Valley’s oldest wineries, to enjoy fellowship, sample some outstanding bubbles and wines and share harvest stories. Ms. Koga noted “it’s a great time to reconnect with colleagues and enjoy some time for yourself as holidays swing into gear.”
The roundtable meeting will open at 3:30 p.m. with welcome wines and networking followed by a behind-the-scenes winemaker tour, group discussion and gift exchange. Attendees are encouraged to bring a bottle of their wine for the Roundtable hosts and another to share in the holiday bottle exchange. Carpools from Napa, Sonoma and other locations are available.
The roundtable “wrap up” commemorates the special group’s talents and members’ invaluable camaraderie, created throughout the past year focused on advanced career skills. As noted by roundtable chair Julie Hagler Lumgair, “Our past meeting topics have focused upon the skills women winemakers and viticultural professionals need but aren’t always easy to get in their daily work 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 friendly professional 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 global consultant and olfactory expert, Alexandre Schmitt, at Cairdean Estate; Wine Enthusiast’s critic and writer, Virginie Boone, at Gundlach Bundschu; Wine & Spirits’ editor and critic, 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 last year’s inaugural holiday bottle exchange at HALL’s restored Bergfeld Winery.”
ABOUT THE WINEMAKING & VITICULTURAL ROUNDTABLE AND RSVP DETAILS: The Winemaking Roundtable meets approximately five times a year, taking a harvest break. This holiday 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 either emailed and/or received RSVP guest confirmations through the Winemaker Roundtable Chair. (See below.)
Please, due to space limitations, 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.
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.
