Annette Alvarez-Peters is the founder of annette a.p. Wine and Spirits, a consultancy business focused on business development and merchandising strategies for the wine and spirits industry.

Annette sits on the Board of Directors for Crimson Wine Group, a portfolio which engages in the production and sale of luxury wines and MISA Imports, a global importer and distributor for wine and spirits. In addition, she is involved and serves as a Mentor with non-profit organization Wine Unify, an organization to promote and celebrate diversity in the wine industry and involved with the Batonnage Forum Mentorship program as the Head of Industry Area of Focus for Retail, an organization designed to stir up conversations about equality and forward progress for women in wine.
Annette previously held a 37 year career with Costco Wholesale - including 25 years in the beverage alcohol department, where she led the buying team for the USA. Annette retired in 2020 as Asst. Vice President / GMM.
Alvarez-Peters was named as a top leader in the wine industry by M. Shanken Communications, Wine Business Monthly, Wine Enthusiast and Decanter. She holds the Diploma certification from Wine & Spirit Education Trust, along with a Certified Wine Educator certificate from Society of Wine Educators. Annette has been inducted into the following associations: Bordeaux’s Commanderie du Bontemps de Médoc; Champagne’s Ordre des Coteaux des Champagne and Chateauneuf du Pape Echansonnerie des Papes.

Born and raised in California, Katie Canfield earned her B.A. in Spanish and Global Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara. During her final year at university, she studied abroad in Santiago, Chile, where her career in the wine industry began. In 2009, Katie moved to Logroño, Spain and then Dijon, France, where she earned her M.Sc. 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, Katie has worked in marketing and communications for the international portfolios of Wilson Daniels, Paul Hobbs Wines, and now O’Donnell Lane, where she drives communications and strategic planning. Katie has worked three grape harvests in Chile, France, and Napa Valley, and holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits.

Follow her on Instagram @kt_canfield and @odl_sips.

With over fifteen years in the food and beverage industry, Alex's journey has been driven by a profound dedication to exceptional guest experiences and the empowerment of others in hospitality. As an Advanced Sommelier through CMS, she brings expert-level proficiency and an authentic passion for sharing knowledge that extends far beyond the glass.

Now leading Own Rooted Hospitality, Alex focuses on transforming the hospitality landscape through innovative recruiting, comprehensive talent development programs, and strategic consulting. Her approach centers on building inclusive, dynamic teams while creating opportunities for underrepresented voices in the industry to thrive.

Alex's expertise was cultivated at prestigious establishments including the three-Michelin-starred SingleThread and internationally acclaimed Attica in Melbourne, Australia. Her holistic approach to hospitality—whether discussing a modest $10 bottle or a luxurious $2,000 vintage—reflects her commitment to making wine accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Beyond her consulting work, Alex remains deeply committed to mentoring aspiring women in the wine industry. She serves on the board of Bâtonnage Mentorship Program. Her contributions to the field earned her recognition as VinePair's New Wave Sommelier of the Year in 2023, and her expertise has been featured in Condé Nast Traveler, Sonoma Magazine, Wine Spectator, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and SOMM TV.

Chasity Cooper is a Chicago-based marketer, award-winning author, writer and wine culture expert. She has over a decade of professional experience in communications strategy, content creation, project management, and social media marketing. Named a 2024 Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker, Chasity’s goal as a wine professional is to make it more accessible and relatable through storytelling, education, and travel experiences.

Erica Duecy is one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She is co-founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and content consultancy, and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other LinkedInhospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines, among others. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, wine judge, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. Follow her on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Jee Park’s career in storytelling began in broadcast journalism. She spent 12 years at CBS News as a producer for the network’s morning show, where she covered breaking-news events and created and produced sponsored franchise segments for the network. Since leaving broadcast news, she has applied her producer skills to marketing, PR, corporate communications, and culinary-event production. She has worked on several national events including the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, while also serving as the Director of Culinary Marketing and Experiential at Karlitz & Company, where she led the development and production of luxury experiences for clients such as American Express and JP Morgan Chase. Following her time at Karlitz, she joined Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group as Director of Communication. She is currently Chief Client Officer at Becca + Parrish Co. Prior to joining Becca + Parrish Co, she served as Executive Vice President at Magrino, working with brands in wine (Heitz Cellar, Robert Mondavi Winery, Whispering Angel to name a few), restaurants, hospitality, and consumer. 

Jessica Koga is a winemaker specializing in small lot winemaking from the North Coast of California. She is experienced with crafting sparkling wine as well as luxury Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon with a focus on site-specific wines. After graduating from UC Davis, she interned at Schramsberg Vineyards and ended up staying for nearly three years before traveling to gain experience in New Zealand and New York. Upon returning to California, she worked for Gundlach Bundschu in Sonoma and at Vineyard 29 in St. Helena before returning to Schramsberg to run their sister winery, Davies Vineyards.

Follow her on Instagram at @winechik.

With over a decade of experience in public relations, Maria brings a rounded perspective to reputation management, 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. Today, she splits her time between NYC and Washington D.C., working as a public relations consultant and pursuing the WSET Level 2 certification. She is fluent in English and Spanish and is co-founder of nonprofit organization Hispanics in Wine. She has been recognized on the 40 under 40 Tastemaker's List by Wine Enthusiast and Wine Business Monthly's Wine Industry Leaders 2021, among other accolades.

Celebrating 25 years in the wine industry this year, Michelle brings extensive expertise in marketing, brand strategy, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) growth for luxury wineries. After graduating with a Marketing degree from the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management, her career began in sales at E&J Gallo Winery, where she honed her foundational skills for seven years.

She then spent 11 years at Constellation Brands, rising to Vice President of Fine Wine Marketing and DTC. This was followed by a role as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Realm Cellars, where she further developed her expertise in the luxury wine segment. Most recently, Michelle served as VP of Marketing and DTC at Terlato Wine Group, overseeing prestigious family estate brands, including Chimney Rock, Sanford, Rutherford Hill, and Klipsun.

Today, Michelle leads a consultancy specializing in bespoke marketing, brand strategy, and DTC solutions for wineries. Her expertise includes optimizing CRM systems to enhance customer loyalty and retention, developing tailored allocation models for boutique wineries, and crafting compelling customer journey strategies, including email automation and segmentation, to drive engagement and lifetime value. She provides winery teams strategic guidance and hands-on training, enhancing hospitality experiences across multiple tasting rooms. Michelle resides in Napa Valley with her family and Chocolate Labrador.

Michelle began her wine career at 23 years old in Mendoza, Argentina, where she ran the Hospitality program for a boutique, high-end winery at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. During her time in Mendoza, she also co-founded and directed a non-profit that supported vineyard workers and day laborers in the rural areas surrounding the wineries through carious educational programs. After seven years living in Mendoza, she returned to the U.S. to work for Paul Hobbs Wines, where her six-year tenure included various roles in Sales and Marketing, and in 2021, she was thrilled at the opportunity to work for the young, passionate team of RAEN Winery on the Sonoma Coast, where she is the General Manager.

Michelle has been a Bâtonnage mentor for the last two years after having attended the annual forums since its beginning in 2018 and is passionate about, and dedicated to, the work the organization is spearheading for women in the wine industry.

Born and raised in California, Ella received her B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology at University of California, Berkeley. Wanting to pair her love for being active and outside with her biology background, Ella worked her first harvest in Livermore while finishing up her final year at Berkeley and realized that tasting wine for a living wasn’t a bad direction to go. Following her studies, Ella continued to pursue wine in the lab at Cakebread Cellars for a few years, before deciding she wanted to get back in touch with the cellar through a harvest abroad in McLaren Vale, South Australia. Since being back, she has worked in Calistoga and Healdsburg, increasing her love for VA’s and heat stability tests. Ella transitioned to Marketing and Events Coordinator at O’Donnell Lane in early 2020, with work ranging from event logistics, to planning and executing, to PR and marketing, and hasn’t looked back. If she isn’t at work, you can find her running through Petaluma or trying to ferment focaccia, cider, and wine in her garage.

Don’t try to find her on Instagram … she isn’t there.

Originally from Mumbai, Priyanka French is one of the few female Indians to hold a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology from University of California, Davis. She built her experience working at wineries in Napa as well as traveling through the regions of Burgundy, Cognac, Bordeaux and New Zealand. Prior to joining Signorello Estate as Winemaker, she worked at Dalla Valle Vineyards where she had a chance to clearly understand the importance of female led businesses and initiatives. Her winemaking style focusses on precision viticulture and restrained winemaking that allows fruit expression as dictated by the site. In her new role, she hopes to open avenues for diversity in the industry and always remain a supporter of female driven enterprises.

You can follow her on Instagram at @priyad87.

A co-founder of Bâtonnage Forum, Sarah is a wine writer and educator at The Learning Center at Meadowood as the Associate Director of Wine Education. She recently moved to Napa in 2020 after over a decade split between New York and Europe, working first in publishing at Condé Nast and SAVEUR magazine, and then later Sotheby’s, before striking out on her own. She spent several years as an international marketing consultant and educator, working with top estates across Europe. She has been a contributor to Food & Wine, The Sommelier Journal, Departures, SAVEUR, SevenFifty Daily, GuildSomm, and other publications. She holds the highest-level recognition from the internationally renowned Wines & Spirits Education Trust, Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits.

Follow her on Instagram @sarah.h.bray.

Stevie is the visionary and founder behind Bâtonnage as well as co-owner of the acclaimed restaurant MAMA Oakland and Bay Grape wine shop in Oakland, California. Along with her husband and business partner Josiah Baldivino, Stevie was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers. Stevie originally began working in hospitality during high school and college to pay her way through the University of Southern California. After graduating magna cum laude, Stevie traded her apron for a laptop and a career in food, wine and travel writing. Post editorial-era (including published pieces in Wine & Spirits, SF Chronicle and Wine Enthusiast), Stevie managed communication, media, marketing and brand strategy for Corkbuzz Wine Studio, Crush Wine & Spirits, and the Guild of Sommeliers before launching her own brands focused on community and education in the wine and hospitality industry. Stevie is a Certified Sommelier as well as a kick-ass wife and the insanely proud mother of a miracle son.

Follow her on Instagram @steviestacionis, @baygrape, and @mamaoakland.