Welcome & Overview

Amy Gross National President of Women For WineSense, CEO of VineSleuth/ Wine4.Me
@AmyCGross_com

Tuesday, April 14 – 9:00am
at Columbia Collective

It started with a powerful response to a school program that equated wine with heroin — and women who refused to stay silent. 

In 1990, Julie Johnson and Michaela Rodeno founded Women For WineSense, joined by an extraordinary group of industry icons: initially Margaret Duckhorn, Rosemary Cakebread, Kit Wall, Lynne Carmichael, Dawnine Dyer, Zelma Long, Lili Thomas, Annette Shafer, Susan Sokol-Blosser, Gabrielle Saylor, Cathy Clifton, and Margrit Mondavi. 

Together, they changed the conversation — and helped change the world. More than three decades later, joined by nearly 800 members across the country, the mission remains as urgent as ever. In this presentation, Amy Gross traces the arc of WWS from that founding spark to its present-day work advocating for truth, moderation, and the enduring value of wine.

Amy Gross has served as National President of Women For WineSense since February 2023, leading a nationwide network of chapters dedicated to wine education and evidence-based advocacy. A passionate advocate for wine’s place in a life well-lived, Amy has spoken on behalf of WWS’s initiatives on stages around the world — including Vinitaly, SommCon, and the Oregon Wine Symposium. A connector at heart, she has built bridges between physicians, journalists, sommeliers, retailers, and wine lovers united by a shared belief that wine deserves to be celebrated, not stigmatized.

Professionally, Amy is the Founder and CEO of VineSleuth/Wine4.Me, a company that has been combining sensory science with artificial intelligence since 2011 to deliver personalized wine recommendations based on individual flavor preferences.  VineSleuth/Wine4.Me’s technology is used globally by wineries, retailers, and at special events.

This presentation marks a milestone moment: a passing of the torch, a reflection on what this community has built, and a rallying cry for what comes next.