RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, Calif. – November 12, 2019 – Emeritus Vineyards is excited to announce that after seven years as the winery’s COO, second-generation family member Mari Jones has been appointed president of Emeritus. In this pivotal role, Jones guides a team that includes renowned Winemaker David Lattin (formerly of Merus and Kuleto Estate), and acclaimed Vineyard Manager Kirk Lokka. Her father, legendary vintner and Emeritus Founder Brice Cutrer Jones, will transition from president to chairman Emeritus, and will remain actively involved with the winery. As president, Jones will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Emeritus Vineyards, with the goal of building on the winery’s two-decade track record of excellence as one of the California’s foremost producers of Pinot Noir.
Founded in 1999, Emeritus Vineyards is exclusively dedicated to making estate-grown Pinot Noir from its two vineyards: Hallberg Ranch in the Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill in the Sebastopol Hills. Totaling 150 acres of dry-farmed vines, these vineyards have emerged as two of California’s most revered winegrowing sites, and the source for some of California’s most complex and elegant Pinot Noirs.
“After 47 years in the industry, and two decades as the president of Emeritus, I am delighted to pass the baton to Mari,” says Brice Cutrer Jones. “She is the same age I was when I began in this business, but her qualifications and experience are far beyond what mine were then. She is a remarkably talented individual, who learned this industry from the ground up. With Mari as president, our 40+ employees can be confident that we will remain independent and family-run for another generation, as we continue our mission to make the finest Pinot Noirs in America. I couldn’t be happier. In fact, I’m going to celebrate with a glass of Pinot.”
Since joining Emeritus in 2012, Mari Jones has been integral to the winery’s success. Among her numerous accomplishments as COO, Jones oversaw the design and construction of the Emeritus tasting room, founded the E-Club (Emeritus’s wine club), established the winery’s E-commerce program and helped to launch numerous new vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs. Jones also developed the Emeritus hospitality program, which was selected by USA Today in 2017, as the “#1 Winery Tour in the USA.”
“I am so honored to have earned the respect of our company, along with Brice’s trust to shepherd his vision into the future,” says Jones. “Brice created and led an incredible team for the past 20 years to get the very best from our vineyards. His passion and vision are in the DNA of everything we do at Emeritus. Working alongside our team, I am excited to build on what he created. I know that we can take Emeritus Vineyards beyond what even Brice imagined.”
ABOUT EMERITUS VINEYARDS
Founded by wine industry icon Brice Cutrer Jones, Emeritus Vineyards is dedicated exclusively to crafting estate-grown Pinot Noirs from its two remarkable estate vineyards: Hallberg Ranch in the Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill in the Sebastopol Hills. Totaling 150 acres of Pinot Noir, both Hallberg Ranch and Pinot Hill are dry farmed, making Emeritus the largest dry-farmed estate in Sonoma County.
