Legends Behind the Craft

Shari and Garen Staglin are the CEOs and Co-owners of Staglin Family Vineyard, which is founded on the motto “great wines for great causes.” They purchased Rutherford Bench Estates in 1985 after spending many years learning about wine together. Since farming their vineyard during that time, Shari and Garen have donated and raised more than $1 billion to support charities, including their main cause, One Mind, whose mission is to foster healthy brains for all. In this episode with Shari and...

John Kochis is the President of Beck Family Estates, a family-owned company promoting unique vineyard sites and wineries in South Africa and Oregon. As a 27-year veteran of the wine industry, John began his career as a wine sales rep. He is a performance-driven executive leader with experience building and directing high-performance management teams. In this episode with John Kochis In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for wine has increased, and marketing in the wine...

John McDonnell is the former International President and COO of Patrón, where he was responsible for growing its revenue from 75 million to 600 million dollars. He is a worldwide motivational speaker, helping individuals and organizations achieve success in today’s global economy, build strong international brands, and leverage the power of teamwork. He served as the Chairman of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and is now a Chairman of the Massachusetts Convention...

Matt Brain is a Winemaker at Alpha Omega Winery in Napa Valley, California. Matt holds a master’s degree in biosciences from Sam Houston State University where he was a decathlete. He also earned a winemaking degree from UC Davis. Matt partnered with The Vineyard Team as a Sustainability Auditor and hosts a podcast for the organization promoting sustainable wine growing. Previously, Matt worked at Treasury Wine Estates, Baker and Brain Wines, Fresno State, and Edna Valley Vineyards, among...

Barry Waitte is a Vintner and Proprietor at Tamber Bey Vineyards and the President of the Board Of Directors at Oakville Winegrowers. He began his career in the tech industry, working for Apple and AOL in sales before his passion for the wine beverage industry took hold. Previously, Barry was the Chairman of the Board for Structural Integrity Associates, and he earned his degree in business from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. In this episode with Barry...

Adrian Mobilia is the Owner and President of Salted Vines Vineyard & Winery. Adrian is a fourth-generation grape grower born and raised on his family’s farm in North East Pennsylvania, where he grew up working in the vineyard. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in horticulture, and shortly after getting married, purchased a 26-acre farm in Frankford, Delaware, where he opened Salted Vines Vineyard & Winery. In this episode with Adrian Mobilia Starting and maintaining a successful...

Emily Harrison is the Vice President of Marketing and Direct Sales at HALL Wines, where she is responsible for curating the customer journey through all touchpoints. At HALL, Emily helps deepen and enhance the relationship with the winery and customers at all stages. She oversees and manages memberships, marketing, and public relations. She has over 13 years of experience managing national and global brands for iCrossing, Isobar, and The Talent Business. Emily graduated from the Academy of...

Paul Mabray is considered to be the wine industry’s foremost futurist and thought leader. He is the CEO of Pix, a digital platform harnessing the power and potential of digital tools and methodologies to move the wine industry into the future. Paul pushed wine into the digital landscape with his work at Inertia Beverage Group, now WineDirect, and VinTank. Paul sat on the Board of Directors for Emetry.io and was a Group Director for W2O Group, among other executive roles. He began his...

James King is the Co-owner and Operator at King Family Vineyards, a family-owned and operated vineyard settled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Crozet, Virginia. James began his career with King Family Vineyards serving as the Tasting Room Manager, General Manager, and working in the vineyard before taking his current position. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in history and played lacrosse for the university. James served in the United States Marine...

Gary Fisch is the Founder and CEO of Gary’s Wine and Marketplace. He first opened the shop in 1987 in Madison, New Jersey, and it grew to become one of the largest fine wine businesses. In 2019, his brand stretched from the coast of New England to the West Coast in St. Helena, California. Gary desires to be the first choice for wine, beer, and spirits by enhancing the consumer shopping experience. In this episode with Gary Fisch What are the keys to successfully building a wine marketplace...

Michelle and Tyler Bredeson met at the University of North Dakota, later married, and brought together a similar passion and love for wine, family, and fun. They have been working at the winery since 2008 and purchased the winery in 2022. In those 13 years, they helped scale the business to include on-site grapes from Minnesota, wine sold in over 500 stores, over 34,000 gallons of wine produced annually, and tripled their staff. The couple also included an addition of a brewery, 22 Northmen...

Guillaume Fabre is the Owner and Winemaker of Clos Solène. Born in Southeast France and growing up in Bordeaux, Guillaume’s lineage and background are rooted in winemakers and grape growers. When he began an internship that turned into a full-time role as the Assistant Winemaker at L’Aventure in Paso Robles, he realized his passion for the California soil could not be satiated on the soil of France. In 2007, Clos Solène was created on the soil of Paso Robles. In this episode with Guillaume...

Ben Salisbury is the President and Founder of Salisbury Creative Group, a sales consulting firm that helps alcohol brands leverage technology in their sales process. Ben has experience working in the wine industry — he led large, national sales teams as the Vice President of Global Accounts and On-Premise Strategy for Ste Michelle Wine Estates and the Vice President of National Accounts for Constellation Brands. He has also worked for distributors including Green Glass Global and Glazer’s...

Ryan Thompson is the Founder and CEO of 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirit Co. Nestled in Vail, Colorado, Ryan opened 10th Mountain in 2013 to pay homage to the patriotic men of the 10th Mountain Division Light Infantry. He earned his bachelor’s of spirits and whiskey from Moonshine University and his bachelor's in business administration and management from Southern Methodist University. In this episode with Ryan Thompson Are you an emerging brand and unsure how to navigate the...

Jose "Tony" Haber is the Founder of Qvivo Brands Inc., where he combines his passion for romance and poetry with alcoholic beverages. His distinguished career has taken him around the world, fostering partnerships with local brands in Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, and beyond. He began his journey in 2009 as the Regional Sales Marketing Manager for Coastal Select Wine and Spirit Distributors, where he focused on marketing to Florida and the Caribbean. In that same year, he launched his...

Drew Thomas Hendricks is the President of Barrels Ahead, a wine and craft marketing agency that accelerates company growth through content development, SEO, and paid search. Drew is also the President of Nimbletoad, Inc., a company that helps wineries expand their digital footprint to increase membership and sales. He is the Founder of VineCat, which, before closing its doors in 2010, allowed users to inventory and track their wine through a cloud-based cellar management application. At...

Ken Freeman is a philanthropist, banker, and vintner. He is the Co-founder and Proprietor of Freeman Vineyard & Winery, one of the pioneers of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, charting a course to the western edges of California winegrowing. Ken and his wife, Akiko, built Freeman into a leading winery and brand. They started in 2001 with 500 cases and have grown to 6,000 cases, 60% of which goes directly to the consumer. They export 25% to 20 countries around the world. In this...

Bianca Harmon is the DTC Strategist for Barrels Ahead, a results-driven digital marketing agency specializing in web design, SEO, and PPC for the wine and craft beverage industry. At Barrels Ahead, Bianca works with wineries to increase their direct-to-consumer sales. Bianca grew up in Napa Valley and has been involved in all aspects of the industry from a young age. She’s been a sales representative and brand ambassador for different companies including Chatterbox Wine Marketing Services,...

Hilary Cocalis is the Founder and Chief Go-Getter of Sipwell Wine Co., a premium canned wine brand, and she’s a Strategy Consultant for Bex Brands, where she primarily helps beverage clients align their marketing strategies. She is a fourth-generation entrepreneur and has more than a decade of experience working in the marketing space for both beverage brands and agencies — helping Ballast Point grow into a national beer brand, which was ultimately acquired for one billion dollars by...

Ron Scharman is the Co-founder and CEO of Astra Digital, a digital marketing agency for the wine industry, and CEO of FlyWithWine, a unique storage suitcase for traveling with wine. He has over 30 years of experience in the direct-to-consumer industry, working in COO and President positions with New Vine Logistics (Wine Direct), eWinery Solutions (VinSuite), Chatterbox Wine Marketing, and VinoVisit. Ron is an instructor for a wine e-commerce course and direct-to-consumer wine marketing...