Dana Cappelloni Named Director of Sustainability and Grower Education
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (May 30, 2018) – As Sonoma County Winegrowers move closer to their goal of becoming the nation’s first 100% sustainable wine region in 2019, it is adding an experienced sustainable veteran to its team with the hiring of Dana Cappelloni as its new Director of Sustainability and Grower Education.
Cappelloni, who earned an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School, and is a viticulture student at Santa Rosa Junior College, has deep roots in both the wine industry and sustainability. In her role at the Winegrowers, she will work directly with growers to achieve 100% sustainably certified vineyards, as well as facilitate continuing education programs on sustainable winegrape growing for the Sonoma County grower community.
“As our sustainability program evolves and we close in on our 100% goal, Dana provides us with a unique skill set and experience that will greatly benefit our grower community,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, “Not only is Dana a sustainability expert but she has tremendous experience in the wine industry that will help our program continue to evolve and grow.”
Cappelloni is a native of the Bay Area, currently living in Healdsburg. She previously managed sustainability programs for Francis Ford Coppola Wineries, and prior to that, was a sustainability consultant for organizations and multinational companies alike, including Boeing, Flex and Hitachi Consulting. In 2016 she was awarded the Climate Corps Fellowship through the Environmental Defense Fund. Cappelloni worked on her first grape crush more than a decade ago at Testarossa Vineyards, at which fostered her love for wine and the land.
“I am really excited to join Sonoma County Winegrowers and focus my efforts on working with growers on their sustainability programs. In the wine sustainability world, everyone is cheering for Sonoma County Winegrowers as they near the 100% goal and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to join the team at this pivotal time,” said Cappelloni.
As of January, Sonoma County had made significant progress toward their goal with 72% of total winegrape acreage now certified sustainable and 92% assessed, making 100% certification in 2019 a real possibility.
“Adding Dana to our team and making her experience, expertise and skill set available to aid each grower in their quest to become certified sustainable or to evolve their efforts in the coming years will ensure our sustainability program continues to lead the industry,” said Kruse.
About Sonoma County Winegrowers:
The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, also known as Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), was established in 2006 as a marketing and educational organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions. SCW has oversight by California Department of Food and Agriculture which supports producer regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW’s goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers around the world. Learn more at www.sonomawinegrape.org.
