News Releases

Crimson Wine Group (CWG) today announced the appointment of Mary Jo Dale to the newly-created position of senior vice president of marketing and consumer sales.  A seasoned veteran in the luxury wine and hospitality industries, Dale will report directly to President and CEO Erle Martin.  Her role will encompass oversight of consumer-related programs across the portfolio.  She will work closely with VP of Marketing Natasha Hayes to align sales and marketing efforts across all brands. 

Most recently employed as the chief consumer direct officer at KLH Consulting in Santa Rosa, California where she led all consumer direct initiatives, Dale is adept at business transformation, sales and marketing strategy, operations and technology solutions.  Dale’s extensive wine industry experience includes key roles focused on consumer sales and marketing at companies including The Vincraft Group (whose partner wineries include Kosta Browne and Gary Farrell), Sequoia Grove Winery, and St. Francis Winery & Vineyards.

In addition to her wine industry experience, Dale’s diverse background includes consumer-facing marketing roles in the technology and hospitality industries, which makes her uniquely positioned to lead Crimson Wine Group in its efforts to reach consumers and encourage engagement across emerging technologies.  Before entering the wine business, Dale served as senior vice president of marketing at Gateway, Inc., and prior to that she was vice president of consumer marketing at AT&T Wireless.  She also worked in the in the hospitality industry as director of product development for Westin Hotels & Resorts.

A Northern California-native, growing up in Sonoma County and attending high school in Napa, Dale learned about the wine business from the ground up, with stints working in tasting rooms, in the vineyards, and even on the bottling lines.  Dale holds a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University and a juris doctorate from the University of California Davis – School of Law.

“The landscape for direct-to-consumer sales is changing and evolving rapidly, and our ability to compete effectively here will be critical to the success of the Crimson Wine Group in the coming years,” said Martin.  “As we build our portfolio of estate wine brands, we must find new ways to reach consumers and encourage engagement in ways that will lead to a preference for and purchase of our wines.  Social media, mobile computing, and newly-emerging technologies in the areas of consumer relationship management will all be vitally important factors in navigating our successes in this area.  Dale’s background is both unique to the wine industry and perfectly suited to carry us to the next level in these areas.”

Dale was introduced to Crimson Wine Group through David Newlin of Newlin Associates, an agency specializing in placing executives in the wine industry. 

Based in the Napa Valley, Crimson Wine Group specializes in handcrafted, estate-grown wines originating from the best wine growing regions in California, Oregon and Washington.  Crimson Wine Group manages 700 acres across five distinct regions, with sustainable farming practices that yield outstanding wines expressing the best characteristics of each appellation. 

Crimson’s diverse collection of luxury domestic wine brands includes Pine Ridge Vineyards and ForeFront by Pine Ridge Vineyards (Napa, Calif.), Seghesio Family Vineyards (Healdsburg, Calif.), Chamisal Vineyards (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), Archery Summit (Dayton, Ore.) and Double Canyon (Prosser, Wash.).