2025 Speakers

Jon Berg

VP of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical

Jon started his career working in sales for Pfizer but moved over to the Beverage Alcohol industry where he has been for the last 20 years. His recent work history has been with MillerCoors, Bacardi USA and Moet Hennessy. Jon’s roles have been focused on commercial insights development, category management, shopper research, and retail pricing design. His investigative work and primary consumer research has taken him to all the major US and Canadian markets, as well as global projects in Europe. Now within the Thought Leadership framework at NielsenIQ, Jon is working across BevAl segments to develop insights material that can support and help define NIQ client success.

NielsenIQ is a global measurement and data analytics company providing the most complete and trusted view of consumers and markets in 90 countries covering 90% of the world’s population. Focusing primarily on consumer packaged goods manufacturers and fast-moving consumer packaged goods retailers, NielsenIQ gives customers the power to defy what’s possible.

Anthony Bozzano

Principal & Sales Director, Bozzano & Co.

Anthony Bozzano owns and manages Bozzano and Company, a Central Coast wine business specializing in bulk wine and grape sales and custom brand development. Prior to founding Bozzano and Co., Anthony worked in sales and marketing for a local winegrower, where he managed bulk wine and private label sales.

Anthony was raised in Stockton, CA., where he is still actively involved with his family’s farm. He is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a member of Class 43 of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation

Federico Casassa, Ph.D.

Professor of Enology , Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

The focus of Fererico’s research lies in the broad areas of grape and wine chemistry and biochemistry and their sensory implications, with especial emphasis on applied research. He has been involved in research projects focused on the impact of irrigation techniques, especially Regulated Deficit Irrigation.He is also interested in the chemical and sensory aspects arising from intrinsic variations of berry size in red wine cultivars, and their impact during winemaking. Current and ongoing research projects include studies on the extraction of phenolics of sensory relevance during the course of different maceration techniques in red wines (cold soak, extended maceration, saignée, cofermentation, stem and whole cluster additions), coupled with other regulating factors (grape maturity and composition, ethanol content, SO2 dosis), and their sensory impact as evaluated by formal sensory evaluation techniques.

Karen Daenen

Director of Research & Consumer Insights, Jackson Family Wines

Karen Daenen is the Director of Research & Consumer Insights at Jackson Family Wines. For past 14 years, she’s been leading all consumer research for Jackson Family Wines with emphasis on identifying and translating consumer and wine trends, analyzing brand equity and spearheading new research methodologies. Prior to Jackson Family Wines, Karen was Director of Research at Nielsen and at Opinion Research Council where her client base centered on Fortune 500 Food, Beverage Alcohol & other CPG (consumer product goods) firms. Her wine career started at Kobrand Corporation in New York. She currently resides in Sonoma County and is also co-owner of Two Shepherds, a small 4,500 case winery.

Casey Di Cesare

Winemaker + Lean Champion, Scheid Family Wines

Winemaker Casey Di Cesare joined Scheid Family Wines in 2017. His innovative spirit has served him well as lead winemaker for the Sunny with a Chance of Flowers and Metz Road brands, as he explores new techniques for making great wines.

One of the techniques he developed was a proprietary process to craft Sunny’s low-alcohol, zero-sugar, low-calorie wines. The wine quality created through this process helped catapult the brand to a top ‘Better for You’ brand in the market. Sunny has earned multiple 90+ point scores across the seven wines in its line-up, making it the highest rated wine in the category. In 2024, Casey also took the lead as Lean Champion at Scheid Family Wines, developing efficiency-improvement processes and projects across the portfolio.

Casey enrolled in Cornell University and received his Master’s degree in Enology while studying in the Finger Lakes AVA. Upon graduation in 2017, he joined Scheid Family Wines, where he has flourished with the creative opportunities that the broad portfolio offers.

Casey was named a 2021 Wine Industry Leader by Wine Business Monthly and was selected in 2022 to represent Monterey County as a Founding Board Member of the Vintners Institute. In 2024, Casey was named a Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker

Steve Dooley

Winemaker/Owner, Stephen Ross Wine Cellars

Stephen Ross Dooley founded Stephen Ross Wine Cellars in 1994 and added Flying Cloud Wines in 2003. Stephen is the winemaker for his own brands and produces wine for five custom crush clients at the winery in San Luis Obispo.

He is a UC Davis Enology graduate (1977) with winemaking experience at Louis Martini Winery in the Napa Valley (10 years) and Edna Valley Vineyard in the Edna Valley (seven years). Dooley also served winemaking stints at Backsberg Estate in South Africa and Chittering Estate in Western Australia. In 1994, it was time to strike out on his own and produce his own label, Stephen Ross, his first and middle names, while also managing the production and winemaking of the Morro Bay Vineyard and Echelon brands for the Chalone Wine Group. Since then, Stephen Ross planted an estate vineyard (2001), moved into increasingly larger winemaking facilities (last move in 2008) to accommodate growth and custom crush, and opened a tasting room.

Today, together with Paula Dooley, his wife, and small winemaking and hospitality teams, they produce and sell the Stephen Ross and Flying Cloud brands across a dozen states, four export countries and from the tasting room. Stephen has an unwavering focus on quality, and the work ethic to make in happen throughout the decades.

Erica Duecy

Founder and Podcast Host, Drinks Business

Erica Duecy is one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She is founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and data + marketing consultancy, and has built data insights and marketing programs for Drizly, Union, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She served as Chief Content Officer for VinePair and Pix, and was founding Editor in Chief of SevenFifty Daily. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest, Saveur, and Fodor’s Travel. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, wine judge, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.

Fintan du Fresne

Founder & CEO, WineMech

Following an undergrad in Geology with post-grad in Viticulture and Enology, Fin moved to California in 2003. Stints at Calera and Adelaida served him well before landing as head winemaker at Domaine Alfred. Fin is currently General Manager and Winemaker for Chamisal Vineyards and Malene Wines. He has served on a number of Boards including WOPN and SLO Coast Wine Collective. He is an advisory member for WIVI and Central Coast Insights and a technical advisor to Cal Poly. Fin is passionate about sustainability and efficiency- both energy and labor efficiency- how can we do more with less?

Jason Haas

Partner & General Manager, Tablas Creek

Jason Haas is the second-generation proprietor of Tablas Creek, serving in the dual roles of Partner and General Manager. In his two decades at the winery his family founded in partnership with the Perrins of Chateau de Beaucastel, Jason has overseen the business, production, sales and marketing.

In addition to his work at Tablas Creek, Jason has led the boards of directors of both the Rhone Rangers and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, and is a board member of Free the Grapes and WineAmerica. His writing has been published in Wine Business Monthly, Wines & Vines, Decanter, Wine Industry Network and Wine Searcher. His photography has appeared in Wine Spectator, Forbes, the Washington Post, and Wine Enthusiast. He is principal author of the Tablas Creek blog, an eight-time finalist and two-time winner for the Wine Blog Award’s “Best Winery Blog”.

In recognition of his contributions to the Paso Robles wine community, he was voted by his peers 2015 Paso Robles Wine Country Wine Industry Person of the Year and 2017 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Person of the Year. In 2022 he was named a Food & Wine Magazine Drinks Innovator of the Year and in 2024 he was nominated by the Wine Enthusiast for the “Wine Person of the Year” Wine Star Award.

Eric Hervé, PhD

R&D Scientist, ETS Labs

Research Scientist & TTB Certified Chemist

Eric Herve received his PhD from the Faculté d’Oenologie of Bordeaux, France, where he completed a research program on the key flavor components of Armagnac and Cognac brandies. Dr. Herve joined ETS in 1997 to conduct a cork research program. First, Eric developed an automated method to reliably measure trace amounts of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), down to one part-per-trillion. By studying how natural corks transfer TCA to wine, he defined the concept of cork’s “Releasable TCA”. The measurement of “Releasable TCA” has now become the tool of choice in the fight against Cork Taint worldwide. Always fascinated by the complexity and mysteries of wine aromas, Eric opted to stay at ETS after the completion of the cork project to develop new analyses, conduct applied research programs, and investigate wine flavor and taint issues. Eric is a TTB certified chemist for analysis of wines, distilled spirits and beer. Eric developed the ETS Oak Aroma panel, with its signature radar plot, allowing a quick visual assessment of a wine’s aroma profile. He reported for the first time the presence of eucalyptol in wines with “minty” and “eucalyptus-like” odors, showing that these aromas often originate from eucalyptus trees growing near vineyards. In recent years, as TCA outbreaks occurred in wineries, Eric conducted investigations to determine the extent and identify the sources of contamination. In addition, he has developed new analytical tools to deal with emerging threats, such as TBA and “Smoke

Chris Hussey

Assistant Winemaker, Our Lady of Guadalupe

Chris Hussey is the Assistant Winemaker for Dave Phinney’s Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLG) in the Sta. Rita Hills. Having only ever worked for Dave in the wine industry, Chris started in 2015 as a harvest intern and worked his way up to his winemaking position today. Under the mentorship of Dave, Chris has helped craft wines for Orin Swift Cellars, The Crane Assembly, Locations, Aftermath and other small brands, with OLG being the next step in his winemaking career.

Born and raised in Singapore, Chris was introduced to wine at an early age and thanks a trip to Puligny-Montrachet as a young teen where he had his first ever glass. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and lives with his wife in the beautiful town of San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast. You can catch him playing golf, attempting to surf, rooting on the Cal Bears and sipping on local craft beer—lagers, typically.

Erin Kirschenmann

Managing Editor, WineBusiness Monthly

Erin Kirschenmann, DipWSET, is the managing editor for WineBusiness Monthly and has been with the company since 2012. In addition to production responsibilities for the monthly trade magazine, she writes about business, technology, sales and marketing, and also oversees content and programming for WBM’s symposiums. She speaks on wine industry trends at numerous conferences, including the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium and the World Bulk Wine Exhibition, and guest lectures on wine, media and public relations. In 2022, she joined the Napa Valley Wine Academy as a WSET Level 1 and Level 2 instructor. Erin has served as a judge in the international Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine competition since 2016 and at several regional competitions. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in communications with a journalism emphasis from Sonoma State University. Find her online via her Instagram, @erinakirsch.

Daniel Kushnir

Director of Sales and Marketing, Ironstone Vineyards

Daniel Kushnir is a seasoned wine industry advisor with a proven track record in driving Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales and implementing strategies to maximize revenue and expand reach. With a deep understanding of tasting room operations, strategic partnerships, and digital marketing, Daniel has consistently delivered exceptional results for wineries of all sizes.

Key Achievements:

Exponential DTC Growth: Successfully increased DTC sales by 1,720% year-over-year for a single winery.
Cost Optimization: Renegotiated UPS contract and implemented strategic shipping initiatives, resulting in an estimated annual savings of $25K+.
Strategic Partnerships: Established a lucrative partnership with Wyndham Resorts and a winery, generating additional projected B2B wine sales of $70K in 2024 and driving $40K in voucher sales.
Inventory Management: Developed effective programs to address overstock issues, reducing storage costs and minimizing spoilage.
Operational Efficiency: Streamlined wine club shipping, leading to cost reductions of 20% and increased volume incentives within a winery’s carrier agreement.
Member Engagement: Implemented a strategy to encourage a winery’s wine club members to double their allotments, leading to wine club revenue increase of $75K annually.
Industry Leadership: Served as a board member for the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance and is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences across the United States.

Kip Lorenzetti

Winemaker, Chronic Cellars

Hailing from the mountains of Northern California, Kip’s passion for wine developed while living on the Central Coast after his matriculation from the University of California Santa Barbara. After three years in the corporate wholesale industry, Kip chose to pursue that passion and turn it into a career by accepting a harvest role at Orcutt Road Cellars for the 2010 vintage. Since then, Kip has held winemaking roles at Bronco Wine Company, one of the largest producers in the state, Terravant Wine Company where he served as client winemaker for many established Santa Barbara County producers, the legendary Wild Horse Winery, as well spending two vintages in New Zealand as a Harvest Winemaker.

Kip is currently the winemaker for Chronic Cellars in Paso Robles, where he works predominately with Rhone and Bordeaux varietals from sources spanning the breadth of the Paso Robles AVA.

Jim McGarry

Vineyard Manager, Pacific Coast Farming

Jim has more than 20 years in the vineyard management industry and is a licensed Pest Control Advisor. He is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an alumnus (Class 43) of the California Ag Leadership Program.

With experience in managing vineyards in Sonoma, Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, Jim understands what it takes to help his clients attain their goals and produce the highest grape quality possible for their sites.

Jim and his wife, Michele are natives of Santa Maria and are both passionate about working in the wine industry. However, their greatest passion comes in raising their two children, Reagan and Henry.

Sonja Magdevski

Owner& Winemaker, Clementine Carter

I approach my work with a lifetime of exquisite flavors, travel and experiences. A journalist by training and winemaker by drive, the two professions challenge me to craft timeless stories as each vintage unravels a new chapter. My goal is to create vibrant, elegant and transportive wines bursting with integrity using three main ingredients: premium Santa Barbara county fruit, dedication and hard work.

Wine revealed itself to me later in life in 2004, after I helped plant a vineyard seeking new discoveries. A few years prior I received a Fulbright Scholarship to North Macedonia (my family’s birthplace) in 1998-1999 to study ethnic issues. My pursuit was to discover paths toward peace. I still believe this is possible. With a commitment to this landscape and the amazing humans that make wine happen, we do our part now more effectively and joyously, one bottle at a time.

Entering my 21^st vintage with harvest 2025, we have been welcoming guests to our tasting room in the center of historic Los Alamos, California, since 2011. In 2013, we added Babi’s Beer Emporium next door where we curate domestic craft beers and snacks. Babi’s is named after my grandmother, Ilinka, who exemplified love and forgiveness and always welcomed everyone to our table.

As we continue our evolution, our priority is to elevate our cool climate Rhône varieties to the distinction they deserve. To show our dedication to the potential these wines have for impact, we have committed exclusively to sourcing Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre from the Sta. Rita Hills appellation beginning with the 2022 vintage.

Liz Mercer

Winery Coach, Content Developer and Instructor, WISE Academy

Liz Mercer grew up in the Napa Valley, which instilled a deep respect for the culture and lifestyle of wine and the industry supporting it. She left the area to attend Northwood University in Michigan, where she studied Finance & Business Management. She joined the wine industry as a temp in a tasting room in 1999. Shortly thereafter, she was drawn into direct-to-consumer sales via wine clubs and e-commerce, where she led a team to rebrand the wine club, establishing it as one of the largest wine clubs in the country. Over 25 years, she has held various leadership roles with wineries on the Central Coast and the Napa Valley, while working with WISE. In 2024, she left day to day winery operations and joined WISE full time as a Partner and DTC Coach.

Liz earned her Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America. Liz witnessed the landscape of direct-to-consumer sales environment change drastically over the last 20+ years as the industry has matured and is excited to be a part of developing the next generation of direct marketers.

Drew Nenow

Owner & Winemaker, Nenow Family Wines

Drew graduated with a degree in enology and has experience working at several wineries in the area – both as a college intern and as a professional. He most recently serves as the head winemaker at ONX Wines in Paso Robles. It was not only the experience he gained through education and hands-on training that gave Drew the tools and talent for winemaking. He grew up looking up to his father, Robert Nenow of Robert Nenow Winery and his Aunt and Uncle, Lisa and Les, of Behrens Family Winery and Drinkward Peschon, who each inspired him to pursue a career in winemaking. Drew has a true passion for his craft and his goal is to always bring distinct and delicious wines to you and your loved ones

Coby Parker-Garcia

Owner & Winemaker, El Lugar Wines

Coby Parker- Garcia and his wife, Katie Noonan, along with their daughter Callie, have a combined 30+ years of experience in the wine industry here on the beautiful Central Coast of CA.

Coby Parker-Garcia has been on the winemaking side of the industry since 2002 and fell in love with Pinot Noir long ago. Katie and Coby met through working at neighboring wineries and instantly shared a combined passion for good wines, especially Pinot Noir. Katie’s background in the industry stems from 10 years in the marketing and direct to consumer side of the business, so with combined passions and experience, El Lugar was born in 2013!

In 2013 the started with two vineyard designate Pinot Noir’s from Bien Nacido and Russian River. Today they currently have 5 vineyard designate Pinot Noir’s, the popular Pinot Noir Blanc, Rosé of Pinot Noir and a Syrah to offer customers.

After 2 years of planning and construction the new winery and tasting room are open. The production of all wines will be made at the new location next door to the tasting room. We look forward to welcoming visitors to El Lugar, the place!

Dave Potter

Founder, Municipal Winemakers

Dave is the founder of both Municipal Winemakers and Potek Winery, which showcase a dual approach to winemaking: fun and accessible with Municipal Winemakers, and a more traditional, terroir-focused approach with Potek. Dave’s journey into the world of wine started in Santa Barbara, where his passion for wine was kindled during his time at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He later traveled to Australia to complete a MS in Oenology and Viticulture. International exposure to wine in California, Australia, and France has allowed him to incorporate a range of techniques and approaches into my winemaking. Dave is known for his innovative approaches, both in terms of winemaking and in marketing and presentation. Municipal Winemakers, for instance, is known for its quirky and eclectic tasting room and branding.

Scott Shapley

Winemaker, ROAR Wines

Scott Shapley and ROAR go way back, to the winery’s first vintage in 2001, which was made at Siduri, where he was assistant winemaker. A Monterey county native and graduate of US San Diego with a degree in biology, Scott has since built an impressive resume as winemaker for Crushpad, Roessler Cellars, R-Squared Wine Company and Halcon Vineyards. He is an extremely talented winemaker, with a particular expertise in crafting limited production, cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Scott joined ROAR with the 2012 harvest – the vintage that landed us on the Wine Spectator’s list of TOP 100 wines.

Dan Smith

Winemaker, Villa San Juliette

An Oregon native, Dan grew up influenced by the Pinot Noir vineyards of the Willamette Valley. He went on to study Wine & Viticulture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo before embarking on a journey to fine tune his craft in wine regions worldwide. In 2013, Dan joined the winemaking team at Villa San Juliette and took the lead as head winemaker in 2015.

The dynamic winemaking style at VSJ achieves balance and complexity while highlighting the natural character of the fruit. The wines are made in small lots with precision and care, aged in French barrels, and blended throughout the aging process to fully integrate the flavors that result in cohesive and elegant wines.

Chelsea Sprague

Head of Brand, DTC & Hospitality for Booker, My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriet Wines

Chelsea Sprague grew up surrounded by agriculture in the Central Valley of California. From a young age, she developed a deep appreciation for the agricultural industry, which would shape her future career. Seeking to further her education and passion for agriculture, Chelsea moved to the Central Coast to obtain an Agricultural Business degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly, SLO). Chelsea immersed herself in her studies and fully embraced Cal Poly’s ‘learn by doing’ philosophy, gaining practical experience that would serve her well in her professional journey. During her time at Cal Poly, she joined the team at Booker Vineyard & Winery in 2011, eager to apply her education and make a meaningful impact in the wine industry. For more than 13 years, Chelsea has been an integral part of Booker’s team, dedicating herself to all aspects of the business. Her contributions have been instrumental in the successful launch of two additional brands in the Booker portfolio – My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriet.

Kaleigh Theriault

Director of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical

Kaleigh has 8 years of NIQ experience and considerable background working with clients in multiple categories. She has been involved with the Beverage Alcohol category for the last four years working on Thought Leadership and client specific business questions and projects. Kaleigh brings a unique skillset of analytic capabilities, as well as commercial selling story creation, and has significant background in bringing consumer insights to the forefront in support of sales trends. She has been pivotal in the NIQ strategy and tactics for Beverage Alcohol as the industry changes and develops.

Tim Wanner

Director of Hospitality and Sales, Presqu’ile Winery

Tim is responsible for overseeing Presqu’ile’s visitor experience as well as the Direct-to-Consumer and wholesale sales channels. Tim brings a wealth of hospitality and wine sales knowledge to his role as Director of Hospitality and Sales. Originally from Minnesota, his experience includes Beverage Director and interim Director of Operations for The Kitchen restaurant group in Boulder, Colorado. During his tenure there Tim oversaw operations, building the business from one location in Boulder to seven restaurants in four states where he was responsible for training and supervising all beverage managers. Tim also created front-of-house best practices that were implemented store-wide with points of service, standard operating procedures and manuals. Earlier in his career, Tim founded and owned a small importing business focusing on wines from Italy and Portugal, sold in 2009. He is talented in other areas and is a retired semi-professional mountain biker, avid surfer and artist. 

Nathan Westfall

Founder, Vine Valley Analytics & Strategy

Nathan is the founder of Vine Valley Analytics & Strategy, where he focuses on helping organizations unlock growth through data-driven insights and market-focused strategies. Drawing on years of experience in business intelligence, data analytics, and strategic planning, he has partnered with a diverse range of wine industry clients to solve complex operational challenges and drive sustainable results. As an expert panelist, Nathan will share his perspective on leveraging analytical frameworks, emerging technologies, and customer-centric approaches to optimize organizational performance in today’s rapidly changing environment.

To view a Speaker biography, click the “+” on the photo.

Jon Berg

VP of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical

Anthony Bozzano

Principal & Sales Director, Bozzano & Co.

Federico Casassa, Ph.D.

Professor of Enology , Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Karen Daenen

Director of Research & Consumer Insights, Jackson Family Wines

Casey Di Cesare

Winemaker + Lean Champion, Scheid Family Wines

Steve Dooley

Winemaker/Owner, Stephen Ross Wine Cellars

Erica Duecy

Founder and Podcast Host, Drinks Business

Fintan du Fresne

Founder & CEO, WineMech

Jason Haas

Partner & General Manager, Tablas Creek

Eric Hervé, PhD

R&D Scientist, ETS Labs

Chris Hussey

Assistant Winemaker, Our Lady of Guadalupe

Erin Kirschenmann

Managing Editor, WineBusiness Monthly

Daniel Kushnir

Director of Sales and Marketing, Ironstone Vineyards

Kip Lorenzetti

Winemaker, Chronic Cellars

Jim McGarry

Vineyard Manager, Pacific Coast Farming

Sonja Magdevski

Owner& Winemaker, Clementine Carter

Liz Mercer

Winery Coach, Content Developer and Instructor, WISE Academy

Drew Nenow

Owner & Winemaker, Nenow Family Wines

Coby Parker-Garcia

Owner & Winemaker, El Lugar Wines

Dave Potter

Founder, Municipal Winemakers

Scott Shapley

Winemaker, ROAR Wines

Dan Smith

Winemaker, Villa San Juliette

Chelsea Sprague

Head of Brand, DTC & Hospitality for Booker, My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriet Wines

Kaleigh Theriault

Director of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical

Tim Wanner

Director of Hospitality and Sales, Presqu’ile Winery

Nathan Westfall

Founder, Vine Valley Analytics & Strategy