Sonoma County–based sommelier and consultant recognized for helping small, family-owned wineries navigate a changing market
August 20, 2026 (Geyserville, CA) — Alex Sarovich, founder and CEO of Own Rooted Hospitality, has been named to Wine Enthusiast’s 2026 Rising Stars list, which recognizes emerging leaders making an impact across the wine, spirits, and hospitality industries.
Sarovich, an Advanced Sommelier who was named VinePair’s Sommelier of the Year in 2023, spent 15 years working in restaurants, including tenures at SingleThread Farms in Healdsburg and Attica in Melbourne, both of which have appeared on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Seeing firsthand how difficult it can be for small producers to build visibility and connect with consumers, Sarovich founded Own Rooted Hospitality in 2024. The agency supports family-owned wineries through brand development, public relations, immersive wine experiences, and project-based consulting, including distribution strategy.
“Everyone on this list is building something at a time when the wine industry isn’t handing out easy wins,” said Sarovich. “Although it’s called Rising Stars, many of the honorees have been doing this work for years. I’m honored to be recognized alongside them.”
Her recognition comes at a challenging moment for the wine industry. The 2026 Silicon Valley Bank State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report put total domestic wine volume at approximately 329 million cases in 2025, down from 410 million in 2019.
While changing consumer habits are part of the picture, Sarovich points to another problem the industry may be overlooking: access.
“We have the most engaged wine-drinking generation we’ve ever seen, and a distribution infrastructure that makes it genuinely difficult for the best small producers to reach them,” she told Wine Enthusiast. “That’s the thing I’d fix tomorrow.”
For small wineries, Sarovich believes distribution can no longer serve as the entire go-to-market strategy. Instead, distribution, direct sales, events, marketing and public relations must work together—an increasingly difficult undertaking for family producers operating with teams of only two or three people.
Own Rooted Hospitality helps close that gap. Since its launch, the agency has worked with seven small Sonoma County producers, including five women-led wineries and two additional family-owned wineries farming organically. Current producer partners include Mascarin Family Wines, Dancing Wines, Merriam Vineyards, and Desforges Vineyards.
For Sarovich, access means more than helping people find wines that resonate with them; it also means creating environments where they can explore wine on their own terms. On August 29, she will lead The Blindfold Workshop during Grapes and Goods, held at One Sansome in San Francisco. The blind tasting invites guests to set aside labels, scores and expectations and respond directly to what is in the glass.
“Wine has historically been an intimidating and exclusionary world, and I want to be part of changing that,” Sarovich said. “A blindfold removes the pressure to feel like you’re supposed to already know something. What’s left is whether you like it.”
Sarovich serves on the board of directors of Bâtonnage as Events Liaison. She is also an on-camera talent at VinePair and is co-hosting the publication’s new series, The Great American Wine Tour, alongside Keith Beavers. Season one visits five Napa and Sonoma wineries to explore the land, methods, people, and wines that make each one distinct. The trailer debuted on August 20, with new episodes to be released weekly on VinePair’s YouTube channel.
The 2026 Rising Stars list was published by Wine Enthusiast on August 18 and is available at wineenthusiast.com/rising-stars-2026.
About Own Rooted Hospitality
Founded in 2024 by Advanced Sommelier Alex Sarovich, Own Rooted Hospitality is a boutique wine consultancy that works with small, family-owned and predominantly women-led wineries. Its services span retainer-based brand development and public relations, immersive wine experiences, and project-based consulting, including distribution brokerage. Based in Geyserville, California, the agency serves producers in Sonoma and Napa counties and across the country. Learn more at ownrootedhospitality.com.
