Executive Director, David White - David is co-founder of WineSpirit. He left the full time rabbinate to translate values and principles of community building through WineSpirit and facilitates bi-weekly Men’s and Women’s Groups exploring life balance in Napa CA. He is the primary author of Sippin’ on Top of the World …Toasting Good Times and Better Days, published in May, 2009.
Chairman & Controller, David Freed – Chairman of UCC Vineyards, matching investors and winemakers in the wine world, David is co-founder, chairman, controller, and inspiration behind WineSpirit and has also partnered with David White in the activity of the Napa Men’s Group exploring life balance.
VP of Operations, Liz Thach – PHD, is a management and wine business professor at the Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute where she teaches in both the undergraduate and Wine MBA programs. She has published 8 wine books and over 100 articles. Liz is the first female on the West Coast to become a Master of Wine.
Marketing & Event Management Director, Rebecca Bruna – Rebecca has a passion for organizing wine events in both Napa and Sonoma counties. She holds a BS in Wine Business from Sonoma State University and currently works as Assistant Tasting Room Manager at deLorimier Winery in Alexander Valley.
Website & Technical Director, Scott Schrader - Founder of Video Integrations and Wine Valley Photos, Scott is WineSpirit webmaster, photographer, and videographer filming the WineSpirit Spiritual Harvest.
Advisory Board Members
Sondra Barrett – PHD, Scientist, Sondra has studied life and wine under the microscope with astonishing conclusions (see sondrabarrett.com). She has just published Wines Hidden Beauty, a magnificent and inspiring view of wine and life under the microscope. She has crafted several Sips of WineSpirit that appear in Sippin’ on Top of the World and has led several seminars presenting her unique findings connecting wine and spirituality.
Tim Hanni – One of the first Masters of Wine in the United States, Tim has pioneered in teaching how people all taste differently. He has presented several fascinating WineSpirit seminars, and his story (Sip 80) is included in Sippin’ on Top of the World.
Charles Johnston – Founding member of the WineSpirit Advisory Board, Charlie is in two worlds as vice president with Morgan Stanley in Napa CA and founder and winemaker of Helena View Johnston wines, now making its presence known in China as well as pockets of the US.
Burke Owens – Director of Communications for Continuum Wine in St. Helena and Sommelier, Burke has presented several WineSpirit Seminars accentuating the spiritual side of wine through the poetry of Rumi and other masters.
Paul Wagner – CEO of Balzac Communications in Napa CA, Paul is a world renowned teacher of a Cultural History of Wine, has shaped WineSpirit programming, contributed several pieces to Sippin’ on Top of the World and wrote the introductions to each section of the book.