WINE ENTHUSIAST 40 UNDER 40
Zidanelia Arcidiacono, 37
Pinot Noir Winemaker, Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards • Windsor, CA
Cultivating sustainable power and Pinot
A Texas native raised in Argentina surrounded by winemakers, Arcidiacono followed her Universidad Juan Agustín Maza-earned degree in winemaking with harvest in France before landing in California wine country. Now, she works exclusively with Sonoma Cutrer’s outstanding Pinot Noir, which she calls its “best kept secret.” She has also championed the winery’s employee resource group, which provides tools, career development assets and education for women within the organization, and helps to promote and implement the producer’s range of green initiatives.
Rachel Adams, 31
Founder/Executive Director, Assemblage Symposium; Owner, Kendall-Adams Consulting, LLC • Newberg, OR
Blending industry insights
In 2018, Adams launched 501(c)(3) nonprofit Assemblage to promote the education, advancement and empowerment of women and underrepresented communities in wine. Its annual symposium touches on as diverse topics as vineyard management and retail expansion, creating a work-life balance and building an inclusive workplace, and hosts speakers from across the beverage industry. As a sales and marketing expert, Adams has previously contributed to several prominent Oregon wineries, including Bethel Heights Vineyard and Domaine Drouhin Oregon. Today, she owns Kendall-Adams Consulting, a winery, hospitality and tourism consult agency.
Michael Pierce, 37
Director of Viticulture and Enology, Yavapai College, Southwest Wine Center; Head Winemaker, Bodega Pierce • Clarkdale, AZ
Arizonevangelist
It’s not uncommon for a young winemaker to take classes at the University of California, Davis, or to work in places like New Zealand and Oregon before they return to their family winery. What makes Pierce’s story unique is that his parents planted vines and built a winery at the same time he took up winemaking as a hobby and began to study viticulture. The role of head winemaker for the family’s 2,000-case-a-year label, Bodega Pierce, could easily be a full-time job, but Pierce also works to expand Arizona winemaking at Southwest Wine Center at the Verde Valley Campus of Yavapai College.
Jermaine Stone, 35
Founder/CEO, Cru Luv Wine • Brooklyn, NY
Bridging the worlds of wine and hip hop
Bronx, New York, native Stone took a job at Zachys Wine to support his aspirations of hip hop stardom. Little did he know, the gig would change the course of his life. After more than a decade at auction houses, Stone combined his two loves with Cru Luv, a creative agency that seeks to engage hip hop fans in the world of wine. He also hosts a podcast, The Original Wine & Hip Hop, where he interviews people from both industries to match music to pours.
Amie Ward, 38
HBIC Healthy Snacks and Good Posture, The Healthtender; Bartender/Batch Bucket Sanitation Specialist, Hospitality 201 • Chicago
Hero of healthy pours
With a start at the aptly named dive bar Bad Decisions, Ward knows firsthand the physical toll and often
