Patty Held has enormous credibility throughout the wine industry. Any wine competition director would put Patty at the very top of his or her list of potential judges, far ahead of other, perhaps more publicly known, wine industry personalities.
Patty has lifelong experience in wine production, sales and marketing that helped her to build her family's winery into one of the giants of the regional wine industry. Her savvy set of skills will surely help create healthier businesses and stronger growth for many other industry entities, too.
—Doug Frost, wine consultant and writer and one of only three people in the world to hold both Master Sommelier and Master of Wine titles
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| Patty was featured in the October 2007 issue of St. Louis Woman magazine. |
Current Activities
Patty Held Winery Consulting — Owner
Hermann Wine Trail — Founder and President
Missouri Wine and Grape Board Marketing Committee - Member
National and International Wine Judge with more than 20 years of experience
- San Diego International Wine Competition
- Los Angeles International Wine and Spirit Competition
- Indy International Wine Competition
- National Women's Wine Competition
- Pacific Rim International Wine Competition
- International Eastern Wine Competition
- Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition
- Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition (judging in July)
- Finger Lakes International Wine Competition
Previous Activities
Stone Hill Winery - Owner, 1988 through July 2008
Public Relations and Special Event Coordinator for my family-owned winery. I have been in the wine industry since I was five.
Enologist—California State University, Fresno, 1979-1982
- B.S. Degree in Enology degree, cum laude
- CSUF Enology Society President
- Recipient of ASEV Scholarship (2)
Winemaker — Taylor and Great Western Wineries, Hammondsport, NY, 1982 through 1988
- More than 1 million gallons of wine under the Taylor Wine Company label
- Varietal wines under the Great Western label, including table wines made from native American, European-American hybrids and vinifera grapes, barrel fermented varietals, late harvest, ice wines, port, and cream sherry
Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce
- Board member
- Wurstfest committee member
- Tourism escrow committee chair
- Tour of Missouri committee member
Accolades
2008 — Missouri Division of Tourism Innovator Award, for Hermann Wine Trail
2007 — Hermann Wurstfest Hall of Fame inductee
1987 — New York Governor's Cup winner, for Vidal Ice Wine
Speaking Engagements
- Virginia Tourism Dinner, Chesapeake Bay Wine Region, 2009
- Wineries Unlimited, 2009 and 2008
- Unified Symposium, 2007
- Midwest Wine and Grape Conference, 2007, 1986, 1984
- License To Steal Wine Marketing Conference, 2008 and 2007
- Salesroom Profitability Conference, Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine, 2007
- Illinois Wine and Grape Association Conference
- Missouri Agri-tourism Conference