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30 Wines&Vines January 2015 wine industry news CALIFORNIA New winemakers at Anaba Ross Cobb and Katy Wilson are the new winemakers for Anaba Wines, located in the Sonoma County portion of the Carneros AVA. Cobb produces wines under his own label, Cobb Wines, and has worked at several North Coast wineries including Williams Selyem Winery and Flowers Vine- yard & Winery. Currently he is the winemaker for Hirsch Vineyards. Wilson has worked at wineries in Australia, New Zealand, Napa Val- ley and makes wine for her own label, LaRue Wines. Wilson and Cobb met when they both worked at Flowers in 2012, and the two formed a winemaking partnership. Success prompts coalition to shut down The Coalition for Free Trade, es- tablished by vintners in 1995 to advocate the repeal of laws pro- hibiting direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipments, announced it has ended all activities after significant victories for wineries and con- sumers. "We can celebrate a rare occasion: An industry association opened its doors for business, raised money, got the job done, then turned the lights out," said W. Reed Foster, president of Coali- tion for Free Trade, co-founder, emeritus chairman and CEO of Ravenswood Winery. Based in San Francisco, Calif., the CFT focused on DtC litigation while the Wine In- stitute, Family Winemakers of Cali- fornia and WineAmerica lobbied lawmakers, and Free the Grapes! ran the public relations campaign. The CFT made its announcement after Massachusetts' new direct- shipping law went into effect. (Read more on page 38.) New winemaker for Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chris Millard is the new direc- tor of winemaking for the Robert Mondavi Private Selection brand. Before joining the winery, which is owned by Constellation Brands, Millard worked at Sterling Vine- yard and Newton Vineyard winer- ies in the Napa Valley. New GM, winemaker promotion at Knights Bridge Knights Bridge Winery in St. Hel- ena, Calif., named Debi Cali Leal as its new general manager and promoted seven-year veteran Meredith Cahill-Marsland Leahy to the post of head winemaker. Leahy, who has made wine at Knights Bridge since 2007, will be responsible for all three Knights Bridge brands: Knights Bridge, Pont de Chevalier and Huge Bear. Promotions at Vintage Wine Estates Vintage Wine Estates, which owns several North Coast wineries and brands, announced that Mack Hoehner is the new senior vice president and national sales man- ager for the Santa Rosa, Calif.- based company. Mike Gilboy is the new senior vice president for chain sales, and Vicki Daigneault assumes the new position of vice president of sales and marketing for exclusive brands. Executive vice president Terry Wheatley also has an expanded role with the company and will now oversee direct-to-consumer marketing, direct sales and hospitality and tasting room operations. Ross Cobb and Katy Wilson Regional News Wasco 661-758-4777 Paso Robles 805-237-8914 Modesto 209-523-8036 santa Rosa 707-542-5510 serving the Wine, table Grape and Raisin Industries Great ideas are only as good as their execution. and Vintage nurseries innovation has proven itself, over and over again. We listened to our growers who we consider our partners, and responded by doubling our mist propagation system, quadrupling our lighthouse capacity, and installing a new water reclamation system and higher volume shadehouse structure. as always, Vintage also continues to lead the way in technology that combats industry-wide pests and pathogens. our goal is to keep striving to provide optimum growing conditions and superior quality products for our growing partners. Tat comes through innovation, day after day. It's what we do best, and it's just the beginning for many more exciting innovations to come. www.Vintagenurseries.com | 800-499-9019 | bold Innovation. Vintage Quality New ShadehouSe FacilitieS updated GreeNhouSe FacilitieS expaNded liGhthouSe capacity New MiSt propaGatioN Facility water reclaMatioN SySteM Visit us at the Unifed Symposium. Booth # 1520 Chris Millard