2026 Speakers

Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Jackson Family Wines

Ross Anderson

Ross Anderson is Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) at Jackson Family Wines, where he oversees the company’s DTC channel strategy, including wine-club growth, tasting-room operations, customer-experience activation, and digital retail performance. His role leverages a deep background in wine retail-and-e-commerce to drive consumer engagement and revenue across Jackson Family’s premium portfolio.

With a career spanning across DTC, hospitality, and digital commerce, Ross brings expertise in scaling premium consumer-centric businesses and aligning brand experience with direct-sales growth. Based in St. Helena, California, he works across Jackson Family Wines’ estate network to integrate consumer insights, hospitality innovation and operational best practices to elevate the company’s wine-club and experience portfolio.

Chief Wine Critic, The New York Times

Eric Asimov

Eric Asimov is the chief wine critic of The New York Times and the author of “How to Love Wine: A Memoir and Manifesto,’’ published by William Morrow, and “Wine With Food: Pairing Notes and Recipes From The New York Times,’’ written with recipes by Florence Fabricant and published by Rizzoli.

His column appears in the Food section of The Times. A collection of his columns is included in “The New York Times Book of Wine,’’ published by Sterling Epicure.

He is on social media, @EricAsimov.

Co-Founder, Maison Mirabeau

Stephen Cronk

Stephen Cronk is Co-Founder of Maison Mirabeau, an innovative rosé producer in Provence, France. Combining entrepreneurial expertise with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship, Stephen and his wife Jeany have transformed a once-degraded 20-hectare estate into a benchmark for regenerative viticulture.

Under his leadership, Maison Mirabeau became the first vineyard in France to earn Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) and proudly holds B Corp status, reflecting its dedication to ethical business practices and climate-positive farming.

Stephen is also the Co-Founder of the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, driving industry-wide change through science-led approaches to soil health and ecosystem restoration. His work champions collaboration with growers, transparency in impact reporting, and the integration of regenerative principles into wine business strategy.

Head of Whiny Baby and Emerging Consumer Innovation Consultant at GALLO

Jess Druey

Jess Druey is a trailblazing entrepreneur, tastemaker, and the creative force behind Whiny Baby — the California-sourced wine brand rewriting the rules for a new generation of drinkers. Born and raised in Bakersfield, CA, with deep agricultural roots, Jess brings a fresh perspective on the journey from vine to glass. At 22, a simple task — buying wine for a first date — left her overwhelmed and uninspired in the aisle. That moment sparked the idea for Whiny Baby, which she self-launched at 24 with no industry connections. Her bold packaging, interactive design, and authentic storytelling quickly went viral on TikTok, turning Whiny Baby into a movement.

By 26, Jess partnered with the McBride Sisters Wine Company, bringing Whiny Baby into national retailers like Target, Total Wine, and BevMo. Now at 28, Whiny Baby is the only nationally distributed wine brand founded and owned by a Gen Zer — embraced as the gateway wine for a new generation of drinkers. Recognized by Essence Magazine and DTC Newsletter and winner of Gordon Ramsay and Lisa Vanderpump’s Food Stars, Jess has emerged as one of the youngest leaders shaping the industry.

As Founder & Head of Whiny Baby and Emerging Consumer Innovation Consultant with GALLO, Jess continues her mission to welcome the next generation into wine — blending her agricultural roots with a pulse on emerging winemaking practices, packaging trends, and consumer innovation to make wine approachable, expressive, and fun.

Founder & CEO, WineMech

Fintan du Fresne

Born and raised in New Zealand, Fintan (Fin) du Fresne has been making wine in California since 2001. His Degree in Geology, Postgraduate Degree in Viticulture and Enology and MBA in Wine Business give him a well-rounded academic background.

Originally a viticulturalist, Fin transitioned to winemaking during harvest in 2001 but retains his passion for the viticultural side of the business.

After stints in Martinborough and the Hawkes Bay (NZ), Calera and Adelaida Cellars (California) he was hired as head winemaker at Chamisal Vineyards in 2006. Following the acquisition of Chamisal by the Crimson Wine Group he was promoted to General Manager and Winemaker.

In 2022, Fin transitioned to GM at Phase 2 Cellars, managing 13,000 tons of custom crush.

In 2018, Fin saw a need for winery specific contracting services on the Central Coast and started Winemech. Since 2018, Winemech has grown to serve over 450 wineries between Temecula and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Winemech has service contracts with 4 of the largest winery equipment suppliers and numerous smaller suppliers. To support this rapid growth, Fin moved to managing Winemech full-time in June of 2024.

Fin is a current Vineyard Team Board member and past Board member for the World of Pinot Noir and SLO Coast Wine Collective. Fin is a strong supporter of the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture program, assisting with their commercial wine production and scientific programs for a number of years.

Director of Agriculture Operations for Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills and Carlyle Farming Company

Gregory Gonzalez

Gregory Gonzalez is the Director of Agriculture Operations for Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills and Carlyle Farming Company. With 15 years of hands-on experience across California’s Central Coast and Central Valley, Gonzalez brings a wealth of viticultural expertise to his new role. Driven by a vision to not only preserve but also elevate Bien Nacido’s iconic reputation, Gonzalez is committed to bringing fresh ideas and a dedication to quality to continue enhancing the vineyard’s storied success for years to come.

Partner & General Manager, Tablas Creek

Jason Haas

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.

Vineyard Manager, Presqu'ile

Andrew Heilbrun

Managing Editor, WineBusiness Monthly

Erin Kirschenmann

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.

Regenerative Consultant Manager of Organic, Regenerative, and Biodynamic Viticulture, Coastal Vineyard Care

Jordan Lonborg

Jordan Lonborg serves as Regenerative Consultant and Manager of Organic, Biodynamic & Regenerative Viticulture for Coastal Vineyard Care Associates (CVCA). In this newly created role he leads the firm’s initiative to scale regenerative viticulture across the California Central Coast, guiding the conversion of vineyards to organic, regenerative, and biodynamic systems, advising on soil-health protocols, cover-crop integration, biodiversity practices and certification pathways.

Jordan began his career at Monterey Pacific Inc. where he assisted in the management of nearly 4,000 vineyard acres, advancing from Viticulture Technician to Pest Control Advisor and Viticulturist.

In 2016 he joined Tablas Creek Vineyard, where he played a key role in piloting the Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) program and helped Tablas Creek become the first vineyard globally to earn ROC certification.

Jordan holds a Bachelor of Science in Fruit Science from California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.

Based on the Central Coast of California, Jordan is known for blending traditional viticultural practices with innovative regenerative frameworks—advocating for diverse ecosystems, soil resilience and a vineyard approach that looks beyond yield to long-term ecological health.

Senior Winemaker, Booker Vineyard

Molly Lonborg

Molly Lonborg is a Paso Robles winemaking veteran with a passion for organic farming and deep experience in crafting Rhône-style wines. Molly graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2009 with a B.S. degree in Earth Sciences and a concentration in Wine and Viticulture. After studying geology in New Zealand, she gained wine production skills at two Central Coast wineries. She then joined Halter Ranch in 2011 and rose through the ranks to the position of Associate Winemaker. In late 2019, Molly was named ‘Winemaker of the Month’ by Wine Business Monthly, which affirmed her as a rising star in California winemaking. She took the head winemaker position at Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery in 2020, where she honed her talents with Rhône varieties. As Senior Winemaker at Booker Vineyard since the spring of 2025, Molly oversees the daily winemaking operations at this iconic Willow Creek District Estate. Molly lives on a ranch in Paso Robles with her husband, Regenerative Vineyard Consultant Jordan Lonborg; their two children, daughter Alma and son Ziggy; and beloved dog Desmond. Along with wine, Molly enjoys camping, hiking, traveling, live music and growing organic crops.

Founder, The Outlier Initiative

Courtney O’Brien

Courtney O’Brien is a strategic brand leader behind some of the most successful beverage brands in the world. She built Apothic into a $100M+ wine powerhouse, led the U.S. launch and repositioning of Coke Zero into a $1B+ megabrand, and spearheaded Evian’s marketing strategy in one of the most competitive beverage categories.

As founder of The Outlier Initiative, she helps ambitious beverage brands break through the noise, claim their space, and engineer demand – using the same proven strategies that built billion-dollar brands, without the Fortune 500 budget.

General Manager, Thacher Winery & Vineyard

Tony Quealy

Fourteen years ago, I transitioned from a career as a golf professional in Southern California and moved my family to Paso Robles to pursue my dream of working in the wine industry. My journey began at Halter Ranch Vineyard, where I served as Tasting Room Manager and Wine Club Manager. In these roles, I helped establish Halter Ranch as a leading brand in Paso Robles while gaining hands-on experience across winery, vineyard, and wholesale operations.

After seven and a half years, I sought new opportunities for growth and, in 2018, joined Thacher Winery & Vineyard as General Manager. In this role, I oversee all sales channels and daily operations, while continuing to expand my knowledge alongside our winemaking team.

In addition to my professional work, I am deeply committed to advancing education and awareness within the Paso Robles wine community. For more than 11 years, I have volunteered with the Rhone Rangers organization in various capacities, serving as its National President from 2020 to 2022. I continue to serve on the Board of Directors, supporting the organization’s mission to promote and educate about Rhône varietals.

Marketing & Brand Manager, Aaron Wines

Justin Rapolas

Justin Rapolas leads marketing and branding at Aaron Wines, a 23+ year old winery located in Tin City, Paso Robles. With nearly a decade of experience in the wine industry, Justin focuses on utilizing innovative strategies to personalize the consumer experience across all channels. His work combines data-driven insight with authentic storytelling to bring the winery’s personality to life at every point of communication—from email and digital marketing to events and in-person experiences. At Aaron Wines, he helps ensure every interaction feels intentional, connected, and true to the winery’s long-standing Central Coast roots.

Senior Vice President of Marketing, Jackson Family Wines

Shilah Salmon

Shilah Salmon is Senior Vice President of Marketing at Jackson Family Wines, a global wine company headquartered in Sonoma County. With nearly 20 years in the wine industry, her career spans international marketing roles—including managing a 40-winery portfolio in 60 countries for Constellation Brands and serving as Global Brand Manager for Robert Mondavi Winery.

At Jackson Family Wines she oversees brand strategy, creative development, the research and insights department, trade and consumer marketing across their luxury to everyday wine portfolio focused on La Crema and Kendall-Jackson, and in the past on such luxury wineries as Brewer-Clifton, Siduri, Cardinale, Lokoya & Freemark Abbey in Napa Valley

Her academic credentials include undergraduate work in Psychology and Women’s Studies at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a business program at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. She has completed wine studies at UC Davis and the Wine & Spirits Education Trust Advanced Certification program.

Consultant & Proprietor, AS Consulting & Pezzato

Andrea Savaiano

Andrea Savaiano transforms data into revenue growth for premium wineries. As strategic wine industry consultant with 15+ years of experience, she specializes in optimizing direct-to-consumer programs, building data infrastructure, and identifying profitable growth opportunities.

At DuMOL Winery, Andrea grew DTC revenue 45% in three years as Director of Marketing and DTC through strategic channel optimization and customer acquisition. At Kosta Browne Winery, she streamlined their industry-leading allocated wine program while maintaining 100% sell-through and played a key role in the Duckhorn acquisition integration.

Andrea brings a unique data-driven perspective from her tech industry background, where she built sales analytics functions at Sunrun and The Climate Corporation. She also produces wine under her own label, Pezzato, giving her hands-on experience with the operational challenges wineries face daily.

A Willamette Valley native with a B.A. in Economics from Whitman College, Andrea lives in Napa with her husband Michael and their two sons.

Sr. Director of Grower & Community Relations, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery

Molly Scott

Molly has successfully built her career in wine while driving the development of JUSTIN’s vineyards and premium wine brand. When she first joined the team in 2011, her role was specialized in research trials and certifying JUSTIN’s vineyards as sustainable. Fourteen years later, she is honored to be JUSTIN’s Sr. Director of Grower & Community Relations, overseeing all grape sourcing for JUSTIN in addition to the Company’s other brands: Landmark and Lewis. As an integral piece of JUSTIN’s winemaking team, she has established relationships within the wine industry which are incredibly special to her and the winery. Molly also steers the wine brand’s philanthropic efforts, giving back to the community where our employees live and work. Overseeing the Wines Community Grants program in three wine country regions (Paso Robles, Sonoma and Napa) supporting local non-profits and schools. Serving on the Board for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (8 years), Board Director for California Assoc. of Winegrape Growers (4 years), Board Chair for the Cal Poly Wine & Viticulture Department (2 years) and volunteering her time towards fundraising for scholarships for children of vineyard workers, her favorite time of the day is spent catching up with her two young boys and husband playing in their backyard in Templeton.

Journalist

Terry L. Stanley

Terry L. Stanley (T.L. Stanley) is a Los Angeles–based journalist whose work appears in Muse by Clio, following a long tenure as a senior editor at Adweek. She covers consumer trends, brand innovation, beverage, plant-based/natural foods and cannabis categories, as well as much of the creative work shaping modern marketing.

Her reporting has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Mashable, and AdAge. As a speaker and moderator, she offers clear, incisive insights on culture, storytelling, and the evolving relationship between brands and consumers.

Managing Director, Robert Hall Winery, Head of Sustainability O’Neill Vintners

Caine Thompson

Caine Thompson, Head of Sustainability at O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, has cemented his industry leadership in sustainable winegrowing and operations throughout his wine industry career. Since joining O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in 2020, he has led the company to the forefront of regenerative organic innovation and global sustainability networking.

For more than 15 years, Caine has been a leading force in viticultural sustainability. In 2020, He initiated a pioneering three-year regenerative viticulture case study across a 40-acre block of O’Neill’s estate vineyards in Paso Robles. In 2024, all 140 acres of the Paso Robles estate officially became Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), the most prestigious certification of its kind. Caine also led O’Neill Vintners & Distillers to becoming both the largest B-Corp Certified beverage company and the largest Zero Waste Certified beverage company in the world. Caine was also named by Wine Enthusiast as a “Future 40 Tastemaker” in 2023. The award noted that Caine is “constantly searching for new or forgotten forms of farming to ‘farm softer,’ working to be more transparent in viticultural practices and helping the industry at large become more resilient to climate change.”

Caine’s passion for sustainability extends beyond the company and into the realms of global organizations and think tanks that are setting the pace for the worldwide wine industry. He is one of eight board members on the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation and one of 12 board members on the Sustainable Wine Roundtable. Caine also supports the wine community through board positions with the Wine Institute, Cal Poly University Wine & Viticulture, the Organic Trade Association, and the Paso Robles CAB Collective, where he is Chairman of Viticulture & Wine Research. In 2024, he helped lead a Paso Robles CAB Collective team to a summit in Bordeaux, where they connected with local vintners to discuss climate mitigation strategies and observe future-forward vineyard practices, such as polyculture and agroforestry.

Caine was born and raised in Tauranga, New Zealand and grew up on a family orchard which led tohis interest and studies in horticulture (BSC) at Massey University in New Zealand. He holds an MBA and has multifaceted wine industry experience in executive management, viticultural operations and technical research. His ascent in the wine industry was rapid. He was named New Zealand’s “Young Viticulturist of the Year” in 2009 and earned “Horticulturist of the year” in 2010.

Caine later worked in viticulture and executive leadership at New Zealand and California wineries before joining O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in October 2020, where he has evolved his regenerative viticulture case study to 800 acres in conversion to regenerative farming. He also initiates and implements green practices, leading the charge for sustainable certification for more than 200growers across 15,000 acres on behalf of the entire O’Neill organization. Working with top stakeholders worldwide, Caine continues to embark on innovations that promise to combat climate change, regenerate soil health and conserve natural resources for generations to come.

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

Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC), Jackson Family Wines

Ross Anderson

Chief Wine Critic, The New York Times

Eric Asimov

Co-Founder, Maison Mirabeau

Stephen Cronk

Head of Whiny Baby and Emerging Consumer Innovation Consultant at GALLO

Jess Druey

Founder & CEO, WineMech

Fintan du Fresne

Director of Agriculture Operations for Bien Nacido, Solomon Hills and Carlyle Farming Company

Gregory Gonzalez

Partner & General Manager, Tablas Creek

Jason Haas

Vineyard Manager, Presqu'ile

Andrew Heilbrun

Managing Editor, WineBusiness Monthly

Erin Kirschenmann

Regenerative Consultant Manager of Organic, Regenerative, and Biodynamic Viticulture, Coastal Vineyard Care

Jordan Lonborg

Senior Winemaker, Booker Vineyard

Molly Lonborg

Founder, The Outlier Initiative

Courtney O’Brien

General Manager, Thacher Winery & Vineyard

Tony Quealy

Marketing & Brand Manager, Aaron Wines

Justin Rapolas

Senior Vice President of Marketing, Jackson Family Wines

Shilah Salmon

Consultant & Proprietor, AS Consulting & Pezzato

Andrea Savaiano

Sr. Director of Grower & Community Relations, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery

Molly Scott

Journalist

Terry L. Stanley

Managing Director, Robert Hall Winery, Head of Sustainability O’Neill Vintners

Caine Thompson