J Vineyards & Winery Names Kerry Manahan-Ehlow Vice President of Sales and Marketing

HEALDSBURG, Calif., May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kathryn Lindstrom, CFO/General Manager of J Vineyards & Winery, today announced the appointment of Kerry Manahan-Ehlow as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  Manahan-Ehlow will oversee all sales, marketing, and direct-to-consumer efforts for the winery.

"After successfully establishing J as a top Sonoma County sparkling wine producer, our Founder & President, Judy Jordan, has set her sights on becoming a leader in Russian River Valley estate-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietal wines," said Lindstrom. "Kerry brings the experience and know-how to translate our vision into a reality for our distributors and our customers."

Manahan-Ehlow was previously Chief Operating Officer at Foley Family Wines, managing global sales, marketing, and PR duties across 16 domestic and 5 New Zealand wine brands.  She is a 25-year veteran of the wine industry who has owned her own consulting business, and has worked across a broad spectrum of iconic brands, including Robert Mondavi Winery, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery, Matanzas Creek Winery, and Kendall-Jackson Winery.

She is an active member of the Sonoma County Vintners Senior Leadership Team, worked with the UC Davis Graduate School of Management students on wine marketing and studied Communications and Public Relations at California State University at Fullerton.

J Vineyards & Winery has recently expanded its sales efforts across the country, adding Kevin Nissen as Northeast Regional Sales Manager based in New York; Rick Choate, Southeast Regional Sales Manager based in Florida; and Diane Denham, Central Regional Sales Manager based in Texas. Two weeks ago, the winery tapped Melissa Stackhouse as Vice President of Winemaking.

"For the past 25 years, J Vineyards & Winery has followed an independent path of elegance and authenticity in the wine business," said Manahan-Ehlow.  "I'm proud to be a part of an energized J team and plan on laying the foundation for another 25 successful years."

ABOUT J

J Vineyards & Winery is located at 11447 Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg.  The winery focuses on Brut and Brut Rose sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris Estate varietal wines, produced from grapes farmed primarily within Sonoma County's Russian River Valley appellation.

Founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, J Vineyards & Winery is an independently owned Sonoma County winery.  The winery kicks off its 25th Anniversary celebration this year.  To learn more, or to join the J Wine Club, go to www.jwine.com.

SOURCE J Vineyards & Winery