Soon after we have the membership meeting at Bill Scanlin’s house next Sunday at 3pm, he will be emailing ballots to current members for them to vote on our board candidates running for a two year term. Below are the bios of the candidates for you to review.
I’ve grown wine grapes for 19 years and made wine for 16 years and one of my objectives is to share whatever knowledge I can with Lamroinda grape growers and winemakers. Starting in 2003 I took the entire vit and eno extension program at UC Davis and while planting my vineyard and building my winery at my second home on the shore of Clear Lake in the Red Hills AVA. I am also a 45 year resident of Lafayette starting in HappyValley in 1978 and now in a cozy condo. Before entering the wild and crazy grape growing and home wine making world I founded and ran a Software Consulting business for 40 years which is now owned and managed by my second son.
Beginning in 2010 I began acquiring additional grapes from professional growers in Lake County. I’ve made 8 red varieties, 3 white varieties, Port with homemade Brandy, and a late harvest Sauternes style desert wine. I have also made award wining Chard from Moraga grapes. Great wine always starts with great grapes. I do the vineyard and winemaking work myself but do hire others for the heavy lifting as well as get consulting from the local UC Davis rep. My wines have won many Best of Show, numerous Golds, and other awards in home wine comps.
After three years on the board I was asked by the board to run for President. In January 2022 I was elected for a term of two years. The major highlight of 2022 was the May1st Pro wine tasting event held behind Wine Thieves. It was a huge success made possible by tireless work of key board members and Pro Winery owners and winemakers. An additional highlight was the recent Holiday and Christmas party held on Dec 4. Again a big success made possible by that same group of board members. We all know who they are and Kudos to them!
The one area where I and others feel we need to improve is to provide more concrete education and field training sessions on the subject of vineyard care and grape growing. Stay tuned and you will find postings in January on the web site re: these subjects along of our full meeting schedule for the year.
This Spring we will be seeing the opening of the Local Vines winery in Lafayette. This business will provide the whole of the Lamorinda and CCC community with a retail outlet and a pubic showcase for tasting and purchase of wines from selected bonded Lamorinda wineries. One of my objectives for 2023 is to work with Local Vines to see how they and the Lamorinda Wine Grape Growers Association can work together for the mutual advantage of both organizations.
Thank you for reading my statement and I would very much appreciate your vote for re-election to the board and to finish my last year as President.
David Hicks, Current Board Member and President
You may have noticed that our membership has grown over the past couple of years despite all the challenges we faced. So have our harvest numbers! So has the quality of our winemaking! This is especially good to see because the board has made a concerted effort to improve our organization by providing welcoming social activities as well as educational opportunities for those that wish to improve their grape growing, vineyard management and/or wine making.
We have in the near future a very exciting grand opening of a real home for the LWGA. A place where home wine makers and bonded wine makers can share and shine together. I am excited to participate in this potential for all of our members.
I am proud to be a part of this board and I would welcome the opportunity to continue for another term on the LWGA board, and see how we can continue to improve the value of a LWGA membership.
Thank you for your consideration.
Daniel Howsepian, Current Board Member and Past-President
My name is Tom Morehouse. I have been a member of LWGA since it was formed and I am a founding member of the club. I have 200 vines consisting of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache producing a Rhone blend often called GSM. I manage the vineyard and produce my own wine, winning awards both in Contra costa county and at the Golden State wine Society. I gave wine tastings in Graduate school in Gilroy to pay for college. I have an MBA from San Jose State University. I lived in Europe for 6 years and studied European vineyard and wine making there while working for an American shipping company. I am a member of the Golden Gate Wine Club and a past board member of both LWGA I am now retired and have time to get more involved with our club. I was a member of the AVA committee with David Rey and helped with many of the tasks finally producing an AVA for us and the area. I am interested in getting the club more involved with the area we live in, educating our neighbors and helping to get our name and wines more well known to the community.
I think that we accomplished many things in the last three years. Our first paid tasting was a succcess and the various community events were a success in getting us known in the area.I would like to move forward on the board again and help with the new tasting room and custom crush that is emerging in 2023. We are better known than at any time in our history and I will continue to help in getting us to the next stage where more people enjoy our association and want to be part of our future . I appreciate your vote.
Tom Morehouse, Current Board Member
My name is Leanne Pilot and I am a candidate for the LWGA Board. I have been an Orinda resident for 6 years, living and working in the Sleepy Hollow neighborhood where we grow approximately 4300 vines of Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay and a bit of Roussanne. Our wines are bottled under the Crane Terrace Winery label.
Prior to managing the property at Crane Terrace I spent twenty years working for both PeopleSoft and Oracle in education, training and pre-sales consulting.
In the past year I’ve enjoyed spending time in the community educating through wine tastings and other events, sharing information about the Lamorinda AVA, the Lamorinda Wine Growers Association, and the excellent wines being grown locally. It’s been very rewarding to see people gaining an awareness about what’s available locally and getting excited about our local wines and the region.
I would like to serve on the board in order to continue to share what we are doing, share our wines and assist in executing current LWGA growth plans in any way I can.
Leanne Pilot, Member and Candidate for Board of Directors
I am currently serving as LWGA Secretary. I have considerable board experience and look forward to continuing to serve the Lamorinda Winegrowers’ Association and its members, if elected to do so.
My wife, Esther, and I planted approximately 2,300 vines in 2010 and had our eleventh harvest this past year. Our varietals consist of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. Thal Vineyards, LLC is bonded with an O-2 license.
I am retired, having done so for the third time (United States Air Force, private practice of optometry and Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean University of California). Some of my other board experience includes serving as President of the California State Board of Optometry on five occasions and serving two years as President of the California Optometric Association. I have completed two terms on the board of an independent private school in the East Bay, and for over 20 years I have served as
president of two homeowners’ associations.
I am a strong supporter of our AVA and the quality wines we produce. Esther and I are renovating a downtown Lafayette building as a winery and tasting room which we hope will actively promote local wine and offer a venue to introduce our wines to the public. It can also serve as a focal point for viticulture education and LWGA activity.
Larry Thal, Current Board Member and Secretary
Relationship to LWGA: One of the founding members of the LWGA (2005). Past posts with LWGA include President of the Board (2014); Board Member (2013 – 2022); Board Member of the Orinda Chamber of Commerce (2016 – 2022) as Secretary and Liaison for the LWGA.
Vineyard: Los Arabis Pinot Noir (1500 vines in Lafayette) planted in 1999. Currently our wine (250+/- ) cases are produced at Urban Legends, Alameda Naval Air Station. We sell to local restaurants and retail in Lamorinda. Much of our wine is donated to local schools, church and hospital fundraising programs, and other charities and non-profits.
Personal: Our Construction firm, Sausal Corporation, Concord, CA, builds schools, fire stations and public buildings throughout northern California. Our Son Josh, Orinda resident, now runs the company. I am a graduate of Cal Poly, SLO, in LA&ED.
Leslie Ward, Current Board Member
