The ninth annual Rich Smith Award of Excellence for outstanding contributions to the American grape and wine industry was presented today to Emily Hodson, the winemaker at Veritas Vineyards and Winery, a co-owner of Flying Fox Vineyards and Winery, and an active leader in the Virginia wine industry. Members of the Smith family and sponsoring organizations present the Rich Smith award to Emily Hodson (third from left). The prestigious award annually reflects the spirit and accomplishments of the late Richard (Rich) Smith, founder of Valley Farm Management and Smith Family Wines in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands wine region in Monterey County. Rich was first and foremost a family man, but also a successful grape grower and winery owner, and a highly respected colleague known for the combination of passion, commitment and collaboration which helped advance the American grape and wine industry. Ever since Rich passed away in December 2015, three organizations—WineAmerica, N

Members of the Sonoma State University School of Business and Economics Community Provide Vital New Sources of Sanitizer in Fight Against Pandemic What do spirits and hand sanitizer have in common? They require alcohol. Three members of the Sonoma State University School of Business and Economics family have responded to the nationwide shortage of hand sanitizer by pivoting production from beverages to hand sanitizer. Sonoma Wine Executive MBA students Jason Somerby of New Alchemy Distilling and Travis Smith of American Winesecrets LLC and Spiritsmith LLC, and Gary Heck, owner of F. Korbel & Bros and Wine Business Institute advisory board chairperson, are utilizing their production facilities to help fight the spread of COVID-19 throughout California. They are producing and donating hand sanitizer to local and government agencies, hospitals, first responders, and other essential businesses such as grocery stores and commercial farming operations. The generosity and community-mind