Viticulture Briefs: Carneros wine group elects new board

The Carneros Wine Alliance, a nonprofit association of wineries and grape-growers in the Carneros wine region that borders San Pablo Bay, has elected new leadership to its board of directors.|
BILL SWINDELL
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Carneros wine group elects new board

The Carneros Wine Alliance, a nonprofit association of wineries and grape-growers in the Carneros wine region that borders the San Pablo Bay, has elected new leadership to its board of directors.

Hilary Berkey of Vintage Wine Estates and Emily Byrne of Etude Winery have been elected co-chairs of the organization.

Berkey serves as marketing director with Vintage Wine Estates of Santa Rosa and has previously worked for Treasury Wine Estates and Constellation Brands Inc.

Byrne is associate brand manager for Etude Winery and also has worked for Peju Winery in Rutherford.

Nichole Peterson, the marketing coordinator of Artesa in the Napa Valley, was elected vice-chair.

UC Cooperative Grape Day this week

The UC Cooperative Extension of Sonoma County will hold its annual Grape Day on Thursday from ?8 a.m. to noon at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Ave.

The topics will include such issues such as new herbicide programs to stop weeds and the impact of leaf removal and fruit dropping on grape ripeness. Thomas Collins, an assistant professor at Washington State University, will speak on the effect that wildfires can have on smoke tainting grapes.

The cost is $42 per person if attendees register before Feb. 6. For more information visit: cesonoma.ucanr.edu/viticulture717/SCGrapeDay

New winemaker at Napa’s Italics

Italics Winegrowers has named Marbue Marke as the Napa Valley winery’s new director of winegrowing.

Marke will lead the winemaking program for both the Italics Winegrowers brand and its (Sixteen) Appellations portfolios.

Born in Sierra Leone, Marbue attended UC Davis’ pre-med program but switched after he was offered an internship in winemaking. He got a degree in enology there and later earned an master’s degree in business administration from Sonoma State University.

He has worked at J Vineyards and Winery in Healdsburg, Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen and the E&J Gallo Winery out of Modesto.

Complied by Bill Swindell. Submit items to bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com.

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