Founded in 1974 as the first winery in Southern California’s Temecula Valley, Callaway Vineyard & Winery has long stood as a symbol of innovation and heritage in the region. Originally launched by Eli Callaway—who famously went on to start Callaway Golf—the winery has passed through corporate ownership and scaled to a peak of 750,000 cases. Today, the future is rooted in the past. Now family-owned by the Lin family, Callaway is embracing a premium, estate-only approach under the leadership of acclaimed winemaker Giovanni Verdejo. A native of Mexico City, Gio spent over two decades in Napa Valley crafting 90+ point wines for Foley Family Wines. Now, at Callaway, he leads a 10,000-case DTC-focused production that reflects both craft and character, with wines sold exclusively through their wine club and tasting room (named Newsweek Readers' Choice Best in the Nation, 2024). To match this elevated vision, Gio and the Callaway team knew

Afternoon Brief: Global Wine Production Falls to Lowest Level Since 1961

Global wine production has plummeted to a 63-year low after frost, heavy rains and drought ravaged vineyards throughout 2024...

Blended Technologies is excited to announce the appointment of Heather Crawford as its new Vice President of Growth.  Heather, a seasoned leader at the intersection of the wine industry and technology, most recently served as an operations, sales and marketing leader at Vintrace. Her career has been defined by integrating cutting-edge technological solutions within some of the world’s leading wineries, including Treasury Wine Estates, Far Niente and Wente Vineyards.  With her proven commercial track record, Heather will focus on scaling Blended’s market presence and commercial operations. She will work alongside the Blended team and report directly to CEO, Matt Witte.  "Heather’s deep expertise in business development will be pivotal as we accelerate our growth," said Matt Witte, founder of Blended. "She has been a leader in winery operations software for many years, and her insights have helped drive innovation across the industry. We&r