For 2025, Wine Industry Advisor is expanding the Wine’s Most Inspiring People (MIP) articles into a monthly series. We will be profiling individuals from within our industry who showcase leadership, innovation, determination and inspiration — both within the industry and in society at-large. If you would like to nominate someone for MIP consideration, fill out the form here.
Leeann Froese — Wine Marketer and B.C. Industry Cheerleader Advocates for Regional Success
By Jeff Siegel
Leeann Froese has been honored by Women in Public Relations North America, was asked to be Canada’s first ambassador for #winelover, and was named one of the Top 40 people to follow on social media in the wine world — twice — before the Pandemic.
And yet she is still sort of unprepared when other people say nice things about her.
“I’m surprised that the industry thinks more of me than I would notice,” says Froese, whose two-decades plus career as a wine marketer has paralleled that of the growth and popularity of wine in British Columbia and Canada. “To me, it’s always been about not just the client winning, but cheering everyone’s success. It’s about everyone winning.”
A strong team
Froese is the co-owner of Town Hall Brands, a boutique public relations and marketing agency in Vancouver, B.C., whose clients have included top Canadian winemakers including Harry McWatters, Bruce Nicholson and Christine Coletta, as well as producers such as Black Hills Winery, Osoyoos Larose and Nk’Mip Cellars. The agency has been certified for exceptional workplace culture by The Canadian Workplace Culture Index, and Froese has been a key volunteer and member of the BC Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier.
“What stands out most about Leeann and her entire team is their comprehensive understanding of the wine industry,” says Christa-Lee McWatters, whose family has long been a part of the BC wine business. “Their media relations expertise ensured that our brands received the attention they deserved, generating positive coverage and recognition from media, industry influencers and the wider public. The positive impact Leeann has had on our brand and the lasting relationships forged during our projects are testaments to their professionalism and dedication.”
Froese’s career has long followed that path, from her early days as a marketing intern — “when we used fax machines and hard copies,” she says with a laugh — to working in marketing for the organization that would evolve into Wine Growers British Columbia and starting Town Hall Brands with husband Andrew von Rosen in 2013. Froese credits Coletta, a long-time Canadian wine marketer before becoming a producer, with much of her success, noting the latter’s role as a mentor and inspiration.
Watching the evolution
Along the way, Froese has not just witnessed the rise of BC and Canadian wine, but the changed landscape — and increased complexities — in bringing attention to her BC and Canadian wine clients.
“When I started, everyone had a wine writer,” says Froese, “and then we evolved into the digital media landscape, where there were fewer media outlets and the rise of social media and influencers. So we had to find a new way to talk to people, a new way to get the message out for our clients.”
Which, her clients say, she has always done with verve and precision.
“Leeann was instrumental in getting our family vineyard up and running,” says Debbie Etsell of Singletree Winery. “The wealth of knowledge and guidance [that she provided] during the initial meetings on brand development and marketing plan was invaluable. It was a fun experience that resulted in a solid brand we were all excited about and a marketing plan that was developed not only to launch the winery but also to sustain the business.”
***
If you would like to nominate someone for MIP consideration, fill out the form here.
________________________________________________________
Jeff Siegel
Jeff Siegel is an award-winning wine writer, as well as the co-founder and former president of Drink Local Wine, the first locavore wine movement. He has taught wine, beer, spirits, and beverage management at El Centro College and the Cordon Bleu in Dallas. He has written seven books, including “The Wine Curmudgeon’s Guide to Cheap Wine.”
