2025 Program Dates

Mentors:
- Application period: May 1 - 23, 2025
APPLY HERE

Mentees:
- Application period: May 19 - June 4, 2025
APPLY HERE

Level 2 Program - Key Dates:
- Level 2 Mentor Application Period: May 1 - 23, 2025
- Level 2 Mentee Application Period: May 19 - June 4, 2025
- Welcome Call (Mentors and Mentees): TBD
- Level 2 Program Open: June 16, 2025
- Level 2 Program Close: September 30, 2025

What Is It?

The Bâtonnage Mentorship Program was designed to stir our conversations about equality into actions that create equity. This program serves to create a pragmatic, positive, inclusive course forward wherein individuals who have traditionally been overlooked or spoken over achieve equal opportunities, equal representation and especially equal leadership positions within all sectors and tiers of our industry.

Our goal is to create an inclusive space for constructive conversation (and action) surrounding all different facets of the wine industry; it has never been about making a profit. Now, we are making it official and applying for status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

We offer three progressing levels of mentorship in seven (7) Industry Areas of Focus (IAF) across three different levels, detailed below.

Industry Areas of Focus

Featured

Viticulture

Vineyard, field work, vineyard development, vineyard scouting, pest identification, grower relationships, and more.

Program lead: Mary Maher

Cellar/Production

Concerns all aspects of winemaking including harvest internships and extended internships, as well as specific winemaking related activities including laboratory analysis, cellar operations, ageing, bottling, and more.

Program lead: Jessica Koga

Marketing & Communications

Media and trade relations, marketing and branding, strategic planning, event production, content creation, and copywriting.

Program lead: Katie Canfield

Sales & Distribution

Importing and distribution, budget planning, establishing KPIs, account relationships, brand ambassadors, and more.

Program lead: Anitha Gandhi

Retail

Involves retail and winery direct-to-consumer sales and operations, wine club management, wine program curation/maintenance and buying, as well as marketing and media relations.

Program lead: Annette Alvarez-Peters

Hospitality

Restaurant and tasting room sales and operations, wine service and techniques, guest relations, wine list curation/maintenance and buying roles, and hospitality experiences.

Program lead: Liz Martinez

Wine Business

Covers various aspects of the wine business, including operations and logistics, strategic planning, general management, accounting, and entrepreneurship.

Program lead: Priyanka French

Mentorship Program Levels

Featured

Level One – Communication & Networking

Level One focuses on networking, communication, and welcoming candidates interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry.

Learn more here.

Level Two – Guidance & Education

Level Two is geared towards candidates with a demonstrated interest in a particular IAF in the wine industry.

Learn more and apply here.

Level Three - Work Placements

Level Three creates hands-on work opportunities and unique, one-of-a-kind experiences for candidates that will further their understanding of the annual cycle of a winery.

Learn more here.

Post-Mentorship Feedback Process

All program levels provide confidential feedback programs to allow candidates and mentors to comment on their experiences. Bâtonnage uses this feedback to evolve and improve the program and compile a more comprehensive list of resources that benefit all participants.

Resources & Contact

Bâtonnage encourages candidates interested in or actively pursuing a career in wine to utilize the resource compendium for continued professional development. Inclusion of a resource in this list does not mean that Bâtonnage endorses its authors or beliefs/values, nor do we have any affiliation with them—only that the education one may glean from the included source has proven valuable to many of your peers in the industry.

For any inquiries or comments relating to the Bâtonnage Mentorship Program, please contact our Core Committee at mentorship@batonnageforum.com.

This process takes time and money, so we need your help. You can show your support for this program by making a pledge.

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