2027 Speakers

William Goebel

Broker/Partner, Turrentine Brokerage — Bulk Wine, Central Coast & North Coast

William Goebel is a Broker/Partner with Turrentine Brokerage, specializing in bulk wine transactions across California’s Central Coast and North Coast. A Salinas native, he earned a degree in Business Administration with a specialty in Wine Business Strategy from Sonoma State University. Before joining Turrentine, he worked with Trinchero Family Estates in both cellar operations and wine sales.

William joined Turrentine in 2010, initially managing the company’s sample department and providing sales support before becoming a Bulk Wine Broker in 2013. He later became a partner and has developed experience working with wineries ranging from small producers to large operations, as well as clients outside California and international wine suppliers. He is also a frequent industry speaker on bulk wine supply, demand and market trends.

Marshall Graves

Managing Director, Wine Division, First Citizens Bank

Marshall Graves is a Managing Director at First Citizens Bank’s Wine Division (formerly known as Silicon Valley Bank) and manages a team that supports Napa Valley wineries and grape growers with their financial needs, including winery and vineyard acquisition, winery construction, vineyard development, and working capital lines of credit. While his primary focus is now Napa Valley, he has also had the privilege of working with wineries in Oregon, Washington, Sonoma, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara – bringing a broad perspective to each client relationship. Marshall holds a certificate from the Wine Executive Program at UC Davis and earned an Executive MBA in Wine Business from Sonoma State University.

Richard Hanauer

Operational Partner RPM Restaurants, Pizzeria Portofino and the Wine Director for The Oakville Grill & Cellar

Richard Hanauer is the Operational Beverage Partner for RPM Restaurants and Pizzeria Portofino and the Wine Director for The Oakville Grill & Cellar.

Hanauer began his wine studies around the family dinner table before eventually making it his career. He studied Hospitality at Syracuse University and went on to work in restaurants in Chicago’s West Loop. In 2008 he joined Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants as a sommelier, and in 2014, Hanauer joined RPM Restaurants to lead their wine program.

Having started his wine career working as the sommelier at 160Blue and as a fine wine expert for Levy Restaurants, Hanauer’s career in wine truly came to fruition in 2008 when he was named sommelier of Tru Restaurant in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood at the age of 25—the youngest person to ever hold that title at Tru. After working there for three years and obtaining his Advanced Certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Hanauer joined L2O restaurant as Wine Director. There, he began crafting one of the world’s finest white wine and champagne menus. In 2014, he joined the RPM Italian team, and soon after began planning the cellars of the forthcoming sister restaurant, RPM Steak, which opened in 2014. RPM Italian in Washington, DC soon followed in 2016.

In August 2018, along with his partners, Richard opened Bar Ramone – Lettuce’s first wine bar – in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. In July 2019, Richard and his RPM Restaurant partners opened Pizzeria Portofino, a casual restaurant reminiscent of the Italian Riviera. In September 2019, Hanauer and the team introduced private events and wedding space, RPM Events, and in January 2020, they opened RPM Seafood with RPM Italian Las Vegas following in May 2022.

During his time at Tru, the restaurant received a James Beard Foundation Award for best service in the country and a Grand Cru Award for its wine list, which is the highest attainable distinction from Wine Spectator magazine. While at L2O, the restaurant received its prestigious third Michelin star; simultaneously Zagat named Hanauer a “30 under 30”. After opening RPM Steak, Hanauer was named “Sommelier of the Year” by Food & Wine magazine in 2015. Since then, all three RPM restaurants have received Wine Spectator’s “Best of” Awards of Excellence as well as three out of three stars from the World of Fine Wine magazine’s awards. In 2019, he was named by Wine Enthusiast magazine as one of their 40 Under 40 Tastemakers. Most recently, Hanauer and team opened a California wine country-inspired restaurant in Fulton Market District, The Oakville Grill & Cellar.

Hanauer currently lives in Chicago (and has no plans of changing that) with his wife, Kristen, their children, Madison and Teddy, and pup, Porcini. His greatest pride is the sommeliers with whom he gets to work alongside at RPM Restaurants.

Cynthia Lohr

Co-owner, Chief Brand Officer, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

Cynthia Lohr is a strategic marketing, communications, and branding professional with over 35 years of experience delivering measurable results that impact people, the planet, and profit for companies in the wine and technology industries and non-profits in the arts, the health and well-being of children and families and regional advocacy groups. As co-owner and Chief Brand Officer of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Cynthia collaborates with and oversees the company’s marketing and direct-to-consumer departments and is responsible for operational oversight with her fellow co-owners and executives, brothers Steve and Lawrence, and father, Founder Jerry Lohr.

Embracing a sustainability ethos and with a passion for climate justice, social equity, and servant leadership, Cynthia created the J. Lohr Touching Lives initiative in 2009 to help eradicate breast cancer in partnership with National Breast Cancer Foundation, Incâ by donating three dollars from every bottle sold of her mother’s namesake wine, Carol’s Vineyard, to benefit early detection services for women in impoverished regions. Cynthia also co-founded the regional Bordeaux wine advocacy group the Paso Robles CAB Collective in 2012 and served as board vice president until 2020 and co-chairs J. Lohr’s DEI Committee. Before rejoining J. Lohr in 2002, Cynthia was VP at Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, serving B2B and B2C technology clients. She previously launched Yahoo!’s and led the company’s pre-IPO messaging, followed by the launch of Alexa Internet, leading the company through its acquisition by Amazon.com. Cynthia worked in education and business development before her time in technology, notably at PRx Strategic Marketing Communications, St. Mary’s College School of Extended Education, and the Oakland Unified School District.

Cynthia, a frequent speaker and moderator, has been featured at SF Climate Week, MKF Executive Wine Summit, Women of the Vine & Spirits, Unified Symposium, Kohler Food & Wine, and The Wine Institute, among other conferences. Cynthia was named a Wine Business Monthly 2023 Wine Industry Leader, a 2021 Woman of Impact by Silicon Valley Business Journal, and nominated for 2019 Wine Executive of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Cynthia serves as a board director for REACH Central Coast and J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines and in advisory board roles for Women of the Vine & Spirits, UC Davis College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, Central Coast Insights/WiVi and Net Positive. Cynthia is a graduate of UC Davis, holds a master’s in public administration from the Cornell University Brooks School of Public Policy, is a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha Global Honor Society, and is a Climatebase Fellow.

Andrew Nelson

President & Co-Founder, WarRoom Cellars

Andrew Nelson is President and Co-Founder of WarRoom Cellars, a Central Coast wine company specializing in acquiring and revitalizing heritage wine brands. Founded in 2018, WarRoom has built a growing portfolio that includes Bonny Doon Vineyard, Lapis Luna, Parducci, Paul Dolan Vineyards, Lyeth, Toad Hollow, Iris Vineyards, SIMI and, most recently, Pacific Rim.

Nelson brings broad experience across winery and brewery operations, vineyards, procurement, supply chain, marketing, sales and distribution, with previous experience spanning Diageo, Firestone Walker Brewing, Edna Valley, Beaulieu Vineyard and other wine brands. He holds a B.S. in Agribusiness with a minor in Viticulture and Enology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In 2025, Wine Business Monthly recognized Nelson among its Wine Industry Leaders for WarRoom’s success in repositioning legacy brands for renewed growth.

Andrew is incredibly grateful for his team and his business partners. Most of all, he is grateful to his wife, Erica, for supporting his wine entrepreneurship.

Bourcard Nesin

VP or Research/Beverages, Rabobank

Bourcard Nesin is VP of Research covering beverages at Rabobank. He is a co-host of Liquid Assets, a podcast described as “unmissable” by Spirits Business. A few of his recent reports and recordings include:

Patrick Ruiz-Gurin

Director - Asset Based Lending at J.P. Morgan

Patrick Ruiz-Gurin is a commercial banking executive with J.P. Morgan, based in San Francisco, where he works with middle-market companies on financing, capital structure and broader banking needs. He brings extensive experience advising businesses across food, beverage, agriculture and related industries, with a focus on helping management teams navigate growth, liquidity and changing market conditions.

Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Ruiz-Gurin held senior banking roles with Wells Fargo and built a career serving commercial clients throughout California. His background gives him a practical perspective on how lenders assess risk, creditworthiness and capital needs across economic cycles.

Ruiz-Gurin earned his MBA from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School

Kaleigh Theriault

Director of Beverage Alcohol Thought Leadership, NielsenIQ

Kaleigh brings 11 years of experience at NielsenIQ (NIQ), with a strong background partnering with clients across multiple categories to translate data into actionable business insights. For the past seven years, she has specialized in the Beverage Alcohol industry, supporting thought leadership, industry insights, and client-specific strategic initiatives. Kaleigh combines deep analytical expertise with a strong commercial lens, helping clients connect consumer behavior, category dynamics, and sales trends into compelling growth stories. She has played a key role in shaping NIQ’s Beverage Alcohol strategy and supporting clients as the industry continues to evolve.

Eddie Urman

Central Coast Grape Broker, Turrentine Brokerage

Eddie Urman is Central Coast Grape Broker for Turrentine Brokerage, bringing more than a decade of hands-on experience in California’s wine industry. A Paso Robles native and graduate of Cal Poly’s Wine and Viticulture program, Eddie began his career in vineyard operations and later joined Vino Farms, where he advanced from Assistant Vineyard Manager to Operations Manager overseeing vineyards and teams throughout the Central Coast. Today, he works closely with growers and wineries on grape sourcing, market conditions and long-term strategy, combining firsthand vineyard experience with a deep understanding of the Central Coast grape market.

Mario Zepponi

Managing Director/Beverage Alcohol Team, BMO Capital Markets

Mario Zepponi is a Managing Director with the Beverage Alcohol team at BMO Capital Markets. He has extensive experience performing valuations and negotiating and structuring purchase, sale and lease transactions for the beverage alcohol industry. Mario co-founded Zepponi & Company in 2009, an M&A Firm specializing in the Beverage Alcohol industry, which joined BMO Capital Markets in June 2024. Prior to Zepponi & Company, Mario practiced law as a corporate, real estate and food and beverage attorney. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and his law and MBA degrees from the University of Notre Dame.

Central Coast Insights

The economic and financial conference for the Central Coast wine industry

To view a Speaker biography, click the “+” on the photo.

William Goebel

Broker/Partner, Turrentine Brokerage — Bulk Wine, Central Coast & North Coast

Marshall Graves

Managing Director, Wine Division, First Citizens Bank

Richard Hanauer

Operational Partner RPM Restaurants, Pizzeria Portofino and the Wine Director for The Oakville Grill & Cellar

Cynthia Lohr

Co-owner, Chief Brand Officer, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

Andrew Nelson

President & Co-Founder, WarRoom Cellars

Bourcard Nesin

VP or Research/Beverages, Rabobank

Patrick Ruiz-Gurin

Director - Asset Based Lending at J.P. Morgan

Kaleigh Theriault

Director of Beverage Alcohol Thought Leadership, NielsenIQ

Eddie Urman

Central Coast Grape Broker, Turrentine Brokerage

Mario Zepponi

Managing Director/Beverage Alcohol Team, BMO Capital Markets