Sonoma County Winegrowers hire communications manager

Sonoma County Winegrowers has announced the hiring of Melissa Vogt as its new education and communications manager, tasking the job with pursuing the organization's announced goal of becoming 'the first 100 percent sustainable winegrowing region in the United States.'

Vogt's role will be specifically to expand educate key stake holders including sommeliers, wine buyers and consumers about the benefits of sustainability to the 'environment, grape growers, community and consumers.'

Vogt worked as a freelance writer for the Examiner covering wine-tasting events in San Francisco and later as deputy editor at the Wine Advocate.

The organization has about 1,800 members. It announced the sustainability target in 2014. It reported that as of December 2015, 64 percent of the vineyard acreage in Sonoma County has gone through the sustainability self-assessment and 48 percent of vineyards are certified by a third-party auditor.