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.