Mari Jones
2023 Women in Wine Awards: Excellence in Sustainability
Importance of sustainability in the wine industry: “As the second-generation president of my family’s winery, I want Emeritus to outlive me,” said Jones. “I grew up in the industry, playing in the vineyards, and traveling to Burgundy with my dad, Brice, to buy barrels.”
She said it was there she discovered and fell in love with Pinot Noir in a centuries- old cellar.
“I turned to my father with a glass of Pinot in hand and told him, ‘You should make wine like this.’ “That trip gave me a new perspective on my family business and the way wine intersects with history and culture.”
As farmers we also know climate is changing. Understanding our relationship with our environment, and our protection of it, are the keys to our long-term success, we want to do more than just sustain our vineyards, we want to make them stronger, better for the environment and more capable of excelling for the future. Being better environmental stewards is a big part of that.”
She said this means being sustainable in every sense from the way we farm to the type of employer we are, to the impact we have on our community and the planet.
“If we want to ensure a healthy, thriving wine industry for generations, wineries need to work for the environment, not against it.”
Why certifying the vineyards as carbon neutral was important: “Achieving our Climate Adaptation Certification was a huge step forward and we were honored to be part of the pilot program with the Sonoma County Winegrowers,” Jones said.
She added, “Emeritus’ farming practices were already sequestering as much carbon as they could, but we were able to plant more native species around the vineyard to sequester more carbon, quantify our impact and make it meaningful.”
About Mari and the winery
Emeritus was founded in 1999 by Brice Cutrer Jones, the same year he sold Sonoma–Cutrer Vineyards, which he had spent a quarter-century building into one of California’s most revered chardonnay producers.
Jones then pursued the goal of making the finest pinot noirs in California.
Today, Emeritus is run by Jones’ daughter, second-generation President Mari Jones.
Mari grew up playing, camping, and even learning to drive on the Sonoma–Cutrer Estate. At the age of 12, she took her first trip to Burgundy with her father to buy barrels. It was there where Mari discovered pinot noir.
Though an early passion for wine had been instilled in Mari, she was eager to chart her own path. After earning a philosophy degree at Colgate University, she moved to Colorado and worked at the Telluride Adaptive Sports Program.
In 2012, after years of giving her father advice from afar, he invited Mari to return to wine country to build a tasting room. Over the next three years, Mari oversaw the design and construction of the Emeritus tasting room. She founded the E-Club, which in the years since has grown into a thriving community of wine enthusiasts.
She is on the board of directors for the Russian River Valley Winegrowers and Russian River Valley Pinot Forum. She works with the Sonoma County Vintners International Committee to sell and promote Sonoma County wines all over the world. She also works with the Sonoma County Vintners New Gen Committee, who work to create a collaborative environment for young winemakers and owners, and to promote Sonoma County to the next generation of wine enthusiasts. Mari is a mentor to up-and-coming wine professionals through The Verasion Project and Batonnage.
In part due to this work she was named one of the Forty Under 40 by the North Bay Business Journal in 2022.
When not at the winery or traveling the world to share Emeritus, you can find Mari snowboarding, hiking with her dog, Mocha, or volunteering.
Mari Jones
Emeritus Vineyards
Sonoma County
President
2500 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol, CA 95472
Phone: 707-823-9463
Website: emeritusvineyards.com