With Director of Winemaking Michael “Mick” Schroeter’s Retirement, Cara Morrison Takes on Role of Director of Winemaking and Zidanelia Arcidiacono Becomes Senior Winemaker
WINDSOR, Calif., May 11, 2023 – Today, California pioneer Sonoma-Cutrer announces the retirement of Director of Winemaking Michael “Mick” Schroeter after 13 years in the role. Current Chardonnay Winemaker Cara Morrison will be succeeding him in the role of Director of Winemaking. Morrison is the first female to be named to this esteemed position in the 40-plus-year history of the winery.
“It’s been a truly amazing ride and I feel honored and privileged to have served as only the third Director of Winemaking for such an iconic brand over the last 13 years,” said Schroeter. “It goes without saying that I am incredibly proud of the enduring quality and style of Sonoma-Cutrer and the commitment of the amazing team behind all of our wines.”
Schroeter has a long track record of success and an illustrious career in Australia with the Penfolds Red winemaking team and 17 years at California’s Geyser Peak winery. Twice named “Winemaker of the Year” at the London International Wine & Spirit Competition, Schroeter carried on Sonoma-Cutrer’s storied legacy while bringing it to new heights.
Under Schroeter’s leadership, all six of Sonoma-Cutrer’s estate vineyards and grower partner vineyards have earned the Sonoma County Sustainability certification. The wine portfolio grew to include many new wines including Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, the By-the-Barrel program, and the annual Winemaker’s Release series. He also built a team of dedicated wine professionals, including Morrison and Pinot Noir Winemaker Zidanelia Arcidiacono.
Morrison brings a wealth of expertise to her new role of Director of Winemaking, having crafted Sonoma-Cutrer’s signature Burgundian-style Chardonnay since 2005. She often speaks about the first time she ever tasted Sonoma-Cutrer and how she knew at that moment that this style was the Chardonnay she wanted to make. She has held previous winemaking roles within Brown-Forman at Fetzer and Jekel Vineyards.
“I am elated to have the opportunity to take on this role and new responsibilities,” said Morrison. “We have a fantastic team here and I am so excited to continue working with them to create world-class wines. It is truly a dream come true.”
With Morrison moving to the Director of Winemaking position, Arcidiacono will be promoted to the newly created role of Sonoma-Cutrer Senior Winemaker. In this role, she will oversee Chardonnay winemaking as well as Pinot Noir. Arcidiacono started her U.S. Winemaking career in 2007 at Sonoma-Cutrer as a Harvest Enologist before joining the Fetzer Winemaking team in the same position. She returned to Sonoma-Cutrer as Assistant Pinot Winemaker in 2015 and was named Pinot Noir Winemaker in 2018. In 2020, Arcidiacono also earned a top spot on 2020 Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 Tastemaker list.
About Sonoma-Cutrer:
Sonoma-Cutrer has been crafting wines since 1981 in the esteemed Russian River Valley growing region of Sonoma County, California. Our flagship wine, Russian River Ranches, was built on-premises and for over 30 years has dominated the Most Popular Chardonnay Wine & Spirits Annual Restaurant Poll. Our winemaking process, led by a female-driven team, is designed specifically to preserve the highest quality grapes, and the wines are aged in barrels made of specific French oak trees that are selected to fit the winemakers’ needs. Sonoma County is the first wine region in the world to be 99% sustainable. As a leader in this initiative, Sonoma-Cutrer prioritizes protecting the environment in all viticultural and winemaking processes. All Sonoma-Cutrer wines can be purchased at the Sonoma-Cutrer winery, as well as, through the wine club, Club Cutrer. For more information about our wines, how to purchase, or to join Club Cutrer, please visit www.sonomacutrer.com or visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/
