Meet Our Wine Lecture Series Guest Speakers

About Amanda Wittstrom Higgins

The Future of the Wine Industry with Amanda Wittstrom Higgins

March 1, 2023

Amanda Wittstrom Higgins is a nationally-acclaimed thought leader and business strategist in the American wine and spirits industry. Creative, connected and committed to driving positive change in the communities and industry in which she works, she specializes in future-forward and foundational success and greater accountability. To each of her endeavors, she applies her own core principles: crafting products with soul, enacting industry transformation, creating opportunity for others and honoring and understanding of the agricultural world.

Higgins brings deep industry expertise in operational streamlining, direct-to-consumer, national distribution, marketing, and events. She previously spent 14 years at Ancient Peaks Winery, most recently serving as EVP responsible for strategic planning, operating performance, and financial goals. Before that, Higgins was the company’s VP of operations and VP of sales and marketing.

She is the founder and principal of Full Cup Solutions, and co-founder of the Wine Speak Paso Robles trade event and Dream Big Darlings events and educational platform. Higgins was named a Wine Enthusiast Top 40 Under 40 honoree, a Central Coast Wine Industry Person of the Year, and a San Luis Obispo Tribune Top 20 Under 40 notable.

About Sandra Taylor

A Conversation with Sandra Taylor

December 7, 2022

Sandra Taylor is the president and CEO of Sustainable Business International, a consulting business that assists clients at various stages of environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practice, many in the food and beverage sector.

Sandra has studied wine extensively for many years and is a graduate of the Wine MBA program at the Bordeaux School of Management in France. Her first book, “The Business of Sustainable Wine,” was published in July 2017.

Sandra is a public speaker on wine, a columnist with Wine Review Online and founder of Fine Wine Divas of Washington, D.C., a wine learning experience for women. In 2018 she organized seminars for the University of Pinot at IPNC on sustainability for Pinot noir producers.

Sandra has been a senior executive with Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, where she led global corporate responsibility and with Eastman Kodak Company where she oversaw global public affairs and corporate citizenship.