Industry Hot Topics
January 29, 2025
12:45 pm - 2:15 pm
Industry Hot Topics
Join us for a deeper dive featuring highly regarded experts, with each segment delivering incredible value for attendees who want to understand four leading critical market hot topics.
This 1½-hour session features the latest proprietary data, more insights and trend information and compliments the information from our stage-setting State of the Industry session earlier in the day.
A focus will be on four critical segments for growers, vintners and related wine industry leaders:
- Economic, Finance, Capital, Sales
- Grape and Bulk Market further details
- Vineyard Land Values and Ag Real Estate Trends
- Brand Success Inspiration
Join us for a dynamic discussion filled with valuable information and inspiration for your own operations.
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Moderator
Amanda Wittstrom Higgins, Principal, Full Cup Solutions
Amanda Wittstrom Higgins is a nationally lauded thought leader and business strategist with over a decade of expertise in creating future-forward and foundational successes for both charitable and for-profit organizations in the beverage industry. She founded the advising and coaching firm Full Cup Solutions in 2022 and is the former Executive Vice President of Ancient Peaks Winery in Paso Robles. Higgins founded Dream Big Darling, a national non-profit events and educational platform for emerging women professionals in the wine and spirits space, in 2018. Higgins is the co-founder of Wine Speak Paso Robles, an annual trade event and educational summit and the founder of DRIVE, an annual wine industry workshop focused on talent acquisitions and fostering. Higgins’ efforts have been recognized with accolades such as a Wine Enthusiast Top 40 Under 40 honoree award (2019), Central Coast Wine Industry Person of the Year (2020), and inclusion on the SLO Tribune’s Top 20 Under 40 list, Wine Business Industry Leader (2024).
Speakers
Audra Cooper
Director of Grape Brokerage / Partner
When it comes to getting her boots dirty and walking vineyard rows, Audra Cooper has years of experience in both the North Coast and Central Coast. Audra grew up on ranches in the Central Coast and graduated from California State University at Fresno with a degree in Agricultural Economics. Continuing education and professional growth are important to Audra, as she has pursued additional educational platforms, such as an online certificate in Strategic Management from Wharton.
Audra began her successful career with Turrentine Brokerage in 2006, providing support for Turrentine’s grape brokers throughout the state. Following her role as grape sales support, Audra was promoted to North Coast Grape Broker. In 2012, Audra transferred to the Central Coast as the lead grape broker for the region. A year later, she became a partner at Turrentine. Her experience and knowledge of both growing regions provide clients with a unique perspective. She has a keen sense of vineyard details and agricultural development. She is also actively involved in the agriculture community in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Most recently, Audra has taken on a new role as Turrentine Brokerage’s Director of Grape Brokerage, overseeing the grape team and business unit.
Audra’s upbringing and life-long love of agriculture has given her the ranching bug, in recent years she has started a small family cow-calf and beef stocker operation. A venture that she hopes to pass on to her daughter and future generations. She resides in Paso Robles, California with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.
Austin Hope is an owner, winemaker and president of Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles, California. He is an avid champion of Paso Robles who has spent more than 25 years at the helm of the family winery. Being awarded Wine Enthusiast’s “2022 American Winery of the Year” marked the highlight of Austin’s career to this point. Hope Family Wines today spans six brands that exemplify the quality and diversity of Paso Robles: Austin Hope, Treana, Quest, AUSTIN, Liberty School and Troublemaker.
Austin came to Paso Robles with his family in 1978, when his parents, Chuck and Marlyn Hope, bought a ranch and planted both vineyards and apple orchards. Austin enjoyed playing and working in the vineyards as a child, a sign of things to come.
Austin studied Fruit Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated in 1996. Shortly thereafter, and in the wake of a family tragedy, Chuck Hope turned to his son to lead the family business. The bold and brash 23-year-old Austin jumped in ready to make his mark on the business. Making and selling Treana Red, an ambitious $30 red table wine, proved to be challenging at first. However, Austin remained firm in his belief in Paso Robles wines, and he began to win over buyers and customers alike. The success of Treana would ultimately spark the creation of Hope Family Wines and its diverse portfolio of Paso Robles-grown offerings.
In 2007, along with fellow Paso Robles winemakers, he helped produce the TTB petition for the creation of 11 new sub-AVAs for Paso Robles, a critically important distinction that elevated the region’s status on the world stage. In 2019, Austin was named “Wine Person of the Year” by the San Luis Obispo Wine INdustry. He is also active in the community as a supporter of Must! Charities, Operation Surf and others.
At the heart of everything Austin does, there is a passion for Paso Robles and a dream of making it a global household name. At the forefront of this effort is the Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon—a luxury Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon that has twice been named a Top 10 Wine of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. This is a wine that he likes to say is “Paso Robles defined.”
Austin lives on the family vineyard in the Templeton Gap District with his wife Celeste Hope and their two daughters, Ainsley and Avery Hope.
Rob McMillan, EVP & Founder, Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division
Rob McMillan is one of the top wine-business analysts in the United States and the author of Silicon Valley Bank’s highly regarded annual State of the Wine Industry Report, described by the New York Times as “…probably the most influential analysis of its kind.”
With decades of experience researching the wine business, his views on business and strategy are sought after and trusted by winery owners, journalists, entrepreneurs, and investors. He is a prominent speaker, both domestically and internationally, and you will find him extensively quoted in national, regional, and trade press.
Rob’s banking career has spanned 35-plus years — more than 25 with Silicon Valley Bank. In that time, he has held many roles, including founder and division manager of the Wine Group, executive manager of the bank’s Commercial Division, and several years as a member of Silicon Valley Bank’s Managing Committee. In addition to his public role, he is responsible for establishing new winery relationships and offers private management presentations and strategic consulting to the bank’s clients.
Rob received a bachelor’s degree in finance/economics from Sacramento State University and an MBA from Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business. He has served on boards in diverse industries and continues to do so today.
Rob is married with five children. When time allows, he enjoys the outdoors, travel, golf, and drumming.
JoAnn Wall
Organization:
Above & Beyond Real Estate Services, Inc., California
Sessions:
JoAnn C. Wall
Accredited Rural Appraiser and Real Estate Broker
JoAnn C. Wall, ARA/Broker is the CEO at Above & Beyond Real Estate Services, Inc., a company she started in 2009 as Central Coast Ag Appraisal, Inc. Following a short stint as the Regional Vice President of a national appraisal firm in 2015, JoAnn re-launched her company in early 2016. In 2019, she expanded her practice to include brokerage and consulting services under Bakersfield-based Alliance Ag Services, Inc. which recently merged with Lee & Associates.
Having worked as a staff appraiser in the Farm Credit System for many, contract appraiser for a local independent fee shop, and eventually owning and managing two successful fee-based appraisal businesses herself, JoAnn has a wide range of real estate experience that brings diversity and knowledge to her practice. JoAnn is known locally as the authoritative source for vineyard and winery brokerage and valuation on the Central Coast. In addition to vineyard and winery real estate, she has multiple disciplines and specialties including greenhouse/nursery operations, permanent plantings, special use facilities and cannabis. She frequently teaches and speaks at conferences throughout the U.S. regarding these topics.
JoAnn received her Certified General appraisal license in March 2000 and attained the level of ARA (Accredited Rural Appraiser) through the ASFMRA in October 2008. She is the past Chair of the National ASFMRA Appraisal Education and Accreditation Committee and is an active instructor for both continuing education classes and core courses, many of which she has written herself. She is also a past President for the California Chapter of ASFMRA and has been active on several committees at the State level. She received her Brokerage license in September 2019 and specializes in agricultural real estate transactions.
JoAnn lives in the small town of Templeton, California with her high school sweetheart and husband of 25 years, Brandon, and her two children, daughter JoEllen (Age 22 recent graduate of Oklahoma State University) and son Aiden (Age 18 and income freshmen at Oklahoma State University…Go Pokes!).