Four native wine business staff honored
–This week, the Paso Robles Wine County Alliance introduced the recipients of their 2021 Community Wine Awards. The Community Wine Awards acknowledge people and organizations that “make Paso Robles Wine Country a greater place to reside and work.”
For the third yr in a row, they referred to as for nominations for the wine awards from the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance membership, and the awards are voted on by their friends.
Here are the recipients of the 2021 Good Neighbor, Master Marketer, and Unsung Heros awards:
Sarah Tomasetti.
Good Neighbor Award – Sarah Tomasetti, wine membership supervisor for J Dusi Wines and Guyomar Wine Cellars
Tomasetti has lived on the Central Coast for 20 years, the final 16 of them in Paso Robles. In 2009 she began Wine 4 Paws to grow to be extra concerned with the native business and provides again to her neighborhood. The concept was to advertise the wineries and in return, hopefully, increase cash for Woods Humane Society. Since then, Wine 4 Paws has raised over half one million {dollars} for Woods. These funds have gone towards the opening of the North County location and its low-cost spay and neuter clinic in addition to serving to Woods take care of hundreds of homeless animals who await loving properties.
Tomasetti formally began working within the wine business 4 years in the past, becoming a member of the J Dusi Wines household as Wine Club Manager. She additionally presently manages the Wine Club for Guyomar Wine Cellars, serves on planning committees for Cancer Support Community occasions, and of course continues to handle Wine 4 Paws, held yearly in April.
Chanda Brown.
Master Marketer Award – Chanda Brown, chief of advertising & enterprise growth for CASS Winery and Geneseo Inn
Chanda Brown oversees the model and the event of the intertwined departments at CASS Winery. With a coronary heart to create neighborhood and experiences across the CASS label and the 145 acres of winery playground, she deeply believes in collaboration and lifting up the treasure of Paso Robles as a collective of entrepreneurs and passionate enterprise homeowners looking for to create the following “it” spot. Her dreaded phrase is “Paso is the best-kept secret!”
A local Los Angelean, Brown studied each Math and English at UCLA earlier than discovering her love of advertising. Honing her abilities whereas working her personal occasion and catering firm on the Central Coast for eight years, she joined CASS in 2019. Newer to the wine business, she discovered a singular group whose take care of product high quality and innovation was as thrilling because the vitality of Paso Robles at giant. At CASS, you will note Brown scurrying round arranging flowers, including ending touches, tasting dishes, snapping photos for social media, and dealing together with her group to create magical moments on the winery. Behind the scenes, she is most frequently deep-diving into numbers and issues, all the time searching for methods to excel and assist the group at CASS (some of her favourite individuals!) whereas rising public consciousness of this magical place we name Paso Robles.
Unsung Hero Awards
Jose Vargas.
Jose Vargas, Foreman at Vineyard Professional Services
Jose Vargas began with Vineyard Professional Services in September 2001. Prior to that, he was a discipline employee and tractor driver for different Paso vineyards. For 20+ years Jose has been identified for having the brightest smile round! As a discipline foreman, he has planted some of probably the most iconic vineyards within the space. Jose all the time helps out wherever he can. Even as a supervisor, he has been identified to leap within the tractor and assist with harvest when wanted. Jose is just not solely invaluable to VPS, however to the wine neighborhood as an entire.
Vargas has 30 years of expertise in winery care and labored for VPS for almost twenty years. He has two kids, Rosa & Francisco Vargas. He has been fortunately married for 35 years to his spouse Delia Ramirez. He enjoys spending time together with his household, taking part in soccer, and happening night walks with Delia.
Ricky Lugo.
Ricky Lugo, director of hospitality & direct to client gross sales for Nenow Family Wines
Originally from Southern California, Ricky Lugo first visited Paso Robles in 2013 the place he fell in love with the tradition and hospitality elements of the wine business. With a longtime profession in retail and gross sales administration, Lugo’s ambition led him to chase what he calls his dream job by relocating to the area in 2017 the place he has spent the final 4 and a half years in hospitality within the business, now serving because the Director of Hospitality and Direct to Consumer Sales at Nenow Family Wines.
At Nenow Family Wines, Lugo wears many hats. In addition to creating an intimate and distinctive tasting expertise for visitors, he manages the wine membership, helps oversee and facilitate transport, works intently with the homeowners on advertising and ideation, and extra. He finds what’s typically much more fascinating about Paso Robles than the wines, are the tales behind the households who make them. For him, it’s extremely fulfilling to not solely share a household’s wines with individuals however to even have the chance to share their story as effectively.
Outside of Nenow Family Wines, Lugo has served because the secretary of the Rhône Rangers C.C. and as a mentor at The North County Boys and Girls Club. He holds a certification with the Wine, Spirits, and Education Trust and has a deep and immense data and fervour for the business as an entire.
If Lugo isn’t internet hosting a tasting, you’ll be able to sometimes discover him out wine tasting himself or having fun with dinner at one of Paso Robles’ wonderful eating places. He grew up with horses and an enormous half of his love of Paso is the outstanding western driving neighborhood. Lugo lives in Templeton and spends his free time together with his household and mates, having fun with a easy life on the attractive Central Coast.
–Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance
