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February 2015 Wines&Vines 21 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS www.alainfouquet.com alainfouquet@aol.com AlainFouquet_Aug06 5/17/06 10:57 AM Page 1 CALIFORNIA Cabral joins Three Sticks as winemaker Bob Cabral, the former director of winemaking for Williams Se- lyem Winery, is the new director of winemaking for Three Sticks Wines. Ryan Prichard, former assistant winemaker for Medlock Ames win- ery, also joins Three Sticks as as- sociate winemaker. The new team will work with Don Van Staaveren as he transitions into the role of wine- maker emeritus and continues to make the Three Sticks Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and Cas- tenada brand wines. John A. Pedroncelli dies Working 65 consecutive vintages at J. Pedroncelli Winery gave John Pedroncelli the unofficial title of Dry Creek Valley's most experienced winemaker. Pedroncelli died Jan. 4 at the age of 89. He was two years old when his family purchased the winery and moved to Geyserville in 1927. After two years of military service he assumed winemaking responsibilities from his father in 1948. Pedroncelli returned to col- lege in the early 1950s to take enology courses at the University of California, Davis. After the re- tirement of his father, Giovanni Pe- droncelli, in 1963, he also became manager of the family's vineyards, expanding them to 105 acres. Dur- ing his tenure, Pedroncelli guided the winery through the tough tran- sition from bulk wine producer to premium winery. Napa preservation advocate dies A memorial service was held Jan. 6 for Volker Eisele, a grapegrower, vintner and passionate defender of farmland and open space in Napa County. Eisele died Jan. 2 at the age of 77. He purchased a 400-acre ranch in the Chiles Valley of Napa County in 1974 and would become a well-known and respected grape- grower who later produced wine under his family's own label, Volker Family Estate. Eisele was a past president of the Napa County Farm Bureau as well as the Napa Valley Grape Growers. He championed ballot measures J and P, which re- quired voter approval to develop any farmland in Napa County. Promotions at Crimson Wine Group Crimson Wine Group announced the promotion of Patrick DeLong to the post of president and CEO and the appointment of Craig Wil- liams to COO and the new posi- tion of chief winegrower. DeLong has been with Crimson for the past seven years and previously was the firm's COO and CFO. Williams joins Crimson in his new role after serv- ing as a member of the company's board of directors since March 2013. (He will continue as director.) Crimson owns and manages more than 870 acres of vineyards and a portfolio of wineries in California, Washington and Oregon. Wittstrom-Higgins promoted at Ancient Peaks Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins is the new vice president of operations at Ancient Peaks Winery. Wittstrom- Higgins is a native of Paso Robles, Calif., and a graduate of Califor- nia Polytechnic University who has been with the winery since its opening in 2007. Her most recent position was vice president of sales and marketing. Regional News Patrick DeLong Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins Call Toll Free: 800-POS-1290 We Pair Well Sell From Anywhere, Manage it Everywhere! Use your mobile device to process transactions, print and email receipts, while tracking sales and inventory.