Presentation to take place during the Sonoma County Wine Celebration Live Auction on September 20
September 11, 2025 (Santa Rosa, CA) – Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) and The Wine Business Institute (WBI) at Sonoma State University (SSU) are pleased to announce that Alexandra O’Gorman, Vice President of Community Relations at Foley Family Wines & Spirits (FFWS), and a SSU WBI alumna will be honored with the 2025 Wine Business Leadership Award during the Sonoma County Wine Celebration Live Auction on Saturday, September 20 at Cline Family Cellars in Sonoma. The annual award recognizes a wine industry professional who demonstrates great business leadership, vision, innovation, inspiration and service to the Sonoma County community.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Sonoma County nonprofits through the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF). A key focus for this year’s Fund-A-Need paddle raise will help fund the critically impactful K-3 Proficiency Project from the nonprofit K-3 Innovation, which has seen tremendous results in increasing literacy rates in Sonoma County schools. View the Sonoma County Wine Celebration schedule of events taking place September 18-20, purchase tickets, register for proxy bidding, or make a donation to this year’s Fund-A-Need paddle raise online at SoCoWineCelebration.com.
“Sonoma County Vintners is honored to continue our partnership with The Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University to present this prestigious award to Alexandra O’Gorman, an accomplished wine business professional,” said Prema Kerollis, President of Sonoma County Vintners and recipient of the 2023 inaugural Wine Business Leadership Award. “This recognition is a celebration of the passion, dedication and commitment that shape the spirit of our wine community and having worked alongside Alexandra to that end through the work of the SCV and the SCVF, I could not be more honored or proud to help announce this award.”
The SCV-WBI partnership in creating this award helps inspire emerging leaders in the wine business to follow in the footsteps of those making excellent business decisions in Sonoma County. “Alexandra O’Gorman is a rockstar in the Sonoma County wine community. As an alumna of our Wine MBA program, it’s been a source of tremendous pride to follow her wine business initiatives as she rapidly ascended from management roles to executive,” said Damien Wilson, Faculty Director of Sonoma State’s Wine Business Institute. “Recognizing her achievements through this award is a surprise to absolutely no one at the Wine Business Institute. Just as Sonoma County’s innovative stalwart, Gary Heck saw with her at Korbel, leadership at Foley Family Wines & Spirits has given Alexandra the reins to find ways to welcome more of the community into their initiatives and programming.”
To be eligible for the award, nominees may have been involved with cutting-edge marketing techniques, successful capital projects related to viticulture, working on policy measures related to the wine community, fostering sustainability, inspirational management, or promoting diversity and inclusivity. Nominees must be currently employed by an SCV member winery and be an alumnus of either SSU or WBI. The nomination and selection proceedings are managed by board members from both SCV and WBI.
2025 Wine Business Leadership Award Recipient Alexandra O’Gorman
As Vice President of Community Relations at Foley Family Wines & Spirits, Alexandra O’Gorman oversees community and industry engagement efforts across all regions where FFWS operates, including Sonoma County, Napa Valley, California’s Central Coast, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and Minden, Nevada.
In her role, Alexandra drives initiatives that strengthen FFWS’s connections with its local communities and the broader wine industry, focusing on social impact, sustainability, and fostering meaningful relationships. Her leadership ensures FFWS is not only a producer of exceptional wines & spirits but also a champion of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and community collaboration.
With over two decades of wine industry experience, Alexandra has held senior leadership positions at iconic Sonoma County wineries such as Ramey Wine Cellars, Hanna Winery, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, and Korbel Champagne Cellars. Since joining FFWS in 2021, she has leveraged her expertise and passion to build partnerships that align with FFWS’s values and long-term goals.
Alexandra holds a BA and an MBA from Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in Carmel, California and has lived in Sonoma County since 2002 with her husband and two children. She currently serves as the President of the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation.
About Sonoma County Vintners
Sonoma County Vintners is the leading voice of Sonoma County wine, dedicated to raising awareness of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier wine regions. Sonoma County Vintners represents over 250 wineries throughout the county. The organization actively promotes Sonoma County through educational programming; advocates for its members at local, state and federal levels; and contributes to the local communities through our Sonoma County Vintners Foundation. Sonoma County Wine Celebration, its annual fundraiser, benefits nonprofit organizations throughout the region. To learn more about Sonoma County Vintners, visit SonomaWine.com.
About The Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University
The Wine Business Institute (WBI) serves as an intellectual and industry center for faculty, students, and the business community. Founded in 1996 as a partnership between the wine industry leaders and the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University, the WBI provides cutting-edge research that informs industry best practices and program curriculum. For more information about degree and certificate programs or wine business research, please visit sbe.sonoma.edu/winebiz.
About Sonoma County Wine Celebration
Sonoma County Wine Celebration brings the region’s renowned winemakers and growers together with distinguished collectors and generous bidders for an opportunity to acquire some of Sonoma County’s top wines and bid on incredible travel experiences. Named one of the nation’s top charitable auctions by Wine Spectator, the proceeds raised benefit local Sonoma County charitable organizations. Since its inception, the auction has raised millions of dollars to support more nonprofits than any other fundraising event in Sonoma County. Learn more at SoCoWineCelebration.com.
