Eleven acclaimed regional winemakers, viticulturists, and proprietors to pour for an evening of tasting, conversation, and connection at Napa Valley College
June 16, 2026 (Napa, CA) — Women For WineSense (WWS) Napa-Sonoma Chapter will host a Summer Grand Tasting event on Thursday, July 9, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the newly built Wine Spectator Education Center at Napa Valley College. The state-of-the-art hospitality center provides a perfect backdrop for an exceptional walk-around tasting which will bring together 11 noted winemakers and viticulturists with wine industry professionals and wine lovers for an evening of intimate tastings, incredible conversations and community connection.
The capstone Summer Grand Tasting is timed to coincide with the 47th Annual Society of Wine Educators (SWE) Conference.
The Grand Tasting event is open to the public and wine trade (registration details below), and the attendance is included with two-day full SWE Conference registration.
The event welcomes anyone with a passion for wine, whether they make it, sell it, study it or simply love drinking it. Open to the public, the evening invites all aged 21 and over to taste, connect, and celebrate the people and places behind each bottle.
WWS Napa-Sonoma Chapter President, Julie Lumgair, noted “This evening is about access to exceptional wine, the people who made it, and to the broader community of professionals who shape this industry. We want to create a room where those conversations happen naturally, and where everyone from an emerging sommelier or passionate wine lover to a seasoned wine industry pro feels warmly welcomed to explore and enjoy this rare, delightful and educational tasting of jewels from Napa, Sonoma and the North Coast.”
The evening features an exceptional cross-section of Napa and Sonoma winemaking, from storied estates to acclaimed independent producers.
Featuring:
- Ana Diago-Draper, Proprietor and Winemaker, Ana Diago-Draper Wines
- Hillary Sjolund, Director of Winemaking, Aperture Cellars
- Julie Lumgair, Proprietor and Winemaker, Art Nouveau Wines
- Stephanie Kunkel and Rian Ervin, Viticulturist and Assistant Winemaker, Chappellet
- Valentina Mendez Cortes, Assistant Viticulturist, Lambert Bridge
- Debra Becker Lamb, Proprietor and Winemaker, Lost Valley Wines
- Brown Uzoechi, Estate Sommelier, Merry Edwards
- Phillip Dube, Lead Winemaker, North Coast Wine Co. / Outerbound
- Brooke Shenk, Winemaker, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery
- Rebekah Wineburg, Winemaker, Quintessa Winery
- Oscar Navarro, Winemaker, Napa Valley College Winery
Event Registration Details:
- RSVP Link
- Date: Thursday, July 9, 2026
- Time: 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Location: Wine Spectator Education Center at Napa Valley College (newly built hospitality center)
- Parking: Campus parking included with ticket. Search “Napa Valley College Estate Winery” on Google Maps.
- Admission:
- $40 for WWS Napa/Sonoma members;
- $60 for all other guests – open to the public;
- included with SWE Conference two-day registration.
More About the Event:
WWS Board Director, Katja Loeffelholz, co-chairing collaborations with Napa Valley College noted “Hosting this event at the Wine Spectator Education Center highlights the vital link between education and industry — students, faculty, wine lovers, educators and producers sharing knowledge and passion in one room.”
Guests will have the opportunity to taste wines from Quintessa, one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated Rutherford properties; Chappellet, a Pritchard Hill pioneer with more than five decades of mountain viticulture; Merry Edwards, a benchmark name in the Russian River Valley and North Coast; St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery, a longstanding Rutherford producer known for its commitment to sustainable winegrowing; and Aperture Cellars, known for elevating site-driven Sonoma County wines.
Rounding out the lineup are the distinctive, highly acclaimed terroir-driven wines of Art Nouveau Wines, Ana Diago-Draper Wines, Lambert Bridge, Lost Valley Wines, and North Coast Wine Co. / Outerbound, alongside wines produced by students and faculty at Napa Valley College Winery, one of the nation’s most respected academic winemaking programs. Together, they represent some of the most compelling work being done across the North Coast today.
About Women For WineSense
Women For WineSense is a professional organization with 13 chapters nationally, each dedicated to advancing wine appreciation, professional education, mentorship and building community.
The Napa-Sonoma Chapter, founded in 1990, brings together winemakers, sommeliers, educators, and wine enthusiasts from across one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions, hosting events and industry-focused roundtables that foster meaningful professional connections and knowledge, with a deep appreciation for the craft of winemaking and power of wine to bring people together. Learn more at: https://womenforwinesense.org/napa-sonoma-page-8/
About the Society of Wine Educators
The Society of Wine Educators (SWE) is a nonprofit organization that has provided wine and spirits education to professionals and enthusiasts since 1977. Its annual conference brings together hundreds of wine educators, sommeliers, importers, retailers, and industry professionals from across the United States and internationally for seminars, tastings, and professional development. Learn more at: https://societyofwineeducators.org/
About Napa Valley College
Napa Valley College is a two-year community college located in Napa, California, offering a nationally recognized viticulture and winery technology program. The college’s on-site winery produces wines under the guidance of faculty and student winemakers, providing hands-on training for the next generation of wine industry professionals. Learn more at: https://www.napavalley.edu/career-education/career-education-programs/viticulture-and-winery-technology.html
