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20 WINES&VINES December 2016 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS Regional News CALIFORNIA New CEO at Cuvaison Dan Zepponi is the new president and CEO of Cuvaison Estate Wines in Napa. He is replacing Jay Schuppert, who is retiring. As the new president and CEO, Zepponi is responsible for all operations including the winery and estate in the Carneros AVA as well as Brandlin Vineyard in the Mt. Veeder AVA. Zepponi has been a senior executive in the wine industry for many years, most recently running Vintage Strategies Inc., a Napa- based consultancy firm. Wine Institute names new reps for the U.K. The Wine Institute in San Fran- cisco announced Golden State Wines U.K., led by Justin Knock MW and Damien Jackman, will manage trade representation and serve as brand ambassador in the United Kingdom. R & R Team- work will provide public relations and media relations, and Spear Communications will manage the California Wines Annual Tasting in September 2017. In 2015, Califor- nia wine sales in the U.K. reached $284 million, and the Wine Insti- tute hopes to increase sales to the U.K. to $400 million by the end of the decade. Brick Barn hires new GM Tom O'Higgins is the new general manager of Brick Barn Wine Estate in Santa Barbara County. O'Higgins previously was general manager of Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards in Buellton and will now oversee the development and construction of Brick Barn's new winery, tasting room and hospitality venues. The winery's first wines are scheduled for release in spring 2017. Trinchero names CFO Kirsty Cringan is the new chief fi- nancial officer for Trinchero Family Estates in Napa. Cringan replaces Mark Smithers who, after 21 years as CFO, is moving into a new role working with the Trinchero family and shareholders on corporate initiatives. Cringan brings 22 years' experience in financial operations, including 17 years with Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines. Most recently, Cringan oversaw the transition of most of Diageo's wine business during its acquisition by Treasury Wine Estates. Originally from Scotland, Cringan holds a bachelor's degree in finance and business law from Strathclyde Uni- versity in Glasgow, Scotland. McManis now 100% sustainable The more than 3,100 vineyard acres farmed by Ron and Jamie McManis are now certified as sustainable through the Lodi Rules program. The couple, who are fourth-generation farmers, founded the vineyard in 1990 and built a winery in 1998. Located in Ripon, Calif., McManis currently produces around 400,000 cases per year. Since being established in 2005, the Lodi Rules program has grown to include 36,500 certified wine grape acres with more than 12,500 of those acres outside the Lodi region. The Lodi Rules certification requires growers to adopt more than 100 "sustainability practices" and conduct a Pesticide Envi- ronmental Assessment System (PEAS), which is unique to the Lodi Rules. PEAS is a model used to quantify the environmental and human impact of all pesticides ap- plied in a vineyard. Phelps to close Freestone tasting room Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena is closing the tasting room of its winery in Freestone, on the Sonoma County coast. In a state- ment announcing the move, the company says it remains fully committed to the winemaking facility, estate vineyards and wine produced by winemaker Justin Ennis. The Phelps family pur- chased 100 acres for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 1999 and soon after built the winery and tasting room. In 2012, the company added the Joseph Phelps name to the Freestone brand. Following a 2015 renovation of its Napa Valley tast- ing room, the winery decided to focus its hospitality efforts solely on that location. Sonoma Winegrowers hire new sustainability manager The Sonoma County Winegrowers in Santa Rosa hired Emily Lambert Farrant as sustainability man- ager. Farrant is a fifth-generation Sonoma County native whose parents were apple growers and for the past five years worked in 14 countries for the environmental and safety consulting firm Gree- neye Partners, which specializes in electronics recycling. Robert Lavine, who joined the wine- growers in 2014 as sustainability manager, will move into a consult- ing role working one on one with growers for self-assessment and certification and participate in grower workshops. Magazine names Lohr 'wine legend' Wine Enthusiast magazine named Jerry Lohr an "American Wine Legend" as part of its 17th annual Wine Star Awards. Lohr, founder of J. Lohr vineyards and winery, is considered a wine pioneer of Cali- fornia's Central Coast and is one of only three recipients of the Ameri- can Wine Legend honor. The vint- ner is also a past chair of the Wine Institute and founder of several trade and research organizations. Lohr will receive the award dur- ing a ceremony in Miami on Jan. 30. The magazine also declared the Oregon's Willamette Valley its "Wine Region of the Year." NORTHWEST Walla Walla alliance names executive director Heather Unwin is the new execu- tive director of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. She has taught wine marketing courses at Walla Walla Community Col- lege since 2015 and is the former executive director of the Red Mountain AVA Alliance. Unwin replaces Duane Wollmuth, who died this July at age 60. Wollmuth had led the alliance for five years Dan Zepponi Kirsty Cringan Jerry Lohr Heather Unwin