Cuvaison Estate Wines Names Dan Zepponi President/CEO

Cuvaison Estate Wines recently appointed Dan Zepponi to replace retiring CEO Jay Schuppert as President/CEO, based out of Carneros and Brandlin Vineyard respectively in Mt. Veeder. Zepponi will oversee both properties.

He has long been a senior executive within the wine industry, most recently serving as President and Managing Partner at Vintage Strategies Inc. in Napa.

Early Life and Education

Dan Zepponi has spent his entire adult life immersed in the wine business. Together with his father Gino he founded ZD winery and held multiple roles within it as well as acting as both an aerospace engineer and professional poker player.

He has worked on various projects such as winery and vineyard master plans, expansions, restaurant remodels and custom residences. Additionally, he has completed work for University of California Berkeley as well as churches schools and convents belonging to Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Jessica Bird has been with Zepponi & Company since its founding. Her responsibilities include aiding with client marketing materials creation, reviewing and facilitating exchange of due diligence documents, as well as overseeing closing/escrow activities.

Professional Career

Daniel Zepponi has held various leadership roles with some of the country’s premier wineries, such as E&J Gallo and Foster’s Wine Estates, providing various forms of strategic management services.

Zepponi serves as President and CEO of Cuvaison Estate Wines. In this capacity, he oversees all aspects of business operations, such as vineyard management, winemaking processes, sales & marketing.

He is a member of multiple boards of directors and organizations and was recognized as a leading figure in the wine industry during his career. Passionate about helping start-up businesses flourish and succeed, he has made himself known as an accomplished consultant, public speaker, and strategist.

Achievement and Honors

Dan Zepponi has worked at several wineries, such as Domaine Chandon, Beringer and Foster’s Group. Additionally, he serves on multiple industry boards in Napa Valley and Sonoma County and designs wineries as well as working on commercial projects – such as flood restoration work at Powell & Market in San Francisco.

David has also completed projects for the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco including church, school and convent renovations as well as restaurant remodels and dance studio construction for Arthur Murray Dance Studio. His firm has won multiple awards and recognition for their designs.

Cuvaison Estate Wines of Napa Valley – including Brandlin Vineyard in Mount Veeder and Carneros. He succeeds Jay Schuppert who retired last November.

Personal Life

Dan spent his formative years learning the ins and outs of winemaking and business operations from his father’s winery, where he gained all of the essential experience associated with running a successful family winery. Through this training he was able to gain an in-depth knowledge of industry as he held various executive roles such as President for Vintage Strategies & West Coast Wine Partners; Senior Vice President overseeing viticulture/vineyard management at Beringer/Fosters Wine Estates; as well as serving in multiple executive roles such as President for Vintage Strategies/West Coast Wine Partners.

On November 1st, he officially became President/CEO of Cuvaison Estate Wines and will work closely with Jay Schuppert to transfer institutional knowledge in order to guarantee continuity for this historic brand. He resides in Atascadero with his wife Bethany and daughters Alicia and Lia.

He has numerous relatives and maintains close ties with several winemakers and industry professionals.