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Steve Lohr of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Elected Wine Institute Chairman 2017-2018

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SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Lohr, Chairman and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines in San Jose and Paso Robles, has been elected Wine Institute Board Chairman for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The election was held at Wine Institute’s 83rd Annual Meeting of Members in San Diego. Other board officers elected were Chris Indelicato of Delicato Family Vineyards in Napa, first vice chairman; Hank Wetzel of Alexander Valley Vineyards in Healdsburg, second vice chairman; John Sutton, The Wine Group in Livermore, treasurer; and Suzanne Groth, Groth Vineyards & Winery in Oakville, secretary. Robert P. (Bobby) Koch is President and CEO of Wine Institute.

“Since 1934, Wine Institute has helped wineries of all sizes as the go-to voice of the California wine industry. It is an honor to have been selected by my industry colleagues to work with Wine Institute’s experienced team on core issues facing our industry: policies and regulations, taxation, enhancing California wines’ reputation and commerce both in the United States and abroad, finding solutions to labor and immigration challenges, and promoting sustainable winegrowing practices that will continue to make our industry thrive for years to come,” said Lohr.

Lohr began in the wine industry in 1972 at the age of 10 when he helped his father, Jerry, plant their first vineyards in the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County. Through high school, he worked weekends in the vineyards, fostering a lifelong passion for viticulture. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in civil engineering and economics, Lohr split his time between winegrowing, and designing and building high-end custom homes on the San Francisco Peninsula. He joined J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines in 2003 as VP of planning and development, and later became EVP/COO of J. Lohr Vineyards, overseeing the management and development of the family’s 3,700 acres of estate vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey and St. Helena. Lohr has served as a three-term chairman of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, and is also the chairman of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.

Wine Institute is the public policy advocacy group for nearly 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses, accounting for 95 percent of California wine production and 85 percent of U.S. wine production. Based in San Francisco, with offices in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., six regions across the U.S. and 15 foreign countries, Wine Institute is guided by 80 vintners who are members and alternates on an active board of directors. The board elects the chairman and officers on an annual basis.

Wine Institute’s membership also elected new district- and at-large directors and alternates. District directors and their alternates were elected on a one-member-one-vote basis in each district, following nominations by regional winery associations. They are:

DISTRICT DIRECTOR ALTERNATE
Northern Tracey Hawkins
Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Lower Lake
Vacant
Sonoma: Carmen Castaldi
Rodney Strong Wine Estates, Healdsburg
Steven MacRostie
MacRostie Winery & Vineyards, Healdsburg
Julie Pedroncelli St. John
J. Pedroncelli Winery, Geyserville
Katie Wetzel Murphy
Alexander Valley Vineyards, Healdsburg
James DeBonis
Trentadue Winery, Geyserville
Louis M. Foppiano
Foppiano Wine Company, Healdsburg
Debra Mathy
Dutcher Crossing, Healdsburg
Harry Wetzel
Alexander Valley Vineyards, Healdsburg
Napa: Dennis Cakebread
Cakebread Cellars, Rutherford
Hugh Davies
Schramsberg Vineyards, Calistoga
Suzanne Groth
Groth Vineyards & Winery, Oakville
Alex Ryan
Duckhorn Wine Company, St. Helena
Delia Viader
Viader Vineyards, Deerpark
Erik Ackerman
Jackson Family Wines, Santa Rosa
Robin Baggett
Alpha Omega Winery, St. Helena
Marketta Fourmeaux
Marketta Winery, Napa
Paul Leary
Blackbird Vineyards, Napa
Michael Reynolds
Hall Wines, St. Helena and Rutherford
San Francisco Bay: William Cooper
Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Saratoga
Earl Ault
Cedar Mountain Winery, Livermore
Monterey Bay: Scott Scheid
Scheid Vineyards, Salinas
Lawrence Lohr
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, San Jose
Central Coast: Gary Eberle
Eberle Winery, Paso Robles
Stephen Miller
The Thornhill Companies, Santa Barbara
Gretchen Roddick
Hope Family Wines, Paso Robles
Karen Steinwachs
Buttonwood Farm Winery, Solvang
Laura Booras
Riverbench Winery, Santa Maria
Tara Gomez
Kita Wines, Lompoc
Nicholas Miller
The Thornhill Companies, Santa  Barbara
Frank Ostini
Hitching Post Wines, Buellton
Southern: Alexander McGeary
Shadow Mountain Vineyards & Winery, Warner Springs
Linda McWilliams
San Pascal Winery, La Mesa
Sierra: Aimee Sunseri
New Clairvaux Vineyards, Vina
Steven Millier
Milliaire Winery, Murphys
Northern Interior: David Phillips
Michael-David Winery, Lodi
Randall Lange
LangeTwins Vineyards & Winery, Lodi
Southern Interior: Steven Schafer
Schafer Ranch, Madera
William Nakata
ASV Wines, Inc., Delano

All members elected 20 at-large directors who had been nominated by the Institute’s Finance and Administration Committee. Alternates were chosen by at-large directors.

AT LARGE DIRECTOR ALTERNATE
Giancarlo Bianchetti
Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland
Holly Killion
Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland
Virginia Clark
Constellation Brands, Victor
Nichole Malec
Constellation Brands, Victor
James Coleman
E. & J. Gallo Winery, Modesto
To be announced
Cindy DeVries
Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland
Rodrigo Maturana
Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland
Michael Drobnick
O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, Parlier
Matthew Towers
O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, Parlier
John Franzia, Jr.
Bronco Wine Company, Ceres
Daniel Leonard
Bronco Wine Company, Ceres
Joseph Franzia
Bronco Wine Company, Ceres
Fredrick Irwin, Jr.
Bronco Wine Company, Ceres
Matthew Gallo
Gallo Family Vineyards, Healdsburg
Stephanie Gallo
E. & J. Gallo Winery, Modesto
Tobin Ginter
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg
Mark Mathewson
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg
Chris Indelicato
Delicato Family Vineyards, Napa
Jolene Yee
Delicato Family Vineyards, Napa
Steve Lohr
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, San Jose
Thomas Selfridge
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, San Jose
James O’Malley
Brown-Forman Corporation, Louisville
David Perata
Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Windsor
Steven Spadarotto
Francis Ford Coppola Presents, LLC, Geyserville
Ken Minami
Francis Ford Coppola Presents, Geyserville
John Sutton
The Wine Group, Livermore
Keith Bauman
The Wine Group, Livermore
Rick Tigner
Jackson Family Wines, St. Helena
Jeff Wesselkamper
Jackson Family Wines, St. Helena
Robert Torkelson
Trinchero Family Estates, St. Helena
Anthony Torres
Trinchero Family Estates, St. Helena
Roger Trinchero
Trinchero Family Estates, St. Helena
Peter Larson
Trinchero Family Estates, St. Helena
Brian Vos
The Wine Group, Ripon
Jeff Dubiel
The Wine Group, Ripon
Michael Walker
Constellation Brands, San Francisco
Tiffanie De Liberty
Constellation Brands, San Francisco
Christine Wente
Wente Family Estates, Livermore
Amy Hoopes
Wente Family Estates, Livermore
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