California Ag Network

Tag: Sonoma County wine

  • Sonoma County Wine Industry Set to Unify

    Recognizing that current challenges also present an opportunity to build a stronger future, Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) and Sonoma County Vintners (SCV) announced the alignment of their winery membership programs to strengthen collaboration and create a more unified voice for Sonoma County wine.

    The announcement follows months of meetings by a wine industry task force established by the boards of SCW and SCV to explore how best to serve the local wine community, improve efficiencies and eliminate duplication of programs. The findings of a survey of nearly 100 local vintners helped provide direction to the task force as a clear majority of vintners “supported” or “strongly supported” exploring integration of the two organizations’ memberships to provide a more unified voice for Sonoma County. Both boards have approved the strategic path forward.   

    “The response we received from our members to integrate into a single organization was overwhelmingly positive.  This new effort should greatly help in promoting Sonoma County wines, increase visitation to Sonoma County wineries, and grow direct-to-consumer sales,” said Prema Kerollis, co-founder and president of Three Sticks Wines and chair of the Sonoma County Vintners board of directors.   She added, “While there were some big decisions that had to be made, it was abundantly clear that the Sonoma County wine community is better together.”

    Specifically, SCV will merge with SCW’s Winery Collaborative to create a new Sonoma County Wine membership for wineries beginning in 2027.

    SCW’s Winery Collaborative focuses on expanding market opportunities for Sonoma County wines through national marketing initiatives, strategic partnerships, and innovative, non-traditional marketing channels. SCV actively promotes Sonoma County wineries through educational programming, regional and international marketing initiatives, and services that help strengthen winery visibility and business success.

    Together, the new Sonoma County Wine membership will provide wineries with a more comprehensive suite of marketing opportunities, educational resources, strategic partnerships, and industry collaboration under a single membership.

    “Our goal is simple: to ensure Sonoma County remains one of the most respected and competitive wine regions in the world,” said Emilie Eliason, interim executive director of Sonoma County Vintners.  She added, “This is an exciting proactive, strategic approach to combat the challenges ahead together to drive demand for our wines and elevate the region.”

    Both organizations emphasized that the new direction reflects a shared commitment to long-term sustainability, both economically and structurally, for the Sonoma County wine industry.

    “Facing the realities of today’s market, our growers and vintners came together with a single purpose to explore merging resources to strengthen our efforts and speak with one unmistakable voice for Sonoma County wine,” said Karissa Kruse, chief executive officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, “This is a natural evolution given today’s global challenges and the result will make our efforts to promote the Sonoma County wine region more effective.”

    The Sonoma County Winegrowers, which represents approximately 1,800 grape growers, is a state marketing commission established by a vote of winegrape growers and funded by grower assessments while the Sonoma County Vintners, representing the region’s wineries,  is a voluntary trade association that is funded by membership dues paid by wineries.

    “This is an exciting new chapter for our industry.  Unification makes sense and has the potential to benefit the entire wine region while securing the future for wine in Sonoma County,” said Bret Munselle, a fifth-generation winegrower with Munselle Vineyards and chairman of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. — Story contributed by Sonoma County Winegrowers and Sonoma County Vintners

  • Sonoma County Winegrowers Unlocks National Growth Opportunities

    At its annual Dollars & $ense meeting today, themed, “The Next Chapter: Elevating What Works and Expanding What’s Possible,” Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) announced a strategic reorganization and renewed organizational focus to build demand, expand partnerships, and increase sales of Sonoma County wines to support long-term grower success.

    The moves reflect a proactive response to an evolving marketplace and are designed to ensure Sonoma County remains competitive, relevant, and well-positioned for future growth.

    Moving forward, Jennifer Dieckmann, currently Chief Operating Officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers, will assume the role of Executive Director and COO, leading the organization’s day-to-day operations, program execution, and team leadership, while maintaining operational excellence and strengthening grower and stakeholder engagement across all initiatives.

    At the same time, Karissa Kruse, as Chief Executive Officer, will leverage her proven track record of building high-impact partnerships and market-driven programs to focus more deeply on strategic leadership, business development, market expansion, and national partnerships that elevate the Sonoma County wine region and drive demand.

    Together, this leadership structure allows Sonoma County Winegrowers to maximize its strengths—pairing strategic vision and partnership-building at the top with disciplined execution and operational excellence—ensuring strategies move from vision to measurable impact for growers.

    “We want to play offense,” said Kruse.  She added, “Our growers have always been changemakers – they don’t wait for conditions to improve or hope the market will turn; they lead with intention.  With the full support of our grower-led board of directors, we are bringing that same relentlessly proactive mindset to our organization to sharpen our focus, build strategic partnerships, and create new pathways to sell more Sonoma County wine.  When our wines succeed in the marketplace, our growers also succeed which drives a new era of growth for our farms, our wines, and our region.”

    The move follows months of thoughtful evaluation of the evolving wine marketplace including a deep assessment of challenges and opportunities, a review of what SCW programs have delivered the greatest impact, and a clear focus on how to scale those successes through strategic partnerships and business development.

    Since Kruse became the organization’s chief executive in 2013, SCW has evolved from a regional, single-purpose trade organization into a nationally recognized leader in sustainability, workforce development, innovation, collaboration, and wine region branding.    

    Looking ahead, SCW will build on this strong foundation by expanding strategic partnerships, advancing innovative farming practices, and strengthening the relevance of the Sonoma County brand – not only within the wine industry, but across the broader hospitality and consumer landscape.

    “The success of winegrowers in Sonoma County can only happen when there is success for Sonoma County wines.  For years, SCW has been building a strong foundation comprised of a number of programs that build upon one another to raise awareness, attract notable partners, and support the brand,” said Bret Munselle, of Munselle Vineyards and chairman of the SCW board of directors.  He added, “Now, with these new moves, we are going to scale up what has worked including our strategic partnerships to improve marketplace sales, protect farming in the future and keep the Sonoma County brand in demand for years to come.”

    In her new role, Kruse will focus on building and activating high-impact partnerships, advancing new business opportunities, and expanding markets in support of long-term demand for Sonoma County wine.

    To help make the vision a reality, a series of strategic objectives were developed including:

    •Expanding and diversifying markets for Sonoma County wine and grapes;

    •Drive tourism and direct engagement

    •Be the region of choice to realize best in class partnerships programs and resources;

    •Make best uses of resources;

    •Provide thought leadership that drives action;

    •Build diversified and sustainable revenue streams; and,

    •Support winegrowers and Winery Collaborative members.

    “For our winegrowers, wineries and our county, we must win in the marketplace, ensure farming has a future; and maintain Sonoma County’s wine and tourism relevance,” said Kruse.

    During the Dollars & $ense meeting, SCW highlighted its robust portfolio of SCW programs and partnerships designed to strengthen demand, elevate the Sonoma County brand, and support long-term grower success.

    •Building on its leadership in sustainability and innovation, SCW expanded its Farm of the Future initiative as a living laboratory for next-generation farming practices —launching Reservoir Farms, Sonoma, and collaborating with industry leaders including John Deere, Ford Pro, Wilbur-Ellis, and Agrology.

    •The organization continued to invest in workforce development through the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation, including the nation’s first vineyard employee Leadership Academy.

    •On the market-facing side, SCW deepened strategic partnerships across food, sports, hospitality, and media—launching the first-ever Major League Baseball wine club in partnership with the San Francisco Giants and collaborating with professional sports franchises including the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Chicago Bears, and Houston Rockets—to reach new audiences and drive consumer engagement.

    Together with national partnerships with Food & Wine, GuildSomm, Landry’s, and Lettuce Entertain You, these efforts reinforced Sonoma County’s position as one of the world’s most trusted, relevant, and respected wine regions.

    About Sonoma County Winegrowers:

    Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) is a marketing and educational organization committed to promoting and protecting Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier winegrowing regions. With more than 1,800 grape growers across 19 distinct American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), Sonoma County is recognized globally for its commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation.

    In 2014, Sonoma County Winegrowers led the charge for all local vineyards to become certified sustainable, resulting in 99% of the region’s vineyard acreage being certified by a third-party auditor—making Sonoma County the most sustainable winegrowing region in the world.

    SCW continues to lead through its Farm of the Future initiative, establishing Sonoma County as a “living lab” for innovation and regenerative agriculture. This first-of-its-kind platform brings together global collaborators such as Ford Pro, John Deere, Wilbur-Ellis, and Agrology to accelerate climate-smart farming solutions.

    Beyond the vineyard, SCW supports the people who power the wine industry through its 501(c)(3) foundation, which invests in vineyard employees and their families. This includes a pioneering Leadership Academy designed to elevate the next generation of agricultural leaders.

    SCW’s dynamic marketing efforts extend nationwide through partnerships with brands and organizations including Landry’s, Lettuce Entertain You, the San Francisco Giants, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bears, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Food & Wine magazine—sharing the story of Sonoma County’s heritage, innovation, and excellence with new audiences across the country.

  • The Challenges of Establishing a Wine Improvement District

    Sonoma County Winegrowers — Since it was announced last month that leaders in the Sonoma County wine community were exploring the possible benefits and risks of establishing a Wine Improvement District, we have heard comments and questions from many, even those who don’t farm grapes or make wine from the County. That is fine as we appreciate the interest in the idea and the passion for Sonoma County’s wine community.

    Make no mistake, the greatest risk we face today is to do nothing and hope things improve. Our job is to explore any and all solutions to the challenges facing us – partnerships, grants, sponsorships, including a Wine Improvement District.  In fact, we continue to invite any proposals, ideas and funding models to consider to help us overcome these challenges.

    With this in mind, here are some facts about Wine Improvement Districts (WIDs) and the process in Sonoma County since February 2025:

    Fact: There are currently four WIDs in California with at least three others in the process of being established or considered as options for stable marketing funding.

    Fact: During February  – March of 2025, the Sonoma County Winegrowers did the following:

    • Spoke to leaders in other wine regions who have implemented a WID.
    • Participated in a regional association meeting hosted by California Association of Winegrape Growers and the California Wine Institute with a handful of trade associations in attendance, where Civitas and leaders from wine regions with WIDs presented general background on WIDs, the process to establish a WID, and the benefits, challenges and results.
    • On March 31, the Sonoma County Winegrowers board of directors voted at its meeting to spend up to $100,000 to pursue the formation of a business improvement district under the Sonoma County Winegrowers management which is the very model that the Lodi Winegrape Commission is following. Know that every Sonoma County Winegrowers meeting has oversight by California Department of Food & Agriculture and the board is nominated and elected by the entire grape growing community who pay assessments.
    • Hiring Civitas, which has worked with the other wine regions and is recognized as the national expert, was necessary to understand how a WID works – how it is formed, the boundaries, the types of businesses that can be included, as well as the types of items and activations that can be assessed. It would not be prudent to talk in a hypothetical way about how it works, we needed to understand the actual process.

    Fact: Did you know that even if we all agreed today to move forward with a WID, it would take approximately 18 months before the full funding came in?  Can we all survive another 18 months with the status quo?  This is why we were moving quickly to determine if a WID is the best solution for Sonoma County.

    Fact: Civitas was contracted on April 4, 2025 with a monthly fee of $7,500. When SCW reviewed the contract, we ensured that it was month-to-month so we could cancel it at any time.  This allowed the process to begin with learning how a WID works, then establishing a steering committee, beginning outreach to the AVAs and then broad outreach to the wine community before a management plan would be finalized or petition process started based on feedback.

    Fact: The first meetings with Sonoma County Vintners leadership to discuss a WID occurred on February 6th. Sonoma County Winegrowers and other wine industry stakeholders continued meeting with leadership of Sonoma County Vintners in March and April to discuss the WID and invite them to participate in the steering committee.

    Fact: May 14th, 2025 was the steering committee kick-off to explore WIDs. The steering committee was comprised of 15 members representing different size wineries, AVAs, and leadership roles in the wine community.

    • 5 small wineries
    • 2 mid-size wineries
    • 3 large wineries
    • SCW/SCV leadership (3 members from each board)
    • Current and Former AVA Board Leadership (AVW, WDCV, SVVGA, PGA, WSCV)
    • Staff

    Fact: Between May 13th – July 2, members of the steering committee met with the following AVA boards and/or leadership to discuss the WID and obtain initial feedback before going broader with wine community engagement:

    • Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley
    • Alexander Valley Winegrowers
    • Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance
    • Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance
    • Russian River Valley Winegrowers
    • West Sonoma Coast Vintners

    Fact: At the June 2 board meeting, as captured in the minutes, there was a discussion on the timing of the Sonoma County Winegrowers “referendum” (a 5-year reauthorization process where growers vote on whether to continue self-assessing their grapes to fund collective marketing efforts).  By law, the referendum vote needs to happen between July 1, 2025- June 30th, 2026. The decision was made to “move as quickly as possible” with the reauthorization referendum after the start of the new FY on July 1, 2025. This reference to the referendum had nothing to do with the WID timing. There was separate discussion on the WID and its process and timing.

    Fact: On July 21st, Sonoma County Winegrowers distributed a press release announcing the exploration of a Wine Improvement District with the intent to begin outreach and start the town halls and listening sessions. The release mentioned support to explore a WID from the Sonoma County Vintners leadership who were participating in the steering committee (this had not gone to the full SCV board yet).

    Fact: To date, Sonoma County Winegrowers, with the approval of its board, has spent $38,450 on Civitas, which is less than 2% of its marketing budget and less than 1% of its total budget.

    Fact: Civitas does NOT take a 2% collection fee. There is a 2% collection fee taken by HdL if a WID is established. HdL is a separate and independent tax and assessment collection organization used by counties and cities across California (including Sonoma County) and for most wine and business improvement districts. There is a 2% processing fee for collecting the assessments. Since this is not a tax, it is not collected by Sonoma County.

    Fact: Sonoma County Winegrowers estimates that 30% of the Sonoma County winegrapes will not be sold this year and that there are around 5,000 acres of vineyards being pulled out. In general, the wine industry is experiencing an oversupply of grapes and a consumption problem.  Every day it seems there is a new report or media story about declining consumption, rising production costs and the impacts from tariffs.  Doing more of the same will not work.

    Fact: On August 19th, Sonoma County Winegrowers paused the work of Civitas and the WID through harvest to give Sonoma County Vintners a chance to deal with their transition and provide time for wineries around the county to brainstorm new ideas and funding models.

    Fact: As a leader of a countywide organization, it would have been irresponsible to not consider every possible funding model and opportunity to address the challenges facing the wine and grape growing community.

    At this critical time, let’s work together and have a dialogue on how best to improve the outlook for Sonoma County’s wine community.  Know that the Sonoma County Winegrowers has a very successful track record of supporting the Sonoma County wine community and its growers.  We led the effort to become the first 100% certified sustainable wine region.  We developed the first 100-year plan for the industry.  We have pioneered Sonoma County’s Farm of the Future to provide access to local vineyards to seek solutions to improve production agriculture.  And we established a Winery Collaborative and sought high-profile sports, trade, on-premise, and media partnerships to introduce Sonoma County wines to more people in new settings and experiences. We have also demonstrated that we pursue grants, partnerships, sponsorships, and now the WID as ways to supplement the investment Sonoma County grape growers make in the Commission. Every action we take and proposal we consider is done through a simple filter – will it help the growers and wineries in Sonoma County.  That will never change.