The renowned producer of Edna Valley wine recognizes McIvor’s role in the advancements of the company, including during this time of crisis
June 4, 2020 (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) — Tolosa winery is pleased to announce the appointment of June McIvor as President & CEO. McIvor will also serve as President & CEO of Perinet, LLC and all Priorat producer Perinet’s operations in the U.S. Tolosa is the acclaimed producer of Edna Valley estate and premium California appellation single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals.
Since 2015, McIvor has led the Tolosa team as General Manager, playing a prominent role in the overall success and growth of the winery. During her tenure as GM, she has oversaw the comprehensive refresh and elevation of Tolosa, including the installation of all new state-of-the-art production equipment, the introduction of ultra-premium single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines and the flagship Pinot Noir Primera, the debut of additional and remodeled luxury hospitality spaces, and an across-the-board overhaul of Tolosa’s approach to direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales.
“June McIvor’s steadfast leadership continues to be instrumental in shepherding the winery through the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Robin Baggett, managing partner and co-founder of Tolosa. Her swift pivot shifts included the implementation of safety protocols in early March, including facility sanitation and employee temperature screening. She maintains communication and transparency with all staff, such as through daily management meetings related to coronavirus, and successfully secured assistance through the Payroll Protection Program. Despite a tasting room closed for normal business, McIvor maintains production operations at full capacity and has kept all full time staff employed through cross-training in other DTC objectives, such as personalized check-ins with all wine club members and Tolosa’s entire database. Tasting room servers adopted phone sales and increased frequency of email outreach to maintain connection to customers.
Tolosa was one of the first adopters of local delivery service and curbside pick-up. The team was also one of the first to offer virtual experiences with the winemaker just eight days after the tasting room was closed, and continuing twice a week through May. Tolosa is now offering private virtual tasting experiences by appointment to consumers around the country. For a weekly mindfulness break, WOGA (Wednesday yoga and wine) was offered to their fans and staff. McIvor also sought to increase digital commerce, which included digital marketing and collaborating with Tastry through their PAVE (Protecting Artisan Vintners through E-commerce) program. These initiatives led to increased DTC revenues in the months of shutdown, compared to the months immediately preceding shutdown. Enabled by continual planning by the team throughout the shutdown, Tolosa is one of the first wineries in Edna Valley to reopen to guest service.
“Since joining our team, June has been a key contributor to the advancement and success of Tolosa in all areas of our business,” said Baggett. “I am constantly impressed by her business prowess and astute leadership skills, which she has continued to exhibit throughout the unprecedented, trying times we and our community are facing now, and I have the utmost confidence in her ability to not only succeed, but flourish as president and CEO.”
Shares McIvor, “I consider myself privileged to work with such a visionary in DTC wine sales as Robin Baggett, and it is a great honor to bring his vision to life in the Edna Valley. I also have the good fortune to work with an incredible, dedicated team, without which we would not be so successful. I am thrilled to assume this position and look forward to this next phase of my journey with Tolosa.”
Prior to joining Tolosa, attorney McIvor was a partner in the preeminent San Luis Obispo business law firm of Sinsheimer Juhnke McIvor & Stroh (now McCormick & Barstow) and associated with the global law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. She also had a ten-year career in professional soccer, including as Vice President & Legal Counsel of the 1994 Men’s World Cup, General Counsel of Major League Soccer, Chief Operating Officer of the 1999 Women’s World Cup, and Managing Director of the championship venue of the 2003 Women’s World Cup.
As an advocate for the San Luis Obispo wine country, McIvor remains steadfast in her commitment to raising the profile of the region, particularly the Edna Valley AVA. She recently completed a three-year term as president of the San Luis Obispo Coast Wine Collective and has been very active in the San Luis Obispo community, serving on the boards of Leadership SLO (chair), AYSO youth soccer (regional commissioner), San Luis Obispo Symphony (president), and French Hospital Foundation (treasurer), among others.
About Tolosa
Cowboy dreams of owning a cattle ranch brought Robin Baggett to California’s Edna Valley over 40 years ago. The cold Pacific wind and soils from ancient seabed to limestone made him realize he was on a frontier of a different sort. Tolosa is the expression of his commitment to spare no effort to craft Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines of distinctive character to rival any in the world. Founded in 1998 and guided by the core values of integrity, teamwork and meticulous craftsmanship, Tolosa is committed to creating complex, balanced and nuanced wines that are the purest expressions of Edna Valley. The Tolosa winemaking team combines traditional winemaking techniques and cutting-edge technology to achieve the purest translation of place to taste. Tolosa supports numerous environmental and philanthropic initiatives and is an active member of the Central Coast community, welcoming guests daily to enjoy its trademark gracious hospitality and a variety of luxury tasting experiences surrounded by the Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified vineyard, Edna Ranch. Tolosa is open daily at 4910 Edna Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or visit the website at tolosawinery.com.
