Sonoma State To Host 1st Global Wine Biz Education Conference

Envisioning the Global Wine Business Professional of the Future

On April 27 & 28, the Wine Business Institute of Sonoma State University will host the first global wine business conference, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of wine business professionals.

Envisioning the Global Wine Business Professional of the Future, brings together faculty from leading wine business education programs in countries including France, Australia, United Kingdom, Italy, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, China, Argentina and Canada.

The wine industry in the United States and around the world has witnessed significant growth in the last decade. There are more than 7,600 wineries in the United States alone, and about 90% of the U.S. wine produced is in California. This is reflected in the range of wine education programs that have begun around the world.

Despite the growth and rigor of enology and viticulture programs, there has been less attention on the skills and competencies necessary for families and executives to navigate the business and financial side of their businesses and industry.

The intent of the conference is to define the core skills and competencies needed by wine business professionals, identify the gaps in current training and education and develop ideas and collaborative efforts that will seek to fill the gaps.

In addition to the academic discussions, the conference will include an owners’ panel and an executives’ panel, describing the skill sets they think are most important to succeed in the wine industry. The owners’ panel includes Lynn Fritz from Lynmar Estate, Jeff O’Neill from Rams Gate Winery and Peter Mondavi from Charles Krug who will address the question, “What do owners need from the managers of wineries?”

The executives’ panel includes Joel Miller from Jackson Family Winers, Nancy Bailey from Gary Farrell and Tom Blackwood from Boisset Family Estates and will address the topic, “What I wish I knew when I took this job.”The conference is the result of collaboration between Ray Johnson, Director of the Wine Business Institute, Dr. Liz Thach, Master of Wine and Professor at Sonoma State University and Dr. Anisya Fritz, instructor for the Wine Entrepreneurship course. Lynn and Anisya Fritz, Proprietors of Lynmar Estate are underwriting the conference.

Sonoma State’s program offers a specialized curriculum targeted at the business challenges of the wine industry. Located in the heart of California wine country and created through a partnership between the university and the wine industry, this is the first and only program in the United States to focus exclusively on the business aspects of the wine industry.

For more information about the Wine Business Institute please follow this link:SSU-Wine Business Institute