Kate ones

Kate Jones has represented wineries and vintners associations in Napa Valley and Sonoma County for more than two decades. She currently works as an independent public relations consultant. Present and past clients include: Wine Institute of California, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, Winesong!, Palmeri Wines, Six Sigma Ranch and Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery, The Sonoma County Showcase, Winebuys.com and Pedroncelli Winery, among others. Kate translates her enthusiasm for the wine industry and its ambassadors: wineries, winegrowers, trade and journalists, into public relations campaigns. These campaigns are then aimed at promoting a brand, a wine, an organization, an event or an individual.

As a long-time public relations practitioner, Kate has intimate knowledge of the wine business and what it takes to create successful communications outreach in this industry. As a consultant, she works with large and small wineries, trade associations and other connoisseurs of wine in the areas of: image development, media relations, promotional events and consumer/trade communications. Her expertise includes: campaign concept and implementation, media tours and events, copywriting and strategic media relations.

As the Public Relations Director for the Napa Valley Vintners Association from 1990 to 1998, Kate worked on behalf of more than 125 wineries, managing national and local publicity. She was instrumental in planning and implementing the media relations surrounding events such as the Annual Napa Valley Wine Auction and the Napa Valley Vintners Association multi-city market visits. Kate also supervised the development and rollout of a prototype export program for generic marketing of Napa Valley wines in the United Kingdom, and continued to manage the program for five years.

Prior to promoting the wineries of Napa Valley, Kate established her roots in the wine industry working in Sonoma County as the Vice President, Director of Public Relations and Hospitality at Piper Sonoma Cellars from 1987 to 1990. Before this, she was an Associate at Gracelyn Associates (1984-1987) and the Hospitality Director/Assistant to the VP of Public Affairs at Simi Winery (1980-1984). In each of these positions, Kate worked on behalf of her company and clients supervising all phases of publicity, media outreach, brand awareness, special events and collateral development.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh. She speaks fluent French and has a fondness in her heart for wine, port, food, travel and great company to share these delicacies with!