2024 Sonoma County Wine Celebration Honorees
Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) is pleased to announce this year’s Sonoma County Wine Celebration (SCWC) honorees, whose contributions to our local community will be recognized at the live auction on Saturday, September 21 at Chateau St. Jean.
We love recognizing the positive impacts our vintner community brings to our region. Members of our wine and hospitality industries continue to work tirelessly to care for those in our area who need help the most. They are always willing to help raise critical funding for our programs that provide sustainable funding for frontline nonprofits.
Michael Haney, Sonoma County Vintners Foundation Executive Director
2024 SCWC Vintner and Grower Honorees
The Sangiacomo Family
Third Generation Sonoma County Farmers
As third generation farmers, Mike, Mia, and Steve Sangiacomo proudly continue their family’s farming tradition in Sonoma County, a legacy dating back to 1927. Their story started in 1913, when their grandfather Vittorio Sangiacomo sailed alone to America at age 17. After arriving at Ellis Island, he traveled to San Francisco, eventually settling in Sonoma Valley. In 1927, Vittorio purchased a 55-acre farm, Eden Dale, establishing the roots of what would become the Sangiacomo Home Ranch. He and his wife Maria raised four children: Angelo, Buck, Bob, and Lorraine. They steadily expanded their land to support this growing family and became one of California’s largest pear-growing operations.
The late Angelo Sangiacomo, father of the current generation, was recognized as a Sonoma County Barrel Auction Icon in 2017 after working in agriculture for more than 70 years. During the decline of the California pear market, he encouraged the family to uproot their pears, and they planted their first vineyard in 1969. As the wine industry continued to gain acclaim in Sonoma County, they expanded and today they farm over 1600 acres of certified sustainable vineyards, supplying grapes to over 90 premium wineries. They were among the first to introduce vineyard designated wines, with over 30 wineries currently producing a “Sangiacomo Vineyards” wine.
Sangiacomo Family Wines, launched in 2016, celebrates their family’s heritage as grape growing pioneers in Sonoma County. These terroir-driven wines are a tribute to the family’s commitment to showcasing the unique characteristics of their estate vineyards.
2024 SCWC Chef Honorees
Terri & Mark Stark
Founders of Stark Reality Restaurants
James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalists Mark and Terri Stark together own and operate eight of Sonoma County’s favorite, and most highly rated, restaurants: Willi’s Wine Bar (2002), Monti’s (2004), Stark’s Steak & Seafood (2008), Bird & The Bottle (2015), and Grossman’s Noshery & Bar (2020) and Augie’s French (2023) in Santa Rosa, and Willi’s Seafood (2003) and Bravas (2012) in Healdsburg. After losing their flagship, Willi’s Wine Bar, in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, the Starks re-opened Willi’s at the restaurant’s new home in the Town & Country Center in Santa Rosa in June 2019. Willi’s Wine Bar first welcomed diners and introduced Santa Rosans to the small plates concept in 2002. Less than one year after re-opening Willi’s Wine Bar, the Starks opened Grossman’s Noshery & Bar in Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square in March 2020.
The Starks founded Stark Reality Restaurants in 2006 to manage the operations of their diverse group of dining establishments. They are now one of Sonoma County’s largest employers. More than awards and accolades, Terri and Mark are most proud of being able to provide mentorship and employment to so many workers in the local culinary field. The Starks are committed to promoting from within, what Terri refers to as “stocking our own pond.” All of their chefs started out working for them as cooks, and, in some cases, dishwashers. The biggest measure of success, according to Mark, “At least 20 employees who started out washing dishes and bussing tables now own their houses; more than anything else, that is our greatest accomplishment.”
2024 Wine Business Leadership Award Recipient
Nate Weis
Vice President of Winegrowing at Silver Oak and Twomey
The Wine Business Leadership Award is a partnership award between Sonoma County Vintners and The Wine Business Institute (WBI) at Sonoma State University which recognizes an individual annually who demonstrates great wine business leadership, vision, innovation, inspiration and impactful service to the Sonoma County community.
Nate Weis, whose father is also a winemaker, grew up locally and joined the Silver Oak team in 2014. He brought with him a wealth of experience from working at wineries in California and New Zealand.
He is especially proud of helping the Duncan family, who co-founded the winery in 1972 with Justin Meyer and are now the sole owners, build upon the culture they’ve established. This includes being a leader in sustainability by building their LEED Platinum and Living Building certified winery in Alexander Valley and winning the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Green Medal for Leadership in 2019. He helped found the winery’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee and subsequent apprenticeship program in partnership with The Veraison Project for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals interested in wine careers, establishing paid time off for volunteerism as a company benefit, and instituting a formal internal mentorship program and leadership development for high-potential employees.
Nate has been an adjunct faculty at Napa Valley College since 2018, teaching courses in enology and wine education. He has been a board member of the Wine Business Institute since 2022, a former board member of the Northwest Chapter of the American Red Cross, and a member of the Unified Grape & Wine Symposium Program Development Committee since 2018. He was a North Bay Business Journal “40 under 40” recipient in 2014 and a Wine Business Institute Outstanding Alumnus award winner in 2021. However, Nate maintains that his real claim to fame is being the father of triplets (two boys and a girl) and their little brother, as well as recently celebrating a 20th wedding anniversary with his wife, Sally.
Thank you very much to our vintners, sponsors, trade, media and guests for your support of our 10th Anniversary Sonoma County Barrel Auction (SoCoBA), presented by @americanagcredit and held in person at the spectacular #macmurrayestatevineyards and @bacchuslanding Thank you also to @pridewines for hosting the incredible Founders Circle dinner.
It was wonderful to see you all and we are incredibly grateful for your participation. Save the date for next year’s 10th anniversary SoCoBA planned for May 1-2, 2025!
#sonomawine #sipsonoma #sonomacounty #sonomacountywine
Thank you to all of our sponsors:
@diam.cork
@vintage99winelabel
@tonnellerie_cadus
@tricorbraunwinepak
Allen Wine Group
Silicon Valley Bank
@wrightcontracting
@vintnersresort
@sonoma_county_airport
@pure_luxury_transportation
@samantha.paull
@avidcoffeeroasters
@theposhprivy
@recology
@tastingpanel
@sevenfiftydaily
Provi
@jwinery
Photography credit: @bobmc
Plan your #SonomaCountyWineMonth getaway with the Sonoma County App, from our partners at @sonomacounty tourism. See Wine Month offers, plan day trip itineraries, find hotel rooms and more!
Download the app at sonomacounty.com/sonoma-county-app/ or see the Sonoma County Wine Month link in bio.
#sonomawine #sonomacountywine #sonomacounty #sipsonoma
Get ready for National Drink Wine Day on Sunday, February 18! Stop by your local bottle shop and pick up your favorite #SonomaCounty wine or try something new from our world-class growing region. Better yet, check out the varietals and amenities available from our member wineries and plan a trip to #winecountry this weekend to celebrate in person.
See member wineries at sonomawine.com/sonoma-county-wineries/ or link in bio.
#sonomawine #sipsonoma #nationaldrinkwineday
We`re celebrating the 90th anniversary of Repeal Day on 12/5 — the day Prohibition was overturned — and reflecting on all #sonomacountywine has accomplished since then:
400+ wineries
60+ varietals of wines
19 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)
MILLIONS of Sonoma County wine lovers
Pour yourself a glass of Sonoma County`s finest and raise a toast to Repeal Day!
photo credit: Wildly Simple
#sonomawine #sonomacounty #sonomawinecountry #sipsonoma
Who needs a Sonoma County Wine Country Wellness Escape? Lot #43 in our SCWA Online Auction, benefiting the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation, features a two-night stay for two guests at @vintnersresort, complete with a $200 resort credit and a 50-minute spa treatment for two. Bid soon, the auction closes on December 8.
See full details and bid now at scwa2023onlineauction.ggo.bid/bidding/package/14337844 or link in bio.
#sonomawine #sonomacountywine #sonomawinecountry #sipsonoma #holidaywine #perfectgift #theproceedsmatter
Our SCWA Online Auction benefiting our Sonoma County Vintners Foundation is live!
Check out this amazing buy-in lot from @benoviawinery - G.O.A.T. (GREATEST OF ALL TIME) DINNER, featuring an Iron Chef-style competition between Chefs Dustin Valette and Mark Stark with wine pairings from from @veritewines and Benovia.
See full details and bid now at scwa2023onlineauction.ggo.bid/bidding/package/14337858 or see link in bio. Bidding closes on December 8.
#sonomawine #sonomacountywine #sonomawinecountry #sipsonoma #holidaywine #perfectgift #theproceedsmatter
THANK YOU #sonomacounty Wine Community for your incredible impact and for all you do for our community.
#sonomawine #sonomacountywine #sipsonoma #sonomawinegivesback
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We at the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) would like to send a heartfelt THANK YOU to our participating vintners, SCWA guests, auction bidders, production team, event and dinner venue hosts, sponsors, culinary partners and grant beneficiary representatives. We can`t raise this critical funding for nonprofits in our community without your help. We hope to see you all again next year!
SAVE THE DATE: Sonoma County Wine Auction, September 19-21, 2024
Thank you to our generous event and dinner hosts and sponsors!
@lacremawines
@rsvineyards
@bricoleurvineyards
@bob_cabral_wines
@pride_wines
@blackpigmeat_co
@tricorbraunwinepak
@siliconvalleybank
@sgwinespirits
@americanagcredit
@sonomacounty
@sonomajetcenter
@wrightcontracting
@crosscountrymortgagesonoma
@bmwusa
@wineshipping
@govino
@pure_luxury_transportation
@theposhprivy
@recology
@wine_spectator
@pressdemo
@diablomagazine
@napasonomamag
@thekrush 95.9 FM
@sjspotlight
Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) is pleased to announce that its annual Sonoma County Wine Auction (SCWA) has raised over $1.3 million. These proceeds will fund next year’s SCVF Community Grants for nonprofit organizations in the areas of education & literacy, health & human services, the environment, and arts & culture as well as the Emergency Relief Fund. The 2023 SCWA was held at the breathtaking La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard on September 16, 2023. Since the auction’s inception more than $41 million has been raised, directly benefiting Sonoma County community members in need.
Read the full story: https://sonomacountywineauction.com/2023-sonoma-county-wine-auction-raises-over-1-point-3-million/
Thank you to our generous event and dinner hosts and sponsors!
@lacremawines
@rsvineyards
@bricoleurvineyards
@bob_cabral_wines
@pride_wines
@blackpigmeat_co
@tricorbraunwinepak
@siliconvalleybank
@sgwinespirits
@americanagcredit
@sonomacounty
@sonomajetcenter
@wrightcontracting
@crosscountrymtg
@bmwusa
@wineshipping
@govino
@pure_luxury_transportation
@theposhprivy
@recology
@wine_spectator
@pressdemo
@diablomagazine
@napasonomamag
@thekrush
@sjspotlight
Photo credit: Bob McClenahan
Thanks so much to Laura Levy Shatkin and @napasonomamag for this amazing article entitled "Champions of Community: The Sonoma County Vintners and its foundation drive positive change throughout the region." The article features our Sonoma County Vintners Foundation and the local nonprofits supported by our vintner community, sponsor partners and donors.
In Laura`s words: "Sonoma County Vintners is one of the greatest champions of community support across the wine landscape."
Read the article in the latest issue of Napa Sonoma Magazine trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?m=8309&i=801759&p=42&ver=html5 or see link to Latest News in bio.
#sonomawine #sonomacountywine #theproceedsmatter #SCWA
@ernestvineyards and @foleyfoodandwinesociety, both of whom are participating in the upcoming Sonoma County Wine Auction, have created an opportunity for anyone to support our Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) the week of September 11-17, whether they are visiting Sonoma County or enjoying the last days of summer at home. SCVF provides annual Community Grants and Emergency Relief Funding to Sonoma County nonprofits. Take advantage of these limited-time offers and change a life in #SonomaCounty!
See full details at sonomawine.com or see link in bio.
#SCWA #TheProceedsMatter #sonomawine #sonomacountywine #sipsonoma
@Ernest Vineyards and @Foley Family Wines, both of whom are participating in the upcoming Sonoma County Wine Auction, have created an opportunity for anyone to support our Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (SCVF) the week of September 11-17, whether they are visiting Sonoma County or enjoying the last days of summer at home. SCVF provides annual Community Grants and Emergency Relief Funding to Sonoma County nonprofits. Take advantage of these limited-time offers and change a life in #SonomaCounty!
See full details at https://sonomawine.com/
#SCWA #TheProceedsMatter #sonomawine #sonomacountywine #sipsonoma
@bansheewines
@chalkhillestate
@chateaustjean
@ferraricarano
@foleysonomawine
@lancasterestate
@rickshawwines
@rothwines
@sebastianiwines
Congratulations to Prema Kerollis, General Manager and Co-Founder of @threestickswines and @headhighwines, on becoming the first recipient of the new Wine Business Leadership Award from Sonoma County Vintners and The Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. This new partnership award between SCV and WBI will recognize an individual annually who demonstrates great wine business leadership, vision, innovation, inspiration and impactful service to the Sonoma County community.
Read the full story at sonomawine.com/new-wine-business-leadership-award-recipient-announced/ or see our latest news link in bio.
@winebizssu
@premajustprema
#sonomawine #sonomacounty #sonomacountywine #sonomawinecountry #sipsonoma
August 18 is #NationalPinotNoirDay and we can`t think of a better way to celebrate than with a glass of #SonomaCounty Pinot Noir! Pick up a bottle from your local shop or order online directly from your favorite winery - then enjoy these last days of summer.
#sipsonoma #sonomawine #sonomacountywine #pinotnoir
photo credit: Wildly Simple Productions
Sonoma County Vintners Foundation is pleased to announce a distribution of $550,000 for 55 Community Grants to Sonoma County nonprofits that work across the areas of education & literacy, health & human services, the environment and arts & culture.
Read the full story and learn how the tremendous support and generosity of the Sonoma County wine community is making a difference in #SonomaCounty - link in bio.
#sonomawine #sonomawinecountry #sonomawinegivesback #sonomacountywine #theproceedsmatter
@sonomacounty
@jetsettingfashionista
@emilymartinevents
@mrnoelburgess
We`re thrilled that Dana Macaulay, our Managing Director of Auctions & Experiential Marketing, has been honored with the prestigious Klaus J. Inkamp Lifetime Achievement Award by @ileahq This is given to a well-respected leader who is of high ethical character and who has given selflessly to ILEA and the live events industry for an extended period of time. Thank you for all you`ve done to make our SCV events a success, Dana! We always knew you were great, now everyone else does, too.
#sonomawine #sonomacounty #sonomacountywine #sonomawinecountry #ilea
Sonoma County Vintners Foundation (#SCVF) is proud to announce they have activated their Emergency Relief Fund to support the needs of vineyard and agriculture workers, and those in our communities who have been impacted by recent storms and flooding. SCVF has donated $50,000 to Community Action Partnership Sonoma County (@capsonomaofficial) and their Sonoma County Organizations Assisting in Disasters (COAD) Program. A check presentation ceremony was held on April 13 at the CAP offices.
In addition, SCVF is also partnering with @cfsonomacounty Community Foundation Sonoma County (CFSC) to expand relief to more members of the local community. The Community Foundation is donating $100,000 to @srcharities Catholic Charities to provide disaster case management and financial assistance.
Read the full story at sonomawine.com/sonoma-county-vintners-foundation-makes-emergency-relief-donation-to-sonoma-coad/ or see our latest news link in bio.
#TheProceedsMatter #sonomawine #sonomacounty #sonomacountywine #sonomacountywinecountry #sonomawinecountry
