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June 2018 WINES&VINES 23 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS TANNINS MEGAZYME ASSAY KITS YEAST NUTRIENTS YEAST & BACTERIA wine company in Healdsburg. Weaver has worked with the com- pany as vice president and corpo- rate controller for the past 11 years. Clos de la Tech hires managing director Clos de la Tech in Woodside ap- pointed Vito Gambini as manag- ing director. In this newly created position, Gambini will develop and implement a national strategic business plan designed to expand representation and sales at res- taurant accounts and independent retailers. NORTHWEST Campisi new winemaker at Dunham Cellars Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla, Wash., promoted Robert Campisi to the post of head winemaker. Campisi joined the winery in 2008 and will now help manage the de- velopment of a new series of wines from Dunham's recently planted Kenny Hill estate vineyard. In his new role, Campisi will also oversee all aspects of winemaking opera- tions and work closely with Dun- ham's vineyard manager, Ken Hart. Abeja owners sell majority interest Ken and Ginger Harrison, found- ers of the Abeja winery and inn in Walla Walla, Wash., have sold a majority interest in the company to two other firms: Arnie Prentice of Seattle's USI Kibble & Prentice and John Oppenheimer, founder and CEO of Seattle-based Colum- bia Hospitality. The Harrisons will retain significant equity ownership in the continued operations of the winery and will be actively involved in the oversight of the winery. The couple will also participate in the ownership of the inn through a separate limited-liability corpora- tion. Oppenheimer has become majority owner of the inn and Columbia Hospitality will oversee management and operations on behalf of the new owners. Wine- makers Daniel Wampfler and Amy Alvarez-Wampfler will continue to oversee winemaking operations. Okanagan Crush Pad acquires new vineyard Okanagan Crush Pad Winery in Summerland, B.C., acquired Se- crest Mountain Vineyards in Oliver, B.C. The 50-acre property includes a vineyard planted in 2000 with 38 acres of Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Gewürztraminer. The property has been under lease to Okanagan Crush Pad since 2010 and is currently transitioning to organic certification. Following this acquisition, Okanagan Crush Pad now has 80 acres of grapes and aims to plant an additional 55 acres at its Garnet Valley Ranch and Monro Avenue sites, to bring the total to 135 acres. Okanagan wineries form new group Seven British Columbian wineries including 50th Parallel Estate Win- ery, Culmina Family Estate Winery, Haywire Wines, Liquidity Wines, Painted Rock Estate Winery, Pop- lar Grove Winery and Summerhill Pyramid Winery, have formed a partnership, The Okanagan Wine Initiative. The association's goal is to share resources and collaborate on varying projects internationally, across Canada, and in its home market of British Columbia. The group has been working together informally for more than a year with staff from member wineries travel- ing abroad to wine trade fairs and working on industry issues such as export market development and sustainable business practices. A to Z appoints Myers as manager of viticulture Joey Myers is the new manager of viticulture at A to Z Wineworks in Dundee, Ore. Myers is a fifth- generation Oregon farmer and Willamette Valley native who brings almost two decades of vineyard management experience that in- cludes growing seasons in France, Switzerland, New Zealand and California. Robert Campisi