Sonoma County Winegrowers Give attention to Creating Experiences to Have interaction
New and Current Wine Lovers
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (January 17, 2025) – For over a decade, Sonoma County Winegrowers has been on the forefront of innovation, forging highly effective partnerships with iconic manufacturers like John Deere, Ford Professional, Wilbur Ellis, Landry’s, and the San Francisco Giants. As unveiled at this week’s annual {Dollars} & $ense assembly, held nearly, 2025 marks a 12 months devoted to “Renewing, Constructing, and Rising” these famend applications, increasing their attain, amplifying the Sonoma County story, and setting new benchmarks in excellence.
As Karissa Kruse, president and chief govt officer of Sonoma County Winegrowers, began her presentation with a assessment of the previous twelve years since she joined the group, it was clear that the ends in constructing the model’s visibility through the years has been profitable. From being world leaders in sustainability, to sports activities advertising and marketing, to establishing the Farm of the Future, and extra, the Sonoma County Winegrowers’ model is reaching extra folks in new and other ways.
“To the credit score of our board, we now have by no means been afraid to take daring motion to boost and promote consciousness of Sonoma County to customers, firms, media, commerce, and extra,” mentioned Kruse. She added, “In consequence, we’re constructing new relationships with customers by way of sports activities advertising and marketing; collaborating on business challenges to develop modern options with iconic firms to profit our growers and the surroundings; and partnering with GuildSomm and different wine influentials to advertise the variety and high quality of wines grown and made in Sonoma County.”
On account of these efforts, Sonoma County continues to attract consideration from visionary scientists, engineers, financers, designers, start-up firms, producers and extra who wish to work with Sonoma County Winegrowers and leverage its sustainability management to deal with a number of the greatest challenges dealing with winegrowers and farmers of excessive worth crops to develop modern options right here in the local people.
Trying forward, Kruse laid out the targets for the approaching 12 months: play a task in constructing the whole wine class and make it extra accessible; place Sonoma County because the area of alternative for wine, agriculture, and journey; develop strategic partnerships; proceed to raise Sonoma County on the worldwide stage; ship modern grower schooling alternatives; and proceed its dedication to the group. Actually, the important thing take-away from this 12 months’s “{Dollars} & $ense” annual assembly with growers is that the profitable partnerships and collaborations are leading to vital advantages for the native wine group and might be continued and expanded upon. These embody:
Farm of the Future Initiative and Summit
Sonoma County Winegrowers will once more invite specialists from modern firms to assemble in Sonoma County for the second Farm of the Future Summit. The individuals may also embody a variety of main companies which might be already collaborating with native farmers in pilot tasks all through Sonoma County’s licensed sustainable vineyards. In 2025, Sonoma County Winegrowers will proceed being a residing lab by way of its collaborations with John Deere, Wilbur-Ellis, and Agrology.
Construct and Develop Current Partnerships
Sonoma County Winegrowers has solid long-standing partnerships with many essential business leaders, together with Landry’s, Meals & Wine, Alaksa Airways, and GuildSomm, persevering with its concentrate on constructing audiences amongst customers, the commerce, and media. These might be continued and expanded this 12 months. In 2025, thrilling new partnerships are being launched with different visionary organizations like Lettuce Entertain You, a 50-year-old restaurant group based mostly in Chicago, The SOMM Journal, a publication for beverage business professionals, and organizations centered on wine commerce and Somm schooling together with the Court docket of Grasp Sommeliers and Finest Sommeliers of Americas.
Proceed with Sports activities Advertising and marketing
In 2024, Sonoma County Winegrowers teamed up with one of many NFL’s most storied franchises, the Chicago Bears, to introduce, share and immerse followers in Chicagoland with all issues about Sonoma County wine. This was the primary NFL workforce sponsorship for Sonoma County Winegrowers which additionally has collaborations ongoing with the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Rockets. Constructing on that success in bringing world-class Sonoma County wines to new and numerous audiences, Sonoma County Winegrowers lately introduced it agreed to turn into the official sponsor for Acrisure Enviornment and the Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey workforce.
Elevate Sonoma County at Native and Nationwide Occasions
Showcasing Sonoma County wines at prestigious occasions will stay a cornerstone of the group’s advertising and marketing applications. The 4th Annual Healdsburg Wine & Meals Expertise, which the Sonoma County Winegrowers helped discovered, positions our area as a premier wine vacation spot to over 4,000 attendees over the 4-day weekend in Might. Focused occasions like ZinEx and Palm Springs Pinot Pageant shine a highlight on particular varietals from the area, whereas the Minnesota WineFest, Aspen Meals & Wine, Sonoma within the Metropolis Chicago, and the brand new Mexico Metropolis Wine Pageant attain nationwide and worldwide audiences.
Stated Kruse, “We’ll proceed to hunt alternatives with sports activities groups and organizations that join us with their followers and supply us with a chance to introduce and construct demand for Sonoma County wines significantly amongst a youthful and extra numerous demographic.”
The occasion ended with the awarding of 4 particular awards. The Nick Frey Group Contribution Award, Sonoma County Winegrowers’ highest honor, was awarded to 2 recipients this 12 months: George Day, Professor Emeritus on the Wharton College of the College of Pennsylvania and Co-Chair of Sonoma County Winegrowers’ Ag Sustainability Middle, and Laurel Marcus, who lately retired because the science director of Fish Pleasant Farming and was the creator of its certification program which offers a vital third-party certification of environmentally useful land practices that help growers in defending and enhancing the native surroundings, waterways and wildlife. Additionally receiving awards had been Serres Ranch, which was acknowledged because the 2024 Sustainable Grower of the Yr, and Silver Oak Vineyard, which was named Sustainable Vineyard of the Yr.
