Vancouver’s BarrelWise announced today that Linda Trotta, Director of North Coast Winemaking at WX Brands, has joined its Board of Directors.
A graduate of entrepreneurship@UBC’s Hatch Accelerator program, BarrelWise develops solutions that help winemakers practice their art and is used by some of the top Canadian wine producers including Mission Hill and Sandhill Wines.
The company’s latest product – the BarrelWise FS1 sensor, which enables automated analysis and tracking of free sulfites in barrel ageing wine, is rolling out at select North American facilities later this year. This product is expected to augment production of top tier wine, and help wineries better utilise winemakers’ time.
In her new role, Trotta will oversee the execution of company’s strategy to establish itself as a go-to supplier for luxury wine production in North America.
“With extensive experience across a wide variety of industry roles, from production winemaking to senior management, Linda is an incredibly valuable addition to our team” said Jason Sparrow, CEO of BarrelWise. “Her guidance on subjects such as process improvement, quality control and winery finances will be key for BarrelWise’s continuing growth, and traction with customers”.
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With a career spanning three decades and four continents, Trotta currently leads the winemaking of all Bread & Butter wines, including the limited-release wines. Prior to joining WX Brands, Linda held Head Winemaker and Director of Winemaking titles at prestigious wineries such as Jamieson Ranch Vineyards, Swiftwater Cellars and Gundlach Bundschu Winery.
In 2018, Linda was named the North Bay Business Journal’s Napa Valley Winemaker of the Year. A southern California native, Linda earned a degree in Enology from UC Davis. Having held leadership roles with various organizations that champion the advancement of women’s careers in wine, Linda will bring a diversity of thought, leadership and experience to the BarrelWise team.
“It’s wonderful to see determined entrepreneurs tackle age-old problems inherent in the winemaking processes.” said Linda Trotta, “I am particularly excited to see BarrelWise analyse the data collected by their systems to direct winemakers’ attention to where it is needed most. Given how busy our days can get, every minute saved on routine tasks is a minute spent on improving quality and driving for the winery.”
The BarrelWise FS1 sensor, which enables automated analysis and tracking of free sulfites in barrel ageing wine, is rolling out at select North American facilities later this year. This product is expected to augment production of top tier wine, and help wineries better utilise winemakers’ time.
Founded in 2018 by a team from UBC, BarrelWise is a graduate of the Creative Destruction Lab program, and has been featured on Ready to Rocket’s Agri-Food Emerging Rockets list.
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