2025 Symposium Presentations

Allison Jordan

Allison serves as Vice President, Environmental Affairs for Wine Institute, an advocacy group of more than 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses that initiates and advocates state, federal and international public policy to enhance the environment for the responsible production, promotion and enjoyment of wine. She joined Wine Institute in 2003, shortly after the publication of the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing, and helped create the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, a nonprofit organization established by the Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to promote sustainability from grapes to glass.

Allison has served as Executive Director of the Alliance since 2007, leading the organization’s education, certification and communications programs. She holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Goldman School of Public Policy at University of California Berkeley, a B.A. in Psychology from Allegheny College, and a WSET Level 2 certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. After earning a Certificate in Wine Business Management from Sonoma State University, she now teaches a sustainability course for the school’s Global Executive Wine MBA program. In addition, Allison is a board member for the National Grape Research Alliance, a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and an alumna of the German Marshall Fund’s Marshall Memorial Fellowship.

John Heckman

Dr. John Heckman is a sustainability expert with more than 25 years of experience in balancing business priorities with societal concerns such as climate change. Dr. Heckman has supported the Wine Industry in several capacities, including supporting the development of the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing program as well as the California Wine Carbon Footprint. He is currently working with CSWA and members of the industry to develop a Climate Smart Toolkit as part of a CDFA Specialty Crop Block Grant.

Nick Filice

Nick Filice
Grape Supply Manager
Silver Oak, Twomey and Timeless Napa Valley

For nearly 17 years, Nick Filice has helped the family of Silver Oak achieve the highest quality of fruit for its wines. The graduate from Chico State received his B.S. in Agricultural Sciences before managing grower relations for Justin Winery in Paso Robles.

When not on the road between vineyards, the San Rafael native enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Steve McIntyre

In 1982 Steve McIntyre received his master’s degree in enology from California State University, Fresno. In 1982 he and his wife Kimberly moved to Carmel Valley, California to develop Galante Vineyards and Winery. In late 1983 Steve took a position with Smith & Hook Winery in Soledad, Calif. as an Assistant Winemaker, later returning to his agrarian roots to become viticulturist in 1985.

In 1992 Steve and Kimberly founded Monterey Pacific, Inc., a viticulture management and development company, which rapidly grew from 432 acres to become the third largest vineyard management company in the U.S. at over 20,000 acres.

In 2002, along with partners Mike Filice and Eric Laumann, Steve cofounded the Monterey Wine Company in King City, California. This12,000-ton state of the art custom wine processing facility developed a reputation for first class customer service and technological prowess. Among its many notable accomplishments, MWC was the first commercial winery in the US to introduce Flash Détente to the wine industry.

Steve and Kim founded McIntyre Vineyards on 1998 to produce small lot, handmade wines from their Estate Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. They have a Tasting Studio in The Crossroads Shopping Center in Carmel and Carmel Valley Village and are developing a Hospitality Center at their Estate Vineyard on River Road near Gonzales.

Steve received the Wine Grape Grower of the Year from the California Association of Wine Grape Growers in 2013.

In 2022 Steve and Mayo Ryan established the Sitos Group to produce Biochar from various waste streams using a continuous, slow pyrolysis reactor at ReGen Monterey, the County solid waste facility. This is the first facility in the US to manufacture and sequester Biochar in permanent crops using a patented sequestration process. The certified process produces a high value carbon credit while providing agronomic and atmospheric carbon removal benefits.

Steve is an appointed member and past chairman of the CDFA Pierces Disease Board, Chairman of the Research Screening Committee; a member of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers, a graduate of Class 21 of the California Ag Leadership Program, previously a board member of the Big Sur Land Trust and currently serving as a board member of the Salinas Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Steve and Kim have 3 children and reside in Salinas, California.

Anne Sery

Anne was born and raised in Reunion Island, a tropical French island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. When she was 14, her parents purchased a vineyard in Côte de Nuits. As a teenager, she spent her summer in Burgundy at the family vineyard, and it was there where her affinity for wine first blossomed.

Anne left Reunion after high school to attend college in Dijon where she received her degree in Biology, Physics, and Mathematics. She then completed the master’s program of Viticulture and Oenology of the ENITA of Bordeaux and received her National Diploma of Enology from the University of Bordeaux. During her years in school, Anne would return to Burgundy for internships with well esteemed Pinot Noir producers; Domaine jean-Francois Coche-Dury, Domaine Hubert Lignier, Maison Bouchard Pere & Fils.

After graduating she traveled to the United States to perfect her English and experience another Pinot Noir region of the world. While interning at Beaux Freres, she fell in love with the Willamette Valley and decided that she wanted to stay to start her career. Anne landed the job of assistant winemaker for Soléna Estate, after meeting Owner and Proprietor, Laurent Montalieu. After 2 years at Soléna, Anne joined the team at NW Wine Company as winemaker. She has been there for 13 years.

Stephen Rannekleiv

Stephen Rannekleiv is the Beverage Sector Strategist in the Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory group. Mr. Rannekleiv joined Rabobank in 2006 and now leads the global beverage research team.

As Sector Strategist, Stephen and the global team of beverage analysts research emerging trends and opportunities with the goal of providing actionable ideas to our clients. Recent research themes that the team have tackled include: opportunities in e-commerce, shifting distribution models for alcoholic beverages in Western Europe, blurring of category lines, investment opportunities in out-of-home coffee, innovation in brand-building strategies and more. Stephen is also the host of Liquid Assets, Rabobank’s podcast that shares insights and views on the global beverage industry.

Prior to taking the role of Beverages Sector Strategist, he was a senior beverages analyst at Rabobank for ten years, primarily covering developments in the wine and spirits industry.

Mike Veseth

Mike Veseth (pronounced VEE-seth) is editor of The Wine Economist newsletter (WineEconomist.com) and author of more than a dozen books including Wine Wars (2011), Around the World in Eighty Wines (2018) and Wine Wars II: The Global Battle for the Soup of Wine (2022). He is a sought-after speaker at wine industry meetings both in the United States and around the world.

Veseth’s writings on wine and globalization have been widely praised. Globaloney was selected as a Best Business Book of 2005. Wine Wars was named a Best Wine Book of 2011. The Wine Economist was named Best Wine Blog by Gourmand International in 2015. Money, Taste, and Wine: It’s Complicated received the 2016 Gourmand International award for Best Wine Writing.

A noted educator, Veseth is professor emeritus of International Political Economy at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. In 2010 he was named Washington Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Veseth received the Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Puget Sound and the Master’s and Ph.D degrees in Economics from Purdue University.

Jacylyn Stokes

Jacylyn Stokes is a fourth-generation grape grower and the co-owner of Stokes Vineyards. Passionate about the wine industry, she serves as the Vice-Chair of the Lodi Winegrape Commission and owns her own rosé wine brand while collaborating on various innovative wine projects. Jacylyn actively engages with the agricultural community alongside her father, balancing this with her full-time role as a sales manager for a local winery in Lodi. She earned her MBA in Wine and Spirits Business Management from the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon, France, in 2019 and is a proud graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, Class 52. In her spare time, Jacylyn enjoys being an amateur tarot reader and astrologist!

Bill Stokes

Bill Stokes is a third-generation grape grower and farmer, proudly co-owning Stokes Brother Farms and Stokes Vineyards. He serves as the President of both the Woodbridge Irrigation Board and Reclamation District 34. With extensive experience in farming over 4,000 acres of wine grapes, almonds, walnuts, and cherries, Bill has made significant contributions to the industry as a past President of the Lodi District Grape Growers Association (LDGGA) and was a founder of a local agricultural community business bank in Lodi. He operates the family farming business alongside his brother at Stokes Farms. Above all, Bill cherishes his role as a part-time farmer and part-time grandfather to his granddaughter, Gigi, and grandson, Will, sharing the joys of agriculture with the next generation.

Molly Bossardt

Molly Bossardt is the founder of Bread & Butter Digital Marketing, a boutique agency dedicated to helping wineries navigate the unique landscape of DTC marketing. With a background in direct-to-consumer marketing roles in New York City and a Master’s in luxury markets from Sotheby’s, Molly has honed her expertise in crafting compelling brand narratives. She believes that marketing is more than a tool—it’s a vital lifeline that can redefine a winery’s presence and attract new customers, even in challenging times.

At Bread & Butter, Molly’s approach goes beyond managing ads. She focuses on uncovering the unique essence of each winery and crafting stories that resonate, ensuring brands stand out in a competitive market. Molly to explore how a well-executed strategy can not only meet the moment but rise above it. Connect with Molly to explore how thoughtful marketing strategies can elevate your winery’s presence and drive growth.

Cathy Huyghe

Cathy Huyghe is an entrepreneur, writer and mindfulness proponent. She is the co-founder of Enolytics, a technology-centric disruptor and provider of business analytics solutions for the wine industry. She writes about the business and politics of the wine industry for Forbes, and she also co-creates the content for A Balanced Glass, a community dedicated to wellness in the wine and spirits world. All three of those ventures have been recognized for their innovative contributions. She also founded the Harvard Alumni in Wine and Food (HAWF) Shared Interest Group, and in 2021 Huyghe was named one of the industry’s Most Inspiring People by the Wine Industry Network. In 2022 she was nominated as Innovator of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine, and in 2023 she joined the advisory board for the Harvard Data Science Review. Huyghe’s most recent work involves thought leadership speaking engagements around the world, particularly on the subject of innovation and AI for the wine industry.

Erica Walter

I’m Erica Walter, and email marketing is more than my bread and butter… it is my jam.

I’m deeply passionate about empowering small businesses with tools, resources, and training to send marketing emails that convert. I have over 16 years of experience in winery email marketing; I spent over a decade as the VP of a wine marketing agency before starting my own business, Email Mavens. My favorite thing to do in my role is create and execute compelling email marketing strategies that drive engagement and sales.

My second favorite thing to do is teach YOU to do it yourself.

I’m the creator of PRESS SEND: Email Marketing Mastery for Wineries, a digital course that gives wineries everything they need to do and know to make email marketing a profitable revenue channel, without tech headaches, overwhelm or a degree in graphic design or UX. I’m also the host of the Email Mavens YouTube Channel, the place for winery owners and marketing pros who want to sell more wine online by sending better marketing emails.

Having worked with just about every tech stack, I understand the pros and cons (and can uncover the hacks) inherent in winery systems. Helping demystify and exploit the tech component is critical to creating truly action-inspiring email strategies, driving delight and engagement with customers, and generating consistent profit to the bottom line.

I’m thrilled to share what I’ve learned with attendees at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium.

Sebastian Donoso

Sebastian Donoso was born in Chile and came to the U.S. at age 14. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Enology with a chemistry minor at California State University, Fresno. He later earned a certificate in Biodynamic Agriculture from Biodynamic Agricultural College in the U.K.

Sebastian joined Bonterra Organic Estates in 2017 from Campovida, a family-owned winery in Hopland, California, where he established an acclaimed winemaking program based on small-lot, vineyard-designated wines from select Mendocino County vineyards, many farmed organically or biodynamically. Prior to Campovida, Sebastian was Enologist and Assistant Winemaker at Saracina, a Hopland winery owned by John Fetzer with 250 acres of organically farmed vines.

As Senior Winemaker, Sebastian leads his colleagues in a never-ending quest for improvement that has already elevated quality to new heights. He oversees production of Bonterra Organic Estates’ namesake portfolio, which includes the Bonterra Estate Collection and the critically acclaimed Bonterra Single Vineyard Collection: The Roost Chardonnay, The McNab Cabernet Sauvignon, and The Butler Red Blend. All of these wines are made from grapes grown on the company’s Regenerative Organic Certified® estate vineyards in Mendocino County. In addition, he manages winemaking for the 1000 Stories brand, a leader in the booming spirits barrel-aged wine category.

Sebastian served for several years as a member and officer of the board of directors for Mendocino Winegrowers, Inc. (MWI), working to promote the grapes and wines of Mendocino County. Today, he leads his internal team with the goal of inspiring the world, telling the story of Bonterra Organic Estates through world-class winemaking, and unwavering dedication to sustainability in all its forms.

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Sebastián Donoso nació en Santiago, Chile y emigró a los Estados Unidos a los 14 años. Completó un bachillerato de ciencias en Enología y minor en química de la Universidad Estatal de California, Fresno. Luego, obtubo un certificado en agricultura Biodinámica de Biodynamic Agricultural College en el Reino Unido.

Sebastián comenzó a e Bonterra Organic Estates en el año 2017 después de haber estado a cargo por cinco años de Campovida, una bodega familiar ubicada en Hopland, California, estableciendo vinos de ultra-premium de lotes limitados a base de uvas orgánicas y Biodinámicas. Antes de unirse a Campovida, Sebastián trabajó por cuatro años como Enólogo Asistente de Saracina, una bodega de John Fetzer ubicada también en Hopland, California.

En su rol de Sr. Winemaker, Sebastián lidera la producción de los vinos a base de uvas propias y certificadas regenerativas. Al mismo tiempo, está a cargo de la marca 1000 Stories, pionera en lo que respecta a vinos añejados en barricas de bourbon.

Por varios años, Sebastián fue parte del directorio de Mendocino Winegrowers, Inc. (MWI), trabajando para promover las uvas y vinos del Condado de Mendocino.

Lulu Martinez Ojeda

Lulu is a proud Ensenada native. She grew up as most of the Ensenadenses, surrounded by wines and food. She went to France more than 20 years ago, where she studied viticulture and oenology in Bordeaux.

“I never thought of going anywhere else in France to study wine. I saw Bordeaux as the world’s wine capital, so I didn’t want to be anywhere else”
After working in Chateau Smith Haut Laffite, in Pessac Leognan, she graduated and started working at Chateau Brane-Cantenac, second Grand Cru Classe, a winery owned by Henri Lurton one of the oldest and most lauded houses in Bordeaux.

In 2014, Lurton decided to invest outside of Bordeaux in Martinez’ hometown of Ensenada and the surrounding Valle de Guadalupe. She decided to head back home,
Her family was one of the 13 founding families of Ensenada and as a woman winemaker coming back to her country – where patriarchy is very much alive – she is proud to call herself a feminist.

She is now head winemaker and Wine director of Bruma and is one of the most prominent consultant winemakers in Mexico.

Martinez is a forward thinker, and she loves creating complex wines, with varietal typicity, natural freshness, aromatic finesse and balance.

Cristina Lazcano

Dr. Cristina Lazcano is a soil ecologist and associate professor at the department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California Davis. Her international career has taken her from Spain, where she completed her PhD, to the Technical University of Denmark, the University of Calgary (Canada) and UC Davis. Before joining the faculty of UC Davis in 2019, Dr. Lazcano was an assistant professor of soil ecology at the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Dr. Lazcano currently leads a team of 20 researchers at different career stages and from different backgrounds, focused on understanding the links between soil biodiversity, agroecosystem functioning and human health.

Her work identifies the soil ecological interactions responsible for C sequestration, nutrient availability and retention in agroecosystems and how they can be managed to increase soil health and sustainability of agricultural production. Through on farm collaborative research, Dr. Lazcano hopes to help winegrape producers understand how to improve soil health, environmental quality and agroecosystem resilience while producing high quality grapes. Her recent work on no-till vineyards was awarded with the 2023 Viticulture Paper of the Year Award from the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology.

Stephan Sommer

University of Missouri, Assistant Extension Professor and State Extension Specialist for Enology
PhD Microbiology and Wine Science, Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
Engineering Diploma in Beverage Technology, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany

Dr. Sommer joined the Grape and Wine Institute at the University of Missouri in August 2022. He is the enology program leader and provides extension support for all wineries in the State of Missouri. Prior to moving to Missouri, he was the Director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center at California State University Fresno. As Director of VERC, he provided research and administrative leadership by planning, promoting, and administering all viticulture and enology research programs. Prior to that, Dr. Sommer was the academic program director and an Assistant Professor of Fermentation Sciences at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. He also brings more than eight years of industry experience in various fields of beverage production including wineries, sparkling wine companies, breweries, table water production, and related fields including industrial flavor production.

Julie Urban

Dr. Julie Urban is a Research Associate Professor in the Entomology Department at Pennsylvania State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from the University at Albany. She studies planthopper evolution and their co-evolution with multiple bacterial and fungal symbionts. Her recent work involves aspects of basic and applied research on the invasive planthopper, the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). She has been a member of USDA’s Technical Working Group of scientists, advising management and research on the Spotted Lanternfly, since it was first detected in the US in September 2014. Dr. Urban has been leading a regional USDA NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative grant studying the biology, management, reducing the impact of Spotted Lanternfly in specialty crops in the eastern USA.