Windsor, CA October 12, 2022 – Erin Brooks and Todd Gottula, founders of Ernest Vineyards, have announced that Mark Malpiede will be joining as company President. Prior to this, Mark had been Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Williams Selyem Winery in Healdsburg for 16 years.
“I am honored to take on this new role with Ernest Vineyards and excited for a new challenge,” Malpiede said. “I have been a huge fan of their wines for years and Ernest is a brand on the rise. Erin and Todd are true innovators in the industry and I look forward to helping them and the team continue their upward trajectory and take the next step in growing the brand.”
Malpiede began his career in direct-to-consumer marketing, mainly in high tech, in the early ‘90s before making the move to the wine industry. In his 16 years at Williams Selyem he helped grow and guide the brand, managing strategy and planning, marketing, hospitality and all domestic and international sales. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Vintners and currently serving as President of the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation.
Erin Brooks said: “I have enjoyed serving on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Vintners with Mark for a few years and sought him out to understand if he’d be interested in joining us at Ernest Vineyards. He brings deep industry knowledge and a long history of successfully leading a business. His expertise in DTC is incredibly valuable and I look forward to working with him as we write the next chapter for Ernest Vineyards.”
For more information on Ernest Vineyards visit www.ernestvineyards.com, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
About Ernest Vineyards
Erin Brooks and Todd Gottula founded Ernest in 2012 to craft wines of integrity and restraint from the far reaches of the West Sonoma Coast. Ernest focuses on cool-climate marine-influenced vineyards and produces small-lot wines that offer a sense of place in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In 2018 Joseph Ryan joined as winemaker, bringing focus and finesse to the low-intervention method and style in Ernest wines. In 2022, Ernest began developing an additional 14 planted acres in Freestone and purchased a vineyard in Occidental, thereby doubling the Estate production for the brand.
