NAPA / SONOMA, CALIFORNIA |February 8, 2022 — On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. the Napa | Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense’s (WWS) Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable will host a conversation with Elaine Chukan Brown, recently promoted executive editor US, for JancisRobinson.com (JR.com).
ABOUT THE EVENT
The non-recorded zoom event will be hosted live with private registration links for active WWS Roundtable members. Log-ins open at 3:25 p.m. At 3:30 p.m. Roundtable leaders will cover brief announcements and introductions , followed by a lively conversation with Elaine Chukan Brown. She will share her stories and perspective on the process and evolution of her acclaimed work, her impressions of what’s going on in American wine, her candid thoughts specific to this unique audience comprised only of winemakers and viticulture professionals, plus expand on her other special interests including sustainability, mentoring, diversity and inclusion. Interactive Q&A will be welcomed using live zoom chat.
Roundtable chair, Julie Lumgair noted, “This is an exceptional opportunity for our members to listen and connect with one of the wine world’s most dynamic and forward-looking writers. We were incredibly honored to have Jancis Robinson speak with our group in May 2021. We are thrilled to continue in the spirit of that conversation with Elaine, learning more about her own journey, what inspires her, this new and expanded role and their vision and process for expanding US coverage and appeal to wine lovers in the market.”
As founder and editor in chief Jancis Robinson personally remarked in her January 5, 2022 announcement of their new plan on JancisRobinson.com, “We’re thrilled to share news of our ever-expanding ambitions and team.” She continued, “We have accordingly promoted Elaine Chukan Brown to the post of executive editor US…. she has grown enormously in stature over the last seven years and is hugely respected in the world of wine today having won more titles than you can shake a stick at.”
RSVP DETAILS
This free event is open exclusively to WWS Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable active professional members. Qualified interested women winemakers and viticulturists that have emailed and received RSVP new member confirmations through the Roundtable Chair may join prior to the event and attend. To RSVP, or for any questions on this event or future WWS Roundtable events, please contact the Chair, Julie(at) Lumgair (dot) com.
Attendees are requested to log in 5 minutes early to allow for a prompt 3:30 pm kick off. Due to the proprietary candid discussion, this zoom session will not be recorded.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Elaine Chukan Brown is the US executive editor for JancisRobinson.com. She is responsible for reporting on the California wine scene as well as expanding the site’s coverage of U.S. wineries and sustainability topics, as well as climate action and social responsibility in the context of wine.
She is also a celebrated speaker and educator having presented in countries on every continent except Antarctica. Her work has been featured in print books and magazines, online sites, podcasts, feature-length films, television shows, documentaries, radio shows, apps, and webinars in countries around the world. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year 2020/21 at the annual International Wine and Spirit Competition, a 2020 Wine Industry Leader in North America by Wine Business Monthly, and one of Wine’s Most Inspiring People in 2019 by Wine Industry Network. She has also written for The World Atlas of Wine, The Oxford Companion to Wine, the compilation On California from the Academie du Vin Library, as well as The World of Fine Wine, Club Oenologique, Decanter, Wine & Spirits magazine, and her own Hawk Wakawaka Wine Reviews.
Prior to her career in wine, Elaine served as the Charles A Eastman Fellow at Dartmouth College, and a Tomlinson Fellow at McGill University, where she did doctoral work in philosophy specializing in race and racism, as well as gender, women’s and sexuality studies. Prior to her academic career, she owned her own commercial salmon-fishing business in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The rest of her family continues to commercial fish in Alaska.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
The Q&A moderator will be long time WWS member, Kristen Barnhisel, winemaker, white wine, at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. Her years of experience with this unique professional Roundtable group and other industry leadership roles will contribute to a lively and inspiring conversation with our guest speaker and all attendees.
Ms. Barnhisel brings two decades of viticulture and winemaking experience spanning three continents to her role overseeing all of J. Lohr’s white wines production. While studying abroad, she became one of the first women and first Americans to work harvest for Ruffino in Italy. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Enology from UC Davis, while also working a number of coveted internships, including Warwick Wine Estate in South Africa, Opus One in Napa, and Long Vineyard, where she worked alongside her mentor and longtime family friend Zelma Long.
Known for her gifted palate and technical skill, Kristen uses her expertise with a wide range of varieties, styles, and methods to guide the J. Lohr white wines team and portfolio. Her work in multiple countries and appellations also provided a foundation for her leadership role as past president at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. In her free time, she likes to hike, rock-climb, ski, and cook.
ABOUT THE WWS WINEMAKING & VITICULTURAL ROUNDTABLE
This WWS Roundtable meets approximately six times a year, taking a harvest break. During the pandemic, events moved online. Beginning in March 2022 events will resume in person at host member wineries with added virtual options.
Roundtable Program Committee member, winemaker Alicia Sylvester, noted “Our past meeting topics have focused upon the C-suite professional skills and insights women winemakers and viticulture professionals need but aren’t always easy to get in their daily work environment.”
She further explained that, “Held online since Spring 2020 and held pre-pandemic at some of Napa and Sonoma’s finest host wineries, for over seventeen years our Roundtable programs have been a fantastic opportunity for over 100 member women winemakers and viticulturists 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 have included top wine publication critics and senior editors, iconic winemakers, leading academics, global sensory consultants, sommeliers, media trainers, CFO’s and GM’s in panel discussions and key recruiters.”
Professionally qualified winemaker and viticulture guests may attend up to two Roundtables before deciding to join. It is a great way to expand skills while reconnecting and meeting new industry professionals.
ABOUT ADDITIONAL 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 400 members of which 80% are wine industry professionals. To join or learn more about WWS’ roundtables, please visit www.womenforwinesense.org. For inquiries about other WWS roundtables for additional functions besides winemaking and viticulture, contact the Napa| Sonoma Chapter’s Roundtables Director, Hillary Silva, hillaryfrasersilva(at) gmail (dot) com.
ABOUT WOMEN FOR WINESENSE
WWS is a national not-for-profit organization 501(c)6. The Napa| Sonoma Chapter founded in 1990 is the founding chapter of this national organization which provides outstanding educational and networking opportunities to both wine industry professionals and wine enthusiasts by presenting educational, insightful and stimulating events in a welcoming, fun environment. Both men and women of legal drinking age are welcome to join. There is an exciting line-up of events planned for 2022 starting virtually, with plans to migrate to a mix of virtual and in person events as pandemic conditions safely allow.
To join or learn more, please visit www.womenforwinesense.org.
