The Wine Institute

Aug 21, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO — The Wine Institute membership elected new district- and at-large directors and alternates at its 74th Annual Meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara for the 2008-09 term, beginning July 1. The Institute board also named new officers and elected 20 new winery and associate members, bringing the total membership to 1,101.

District directors and their alternates were elected on a one-member-one-vote basis in each district, following nominations by regional winery associations. They are:

All members elected 20 at-large directors who had been nominated by the Institute's Finance and Administration Committee. Alternates were chosen by at-large directors.

The new Wine Institute chairman is Margaret L. Duckhorn of the Duckhorn Wine Company in St. Helena; Raymond S. Chadwick of Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines in Napa, 1st vice chairman; Thomas B. Klein of Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg, 2nd vice chairman; David B. Kent of The Wine Group in Livermore, treasurer; and Kathleen Heitz-Myers of Heitz Wine Cellars in St. Helena, secretary. Robert P. (Bobby) Koch continues as president and CEO.

The new winery members are: Bartalotti Wine Company, Napa; Blue Rock Vineyard, Cloverdale; Booker Vineyard, Paso Robles; Burch Hall Winery, Grass Valley; Emeritus Vineyards, Sebastopol; Futo Wines, Oakville; Gale Vineyards, Durham; Kutch Wines, Kenwood; Ranchita Canyon Vineyard, San Miguel; Rancho Ventavo Cellars, Moorpark; The Ranch Winery, St. Helena; Red Feather Winery, Livermore; Regale Winery & Vineyards, Los Gatos; Sanguis, Santa Maria; Shannon Ridge Winery, Clearlake Oaks; Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Napal; and Vino Tabi Winery, Santa Cruz.

The new associate members are: ABD–Wells Fargo Insurance Services located in Petaluma, provides cost-effective solutions for risk management and insurance issues, global insurance market access, and targeted safety and claims management consulting services; Cliff Jernigan Vineyards located in Woodside, has sales of 100% cabernet sauvignon from grapes grown on their property; and The Stevensville Group located in Healdsburg, provides executive search and leadership development.