Bâtonnage
/bah-tow-NAHJ/
(French) - stirring up the lees, or dead yeast and particles in a fermented wine, often to provide freshness and texture to the finished product
Our Purpose
Bâtonnage is a not-for-profit, founded in Northern California, that supports woman-identifying wine professionals across industry sectors and career stages. Through advocacy, community-building events, and structured mentorship, Bâtonnage seeks to build a welcoming global forum.
Our Values
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Community
Foster an ongoing and engaged, service-driven community that values listening, open dialogue, and differing perspectives.
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Transparency
Openly share our purpose and values, with a willingness to listen, collaborate, and engage in challenging topics and conversations.
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Integrity
Be adaptable while remaining consistent in our values to create empowerment and mutual trust.
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Respect
Demonstrate honesty, integrity, and transparency in our interactions, approaching every relationship with care, professionalism, and a spirit of reciprocity.
Our Impact
Our Leadership
Meet the team bringing Bâtonnage to life. This is a grassroots effort and a labor of love for all of us.
TEAM
Elaine Chukan Brown
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Global Wine Educator & Writer
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Elaine Chukan Brown is an award-winning writer, speaker, and global wine educator, as well as a consultant on mentorship and diversity programs worldwide. Indigenous (Inupiaq and Unangan-Sugpiaq) from what is now Alaska, Brown specializes in American wine and is the author of The Wines of California, published in 2025 by Académie du Vin Library as part of The Classic Wine Library series. They have served as a reviewer of Napa Valley wines and wines of northeastern Spain for Wine Enthusiast, and as Executive Editor US for JancisRobinson.com. Their work has also appeared in Decanter and Wine & Spirits Magazine. Brown has contributed to both the fourth and fifth editions of The Oxford Companion to Wine, the eighth and upcoming ninth edition of the World Atlas of Wine, and the compilations On Burgundy and On California from Académie du Vin Libra.
Tina Boyle
PROGRAM MANAGER
Previously MISA Imports and Costco Wholesale
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Tina Boyle is an accomplished operations and business professional with more than 35 years of leadership experience in the wine and spirits retail, and distribution industries. She currently serves as a Program Manager for Batonnage and previously held leadership roles with MISA Imports, including General Manager and Vice President of MISA California, where she oversaw sales, importation, distribution, warehouse operations, marketing partnerships, packaging, and brand development initiatives.
Prior to her work in the wine and spirits industry, Tina built a distinguished 30-year career with Costco Wholesale, including 22 years of buying experience across Southern California, Hawaii, and California’s Central Coast markets. Her expertise spans strategic purchasing, operational management, team leadership, brand growth, and customer-focused business development for wine & spirits, and a variety of other categories.
Tina holds a WSET Level 3 Certification and is recognized for her strong leadership and mentorship throughout her career. Having managed more than 150 employees, she has helped guide and develop many emerging leaders into management and executive roles. Tina brings a collaborative leadership style, deep industry knowledge, and a passion for supporting organizations that strengthen communities and create lasting impact through thoughtful leadership and service.
Tahlia Suggs
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
General Manager, Mural City Cellars
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Tahlia Suggs is a hospitality and wine industry professional who uses digital storytelling and community-focused leadership to drive equity and inclusivity in the wine world. As the Social Media Manager for Bâtonnage Forum, she shapes the digital voice and amplifies the mission of an organization dedicated to empowering women and underrepresented professionals in wine.
Having undergone a transformative apprenticeship process where "grape to glass" education was at the core, Tahlia now uses those insights to share with enthusiasts. She brings this dedication to her role as General Manager of Mural City Cellars, Philadelphia's neighborhood urban winery, where she champions local wine advocacy. Bridging her deep love for community, culture, and hospitality, she is also the Co-Founder of Cookout at the Vineyard, a unique event experience and fundraiser.
OFFICERS
Katie Canfield
BOARD CHAIR
Partner, O’Donnell Lane
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Katie O'Donnell is co-owner of O'Donnell Lane, a strategic communications and events agency focused on wine, food, and tourism, based in Sonoma, California. She got her start in the wine industry in Chile in 2008 and has since worked in Rioja, Burgundy, the U.K., and California across various sectors of the industry: production, distribution and retail, hospitality, wine writing, and marketing and communications. Before O'Donnell Lane, Katie managed international portfolios at Wilson Daniels and Paul Hobbs Wines.
Katie holds a B.A. in Spanish and Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara, an M.Sc. in Wine Business from Burgundy School of Business, and the Level 4 Diploma from Wine & Spirits Education Trust. She has been part of Bâtonnage and its mentorship program since 2020 and currently serves as Board Chair.
Kiana Keys
BOARD SECRETARY
Founder, Unpolished Grape
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Kiana Keys, DipWSET, is a mom of three, writer, wine educator, and community advocate passionate about making wine feel approachable, culturally relevant, and enjoyable. She is the author of Unpolished Grape 101: The Basics of Wine and Little Black Book of Wine + Food, two accessible guides created to help everyday wine drinkers build confidence and explore wine without intimidation or unnecessary complexity. She earned the WSET Diploma in 2025 through the American Wine School after completing WSET Levels 1–3 with Napa Valley Wine Academy. Her work blends formal wine education with practical, real-world conversation designed to help people trust their own palate.
Through Unpolished Grape, Kiana writes about wine education, food pairing, travel, culture, and the social experiences that surround wine. She is especially interested in translating complicated wine language into something clear, useful, and human while creating space for more people to feel at home in the wine world. Outside of wine, she enjoys writing, cooking, gardening, building websites, listening to jazz, and exploring the connection between food, style, culture, and community.
Michelle Schromm
BOARD TREASURER
General Manager, RAEN Winery
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Michelle began her wine career at 23 years old in Mendoza, Argentina, where she ran the Hospitality program for a boutique, high-end winery at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. During her time in Mendoza, she also co-founded and directed a non-profit that supported vineyard workers and day laborers in the rural areas surrounding the wineries through various educational programs. After seven years in Mendoza, she returned to the U.S. to work for Paul Hobbs Wines, both the import and California portfolios, where her six-year tenure included roles in Sales and Marketing. In 2021, she joined Carlo and Dante Mondavi’s team at RAEN Winery on the Sonoma Coast, first as Director of Marketing and Direct Sales, and she now serves as the winery’s General Manager.
Michelle attended Batonnage’s annual forums beginning in 2018, served as a Bâtonnage mentor for two years, and served as the organization’s Executive Director in 2023.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Alexandria Sarovich
DIRECTOR / EVENT PLANNING LIAISON
Owner, Own-Rooted Hospitality
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Alex Sarovich is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and VinePair's 2023 Sommelier of the Year. She built her career at internationally acclaimed restaurants on the World's 50 Best list, including Attica in Australia and SingleThread Farms in Sonoma County, and served as opening Wine Director at Little Saint in Healdsburg. As Founder and CEO of Own Rooted Hospitality, a boutique wine and hospitality agency supporting small, family-owned, and women-led wine producers across Sonoma County, she brings deep expertise in sales, marketing, events, and brand strategy to every client partnership. Alex has worked with Batonnage since 2022 and currently serves on the Board of Directors as Events Liaison.
Chastity Cooper
DIRECTOR / FUNDRAISING LIAISON
Global Marketing, McDonald’s
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Chasity Cooper is a Chicago-based marketer, award-winning author, writer and wine culture expert. She has over a decade of professional experience in communications strategy, content creation, project management, and social media marketing. Named a 2024 Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Tastemaker, Chasity’s goal as a wine professional is to make it more accessible and relatable through storytelling, education, and travel experiences.
Ella Winje
DIRECTOR / EVENT PLANNING LIAISON
Associate Director, O’Donnell Lane
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Born and raised in California, Ella earned her B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. Eager to pair her love of the outdoors with her science background, she worked her first harvest in Livermore during her final year at Berkeley. After graduating, Ella continued her path in wine in the lab at Cakebread Cellars, then worked at wineries in McLaren Vale (South Australia), Calistoga, and Healdsburg.
In 2020, Ella joined O’Donnell Lane as Marketing & Events Coordinator, leading event logistics, planning, PR, and marketing initiatives. She now serves as Associate Director at O’Donnell Lane and previously served as Executive Director of Bâtonnage from 2024-25. Outside of work, Ella can be found hiking the Marin Headlands or fermenting focaccia, cider, and wine in her garage.
Jee Park
DIRECTOR / COMMUNICATIONS LIAISON
Chief Client Officer, Becca PR
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Jee Park is proof that the path to success is rarely a straight line. Jee began her career in broadcast journalism, where she spent 12 years at CBS News as a producer for the network’s morning show. She then applied her producer skills to marketing, PR, corporate communications, and culinary-event production, working on several national events, including the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Having established her bona fides in food + hospitality, she signed on as Director of Communication for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. At Becca and Parrish Co, Jee now calls on her vast experience to help guide strategy for a broad swath of clients, for Becca PR. Prior to joining Becca, she served as Executive Vice President at Magrino, working with brands in wine (Heitz Cellar, Robert Mondavi Winery, Whispering Angel to name a few), travel, and consumer. Jee and her family live in Washington Heights. In her spare time, you can find her on a spin bike, reading or exploring the latest restaurants.
Jessica Koga
DIRECTOR / MENTORSHIP LIAISON
Winemaker, Schramsberg
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It only took one internship at Schramsberg Vineyards for Jessica Koga to confirm that the wine industry was where she wanted to be. She completed her degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis before returning for a second internship at Schramsberg Vineyards which then led to a full-time Enologist position. Three years later, she gave into a bit of wanderlust and went to work harvests in the Marlborough region of New Zealand and the North Fork of Long Island in New York. After that, she held positions at Gundlach-Bundschu Winery in Sonoma and Vineyard 29 in St. Helena. In 2015 Jessica rejoined Schramsberg’s team as Associate Winemaker for Davies Vineyards, their sister winery specialized in producing site-specific expressions of Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 2021, Jessica has been tasked with continuing the legacy of crafting extraordinary sparkling wines from vineyards throughout the North Coast of California as the Winemaker for Schramsberg Vineyards. In addition to her work at the winery, Jessica has been involved with Bâtonnage and its mentorship program since 2021, both as a mentor and more recently as a member of its Board of Directors. In those rare moments of free time, Jessica can be found exploring the best restaurants in the valley, listening to live music, or reading one of the many novels she hasn’t gotten around to yet.
Kristina Kelley
DIRECTOR / EVENT PLANNING LIAISON
Exec. Dir., Washington State Wine Commission
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Kristina Kelley is the Executive Director of the Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC), a state agency representing every licensed winery and wine grape grower in Washington. She provides strategic leadership for the Commission team, including marketing, communications, and the viticulture and enology research program. where she leads a team dedicated to driving the growth and awareness of Washington wine. Her work supports Washington’s position as the nation’s second largest wine-producing Region.
Kristina brings a career-long commitment to the wine industry, with extensive experience spanning sales, marketing, public relations, and communications. She spent more than 25 years in leadership roles at E. & J. Gallo Winery and began her career in wine sales with Brown-Forman, giving her a strong commercial foundation. Beyond her corporate career, Kristina and her husband owned a vineyard in Oregon’s Dundee Hills for more than 18 years, giving her direct experience as a grape grower.
A Certified Specialist of Wine, Kristina currently serves on the Board of The Auction of Washington Wines, Wine Market Council and Bâtonnage Women in Wine. She lives in Port Ludlow, Washington, with her husband and their Weimaraner, Finn.
Maria Calvert
DIRECTOR / MENTORSHIP LIAISON
Owner, Maria Calvert Consulting
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With over a decade of experience in public relations, Maria brings a strategic approach to reputation management, integrated communications, and cross-business collaboration. Before transitioning to the wine & spirits industry, Maria served as VP of Global Communications at a Wall Street currency brokerage.
She has worked with a wide range of wine brands and organizations, including publicly traded companies, luxury and family-owned brands, wine tech, advocacy and public policy campaigns. Maria excels at translating complex data into compelling, story-driven narratives, securing coverage for brands in top-tier publications. Fluent in English and Spanish, Maria is also the co-founder of the mission-driven nonprofit Hispanics in Wine & Spirits. She has been recognized on the 40 under 40 Tastemaker's List by Wine Enthusiast and Wine Business Monthly's Wine Industry Leaders 2021, among other accolades.
Michelle Egan
DIRECTOR / FUNDRAISING LIAISON
Owner, Egan Wine Consulting
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Celebrating 25 years in the wine industry this year, Michelle brings extensive expertise in marketing, brand strategy, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) growth for luxury wineries. After graduating with a Marketing degree from the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management, her career began in sales at E&J Gallo Winery, where she honed her foundational skills for seven years.
She then spent 11 years at Constellation Brands, rising to Vice President of Fine Wine Marketing and DTC. This was followed by a role as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Realm Cellars, where she further developed her expertise in the luxury wine segment. Most recently, Michelle served as VP of Marketing and DTC at Terlato Wine Group, overseeing prestigious family estate brands, including Chimney Rock, Sanford, Rutherford Hill, and Klipsun.
Today, Michelle leads a consultancy specializing in bespoke marketing, brand strategy, and DTC solutions for wineries. Her expertise includes optimizing CRM systems to enhance customer loyalty and retention, developing tailored allocation models for boutique wineries, and crafting compelling customer journey strategies, including email automation and segmentation, to drive engagement and lifetime value. She provides winery teams strategic guidance and hands-on training, enhancing hospitality experiences across multiple tasting rooms. Michelle resides in Napa Valley with her family and Chocolate Labrador.
Rachel DelRocco Terrazas
DIRECTOR / FUNDRAISING LIAISON
Media Consultant, Writer, Editor
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Rachel DelRocco Terrazas is a Tucson, Arizona-based media consultant, writer, and editor with 20 years of experience in the beverage and hospitality industries. Her clients include international conferences, importers, wineries, editorial projects, and more. Her writing appears in Eater National, Edible Houston, Somm Journal, The Tasting Panel, and Barleycorn Drinks. She was formerly Editor-in-Chief at Armenia-based Origins Magazine, Associate Editor and Spirits Writer at Wine & Spirits Magazine, and Editor-in-Chief at The Vintner Project. She has also served as an editor-mentor at the 2020 TexSom International Wine Awards.
Rachel has won numerous awards and has been included as one of the Imbibe 75, FSR’s 40 Under 40, and an Eater Young Gun in 2015. She also holds the title of 2016 TexSom Best Sommelier. Rachel is a spirits judge for John Barleycorn and the American
Craft Spirits Association. In addition, Rachel has spoken at conferences such as TexSom, Tales of the Cocktail, BevCon, Bar Convent Brooklyn, San Antonio Cocktail Conference, and has been interviewed on multiple podcasts. She is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Certified Cava Ambassador and Educator with DO Cava.
Rebecca Hopkins
DIRECTOR / MENTORSHIP LIAISON
Founder, Rebecca Hopkins Wine & A Balanced Glass
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Born in Australia, Rebecca has worked across the US, and ANZ wine markets, representing some of the world’s most well known and respected wine brands, helping them to refine and amplify their unique stories to key media and Industry opinion leaders. From leading the US communication and events teams at Accolade Wines and Constellation Brands, to Vice President of Communications with fine wine importer Folio Fine Wine Partners, Rebecca has extensive networks and knowledge across the wine, culinary and lifestyle media landscape. She formed her own communications agency in 2022, and in 2018, founded A Balanced Glass, a community and website that focuses on staying safe and well when working with alcohol.
Support the Cause
Your donations to Bâtonnage provide support for much needed mentorships, inclusive events and constructive conversations about women in the wine industry.