A native Californian, Katie started her career in the wine industry after working a grape harvest in Santiago, Chile while studying abroad. In 2009, after graduating from UC Santa Barbara with degrees in Spanish and Global Studies, she moved to Logroño, Spain for three years and then to Dijon, France, where she earned her MSc degree in Wine Business. Following her studies, she moved to the UK to join Manchester-based wine retailer Hangingditch Wine Merchants, also contributing articles regularly to leading trade publication Harpers Wine and Spirit. Since her move back to California in 2014, she’s worked in marketing and communications for international wineries through importer Wilson Daniels, Paul Hobbs Wines, and as partner at O’Donnell Lane, driving communications and strategic planning.

You can follow her on Instagram @kt_canfield.

Maria is a dedicated professional with more than ten years of experience in public relations. With a background in agency and in-house communications, she brings a rounded perspective to reputation management, focusing on media relations, integrated communications strategy, and cross-business collaboration. Before transitioning to wine, Maria was the V.P. of Global Communications at a currency broker on Wall Street. After several years in finance, in 2018, she decided to follow her palate to the wine industry, joining a renowned public relations agency in New York City, leading integrated communications campaigns for institutions/B2B and wine brands worldwide. Today, Maria's time is split between NYC and Washington D.C., working as a Public Relations Consultant and pursuing the WSET Level 2 certification.

In 2020, Maria co-founded a passion project called Hispanics in Wine, a digital social hub that amplifies and supports Hispanics/LatinX alcohol and hospitality industry professionals. Her dedication to diversity and inclusion in the wine industry has been featured in national and international media publications, including recognition as 40 under 40 Tastemaker's List by Wine Enthusiast, Wine Business Monthly's Wine Industry Leaders 2021, and Imbibe's 75 People to Watch in 2022.

Rebecca Hopkins is an experienced wine communications strategist, speaker, moderator, host and writer. With a 26-year career in the wine business spanning Australia and the U.S., Rebecca founded and launched A Balanced Glass in March 2018 with a mission to provide education and resources to industry colleagues to help maintain health and well-being while working in the beverage alcohol industry.
Raised in the premium wine region of McLaren Vale, South Australia, and a graduate of wine business from the University of Adelaide, Rebecca spent 15 years in the Australian wine industry in sales, marketing, and distribution roles before relocating to San Francisco in 2007 with Constellation Brands as Vice President of Public Relations and National Events.

She returned to family winemaking in 2012, joining Michael Mondavi’s Folio Fine Wine Partners, where for 10 years she led communications strategy and programming for the 30+ family-owned producers who share a national marketing and sales presence in the US market.

Rebecca has moderated and presented speaker panels at Women of the Vine & Spirits, VinItaly International, and Wine2Wine. A guest speaker at Sonoma State University, University of Bologna, and Australia’s Women in Wine Global Symposium, her work has been published in SevenFiftyDaily, Meininger’s Wine Business International magazine and Wine Business Monthly (AU). She resides in San Francisco and can often be found with yoga mat in hand.

Felicity Carter is International Editor for Star Wine List in Sweden, as well as Editorial Director of ARENI Global, the London-based fine wine think tank. Previously she was founding Executive Editor of The Drop; an editorial consultant to Liv-ex, and Editor-in-Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, published by Meininger Verlag in Germany, which she built into a magazine read in 38 countries.

An award-winning writer, she has written for numerous wine publications in the UK, Australia, Germany, Denmark and the USA, as well as the Guardian USA. A noted speaker, she has given keynote addresses at top industry conferences in Hong Kong, Portugal, New York, Sydney, London, and Verona, among others. Felicity is also a wine judge, and has judged at competitions from Tblisi, Georgia to Mundus Vini in Germany, to competitions in Portugal, Bordeaux and Luxemburg.

Erica Duecy is an award-winning wine writer and editor. Currently, she is chief content officer of the wine-discovery platform Pix and its online magazine The Drop. Erica has run several publications as editor in chief, including VinePair and SevenFifty Daily, and has worked as digital director for Architectural Digest and Saveur. She is a judge for wine competitions and holds the WSET Level 3 Advanced Certification in Wine and Spirits. Erica is the author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House) and she writes a bimonthly, snackable wine newsletter called Bottle Service, highlighting sustainable wines in unexpected ways.

Jee Park has over 20 years of experience in communications. She spent nearly 12 years at CBS News as a producer for the network’s morning show. Since leaving television, she has taken her producer skills and applied them to marketing, PR, corporate communications, and culinary event production. She has worked on several national epicurean events including the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival, and Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. She also served as Director of Communications for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. In her current role at Magrino, she oversees accounts in wine, luxury travel, and consumer.

Juliana heads up the California division of Colangelo & Partners, the leading wine and spirits communications agency in the U.S. With over nearly 10 years in the agency, Juliana has managed multiple teams and divisions, as well as managed the execution of integrated communications for leading international and domestic wine companies such as Frescobaldi, Far Niente Wine Estates, Charles Krug and Jackson Family Wines. Since 2016, Juliana has led the development of the California office, bringing on representation of some of the industry’s leading wine companies, helping to increase the agency’s domestic business share and developing a talented team of 15 communications professionals for the agency’s domestic division. Along the way, Juliana has become a leading voice for the industry in marketing, communications strategy and career development serving as a mentor with Batonnage, and leading the agency’s pro bono initiatives with organizations such as the United Somm Foundation and the LatinX Wine Summit. Juliana completed her WSET Level 3 and her eMBA in Wine Business with Sonoma State University and in 2021 was named one of PR News’ Top Women in PR in the “Rising Stars” category.

Katie Owen is a trained Winemaker (MS Oenology, University of Adelaide) and holds the WSET Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wine and Spirits. She is currently the Director of Marketing for Domaine de la Côte, Sandhi Wines, Evening Land Vineyards, and Piedrasassi Wine & Bread. Katie previously worked in winemaking in Australia and the Napa Valley, as a Sommelier in various Los Angeles restaurants, and helped to lead product teams at two budding wine startups: Winc Wines and Nocking Point Wines. Today, Katie works with Raj Parr and Sashi Moorman to further develop the brands of their four wineries and increase direct to consumer sales through digital channels.

Michelle Schromm is a wine industry professional with over ten years of experience in various sales and marketing roles, beginning at a high-end, boutique winery in Mendoza, Argentina, to managing Paul Hobbs’ international family of brands, and most recently, at RAEN winery. Some examples of her experience include team management, brand planning and launches for domestic and international wineries, and PR/communications.

Virginie Boone has written about and reviewed the wines of Napa and Sonoma for more than a decade, primarily for Wine Enthusiast Media, and is a resident of Sonoma County. She began her writing career with Lonely Planet travel guides and has written about wine, food and travel for Food & Wine, The Press Democrat, Sonoma Magazine, Pix.wine and others. She is the author of a weekly column for the Sonoma Winegrape Commission called “The Good Stuff,” which explores timely local topics in the worlds of agriculture and wine. She is a frequent speaker on California wine and a founding member of Les Dames d’Escoffier Sonoma County. Boone earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s in Journalism from Stanford University. More about her can be found at virginieboone.com.

Katie has devoted her entire career to the wine and spirits industry, and today brings over 30 years of public relations expertise to Calhoun & Company Communications. Through her work with a wide variety of wine and spirits companies, Katie has developed a broad perspective on the industry and built strong relationships in the press.

Katie’s palate and tasting skills have earned her a place among top wine and spirits professionals as a national competition judge. She has judged at the Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, San Francisco International Wine Competition, Monterey County Wine Competition, and San Francisco World Spirits Competition; she also served as a regular taster at Wine & Spirits Magazine for over a decade.

Katie’s wine industry affiliations include membership with Women for WineSense, Family Winemakers of California, Society of Wine Educators, Association of African American Vintners, Women of the Vine & Spirits and serves as a mentor for Bâtonnage. In 2023 Katie joined the UC Davis Enology & Viticulture Executive Leadership Board.