People

Wines & Vines, Jan, 2000

Wente International announces changes.

Lisa Ota, 35, advanced to export director and Michael Parr, 36, formerly with Montrose Wine & Spirits in China, now is Wente export manager for Asia/Eastern Canada. Marc Bourelli, 33, is area export manager for Latin America/Caribbean. In other changes, Denise McKahn, 34, is area export manager for Western Canada and Richard Owen, 32, is general manager for South East Asia, based in Bangkok. Wente Vineyards sells more than half its production in 152 counties.

Dr. Richard Durst heads Food Science at Cornell.

Dr. Durst earned his doctorate in analytical chemistry with a minor in biophysics from M.I.T. in 1963. He succeeds Mark McClellan as chairman of the department of Food Science and Technology at Cornell, at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva. He is working with doctors Thomas Henick-Kling and Karl Siebert in completing and inaugurating the Cornell Vinification and Brewing Technology Laboratory at Geneva in March.

Kendall-Jackson names new chief executive officer.

Lewis E. (Lew) Platt, 58, was named ceo of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Ltd. He had been chairman of Hewlett-Packard Co. until his retirement Dec. 31. Jess Jackson remains board chairman and Leonard Cairney becomes coo. Platt holds degrees from Cornell University and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Don Sebastiani, Jr. joins family winery.

Known as Donny, he joined the marketing department as associate brand manager. Sebastiani, 22, was graduated in business economics from Santa Clara University and previously worked at the winery in the mailroom, tasting room, wine lab and in quality control. He is the fourth generation of the Sebastiani family to join the winery full-time.

Kerry Walsh Skelly is senior vice president, group strategy and consumer research. She joined the company in 1993. C. Kenneth Wilson, a veteran since 1968, now is senior vice president/wines international.

California Winegrape Growers elects new board members.

New chairman of the board of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) is Dana Merrill of Paso Robles. Merrill is joined by Volker Eisele, St. Helena, vice chairman, and Richard Samra of Clarksburg. Scott Scheid of Greenfield was named secretary and Stephen Schafer, Madera, continues as treasurer. New directors include Rodney Schatz of Lodi, Chuck Sisney of Plymouth and Kenneth Macklin of Visalia.

Janet Myer joins Louis M. Martini.

She is assistant winemaker at the St. Helena winery and most recently was with Beringer Wine Estates. She earned a masters in food science and enology from U.C., Davis and has held enology posts at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Beaulieu Vineyard and Robert Mondavi.