Sonoma County Winegrowers Focus on Creating Experiences to Engage
New and Existing Wine Lovers
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (January 17, 2025) – For over a decade, Sonoma County Winegrowers has been at the forefront of innovation, forging powerful partnerships with iconic brands like John Deere, Ford Pro, Wilbur Ellis, Landry’s, and the San Francisco Giants. As unveiled at this week’s annual Dollars & $ense meeting, held virtually, 2025 marks a year dedicated to “Renewing, Building, and Growing” these renowned programs, expanding their reach, amplifying the Sonoma County story, and setting new benchmarks in excellence.
As Karissa Kruse, president and chief executive officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers, started her presentation with a review of the past twelve years since she joined the organization, it was clear that the results in building the brand’s visibility over the years has been successful. From being world leaders in sustainability, to sports marketing, to establishing the Farm of the Future, and more, the Sonoma County Winegrowers’ brand is reaching more people in new and different ways.
“To the credit of our board, we have never been afraid to take bold action to raise and promote awareness of Sonoma County to consumers, companies, media, trade, and more,” said Kruse. She added, “As a result, we are building new relationships with consumers through sports marketing; collaborating on industry challenges to develop innovative solutions with iconic companies to benefit our growers and the environment; and partnering with GuildSomm and other wine influentials to promote the diversity and quality of wines grown and made in Sonoma County.”
As a result of those efforts, Sonoma County continues to draw attention from visionary scientists, engineers, financers, designers, start-up companies, manufacturers and more who want to work with Sonoma County Winegrowers and leverage its sustainability leadership to address some of the biggest challenges facing winegrowers and farmers of high value crops to develop innovative solutions here in the local community.
Looking ahead, Kruse laid out the objectives for the coming year: play a role in building the total wine category and make it more accessible; position Sonoma County as the region of choice for wine, agriculture, and travel; grow strategic partnerships; continue to elevate Sonoma County on the global stage; deliver innovative grower education opportunities; and continue its commitment to the community. In fact, the key take-away from this year’s “Dollars & $ense” annual meeting with growers is that the successful partnerships and collaborations are resulting in significant benefits for the local wine community and will be continued and expanded upon. These include:
Farm of the Future Initiative and Summit
Sonoma County Winegrowers will again invite experts from innovative companies to gather in Sonoma County for the second Farm of the Future Summit. The participants will also include a number of leading businesses that are already collaborating with local farmers in pilot projects throughout Sonoma County’s certified sustainable vineyards. In 2025, Sonoma County Winegrowers will continue being a living lab through its collaborations with John Deere, Wilbur-Ellis, and Agrology.
Build and Grow Existing Partnerships
Sonoma County Winegrowers has forged long-standing partnerships with many important industry leaders, including Landry’s, Food & Wine, Alaksa Airlines, and GuildSomm, continuing its focus on building audiences among consumers, the trade, and media. These will be continued and expanded this year. In 2025, exciting new partnerships are being launched with other visionary organizations like Lettuce Entertain You, a 50-year-old restaurant group based in Chicago, The SOMM Journal, a publication for beverage industry professionals, and organizations focused on wine trade and Somm education including the Court of Master Sommeliers and Best Sommeliers of Americas.
Continue with Sports Marketing
In 2024, Sonoma County Winegrowers teamed up with one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, the Chicago Bears, to introduce, share and immerse fans in Chicagoland with all things about Sonoma County wine. This was the first NFL team sponsorship for Sonoma County Winegrowers which also has collaborations ongoing with the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Rockets. Building on that success in bringing world-class Sonoma County wines to new and diverse audiences, Sonoma County Winegrowers recently announced it agreed to become the official sponsor for Acrisure Arena and the Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey team.
Elevate Sonoma County at Local and National Events
Showcasing Sonoma County wines at prestigious events will remain a cornerstone of the organization’s marketing programs. The 4th Annual Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience, which the Sonoma County Winegrowers helped found, positions our region as a premier wine destination to over 4,000 attendees over the 4-day weekend in May. Targeted events like ZinEx and Palm Springs Pinot Festival shine a spotlight on specific varietals from the region, while the Minnesota WineFest, Aspen Food & Wine, Sonoma in the City Chicago, and the new Mexico City Wine Festival reach national and international audiences.
Said Kruse, “We will continue to seek opportunities with sports teams and organizations that connect us with their fans and provide us with an opportunity to introduce and build demand for Sonoma County wines particularly among a younger and more diverse demographic.”
The event ended with the awarding of four special awards. The Nick Frey Community Contribution Award, Sonoma County Winegrowers’ highest honor, was awarded to two recipients this year: George Day, Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Co-Chair of Sonoma County Winegrowers’ Ag Sustainability Center, and Laurel Marcus, who recently retired as the science director of Fish Friendly Farming and was the creator of its certification program which provides a critical third-party certification of environmentally beneficial land practices that assist growers in protecting and enhancing the local environment, waterways and wildlife. Also receiving awards were Serres Ranch, which was recognized as the 2024 Sustainable Grower of the Year, and Silver Oak Winery, which was named Sustainable Winery of the Year.
