Lessons in Listening
January 25, 2023
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Lessons in Listening
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Speakers
Joel Peterson
Organization:
Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, California
Sessions:
An accomplished communications and marketing specialist and true people person, Joel Peterson has spent 20 years marketing wine and beer, and currently serves as the executive director of the PRWCA. The organization, made up of 200 wineries and 500+ total businesses, leads marketing, outreach, and education efforts that promote and protect Paso Robles Wine Country.
After earning a degree from the University of Arizona, Peterson spent eight years in Hollywood working in film production. He joined the Paso wine community full time in 2003, working for several wineries including L’Aventure, JUSTIN, and Hope Family Wines. In 2013, Peterson joined Solterra Strategies, a wine-focused marketing and public relations agency, and later spent two years leading the marketing team at Firestone Walker Brewing Company. He became executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in 2019. Since starting, PRWCA winery membership is up 34%. Peterson and his wife live in Paso Robles. He is active in the community and serves on the Paso Robles School Board.
Jamie Evans
Organization:
The Herb Somm, California
Jamie Evans is the founder of The Herb Somm, a culinary-meets-cannabis blog and lifestyle brand that’s focused on the gourmet side of the industry. She is an author, entrepreneur, and writer specializing in cannabis, CBD, food, recipes, wine, and the canna-culinary world.
As a well-known cannabis personality, Jamie is best known for her literary work and signature canna-culinary events. She is the co-editor of GoldLeaf’s acclaimed cannabis Cooking Journal and the author of the CBD lifestyle book, The Ultimate Guide to CBD: Explore the World of Cannabidiol, published by Fair Winds Press of Quarto Publishing Group. Her next book, Cannabis Drinks: Secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home, released in April 2021.
As an industry leader, Jamie was named as one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers in 2018 and as a 2018 Innovator by SevenFifty Daily. She was also recognized as one of Green Market Report’s “Most Important Women in Weed” in 2020.
Alongside her work in the cannabis space, Jamie is a Certified Sommelier with over a decade of wine industry experience. She’s also the founder and CEO of Herbacée, a French-inspired cannabis-infused wine brand based in California.
Sarah Hoffman
Organization:
Maker Wine, California
Sarah Hoffman is the CEO of Maker Wine, a premium canned wine company featuring the wines and stories of diverse, independent winemakers. Before Maker, Sarah led user acquisition and growth at companies like Eventbrite, Bloomspot, and NakedPoppy, while moonlighting as a craft beer writer and supperclub producer. Maker launched in 2020 and has quickly become the highest rated canned wine on the market, capturing the hearts and palates of wine lovers across the US.
Jean-Michel Valette
Title:
Huneeus Vintners, California
Jean-Michel is currently a director of Sleep Number, lead director at Boston Beer and chairman of Huneeus Vintners. Previously he’s been chairman of Sleep Number, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, and the Institute of Masters of Wine.