Team

Amy Bess Cook launched Woman-Owned Wineries in 2017 to help create greater equity in the wine industry.

As longtime brand and operations director for a boutique winery, she had come to closely understand the inner workings of a small wine business.

Along the way, Amy Bess consulted for other wineries and vendors. She also studied enology and tried her hand at winemaking in a startup wine project of her own. Her broad and varied experience taught her firsthand some of the challenges women face in the wine industry, and motivated her to seek practical, positive solutions.

Her efforts to uplift her colleagues have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, VinePair, Vivino, and elsewhere. For this work, she was named Imbibe Magazine‘s “Wine Person of the Year”. A native of North Carolina, she has made her home in California for 20 years.

With seven years of experience across departments—including hospitality, production, and administration— Carolina Corona has built a career on the inside track of ultra-premium and luxury wineries in Northern California. Her resumé includes years at Patz & Hall, Hyde Estate, and Scribe. Carolina brings to the table a keen sense of observation, evolving wine savvy, and generous smile. When she’s not keeping us organized, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two Husky dogs.

Melanie Wynne is a multimedia artist, writer, and editor who’s visited 300+ wineries on four continents, designed and led wine tastings for Sonoma County vineyards, and worked two wine harvests. WSET-3 Certified and with an Associate’s Degree in Viticulture from Santa Rosa Junior College, Melanie loves plants of all kinds—not just grapevines. She is also a fan of animals, stories, and human beings. Originally from Washington, D.C., Melanie has also lived in Manhattan, Los Angeles, and Sonoma County, and will soon settle in central Virginia’s wine country. Find her on Instagram at @wynne_win.