For 2025, Wine Industry Advisor is expanding the Wine’s Most Inspiring People (MIP) articles into a monthly series. We will be profiling individuals from within our industry who showcase leadership, innovation, determination and inspiration — both within the industry and in society at-large. If you would like to nominate someone for MIP consideration, fill out the form here.
Kerrin Laz — Giving Back and Living with Authenticity and Joy
By Kathleen Willcox
Certain medical conditions carry, in addition to a fatal diagnosis, a certain sense of shame. No matter how irrational it is, people with these diseases often feel embarrassed and trepidatious about sharing the news of their misfortune to even their closest friends and family.
Alzheimer’s, which affects close to 7 million Americans and is the fifth-leading cause of death among people ages 65 and older, is one of those diseases. When Kerrin Laz saw both the pain and shame her mother went through when she received her formal diagnosis in 2015, she knew she had to not just contribute whatever she could to finding a cure, but also eliminate the culture of secrecy and discomfort around it.
“My family was very private about the illness,” says Laz, who was just in the process of launching the K. Laz Wine Collection, a tasting room and wine store in Yountville, with a healthy online retail wine presence as well. “I was just getting my own business off the ground, but I also realized I had to do whatever I could to raise money for Alzheimer’s.”
Laz, who’d spent the previous 12 years building out the upscale grocery chain DEAN & DELUCA’s wine channel, ultimately becoming wine director domestically and internationally, was confident that her deep connections and relationships in the industry would ensure that she could raise enough money to make the prodigious effort and arguments she knew creating a sizable charitable operation would require worth it.
Launching a Communal Effort With Truth
“My mom hadn’t even told her sister when I came to her with my idea,” Laz says. “She loved the idea, but I explained that for it to make sense, I’d have to tell her story.”
Laz, who in addition to launching a wine store, was also in the process of making her first vintage of LAZ Wine, managed to found Inspire Napa Valley, a fundraising series that brings together wine and food enthusiasts, members of the thriving wine and food community, and those dedicated to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and enhancing the lives of those currently living with it.
“The scale of the annual event is intimate, but expansive,” Laz says. “I really wanted to create a sense of community, but I’ve also found that it really demonstrates the depth of Napa’s generosity and incredible spirit. All of our food and wine is donated, and the caliber of the people involved and the talent is staggering.”
The event this year will take place on April 25-27, hosted by Laz and Bettina Bryant of Bryant Estate, Antonio Galloni of Vinous and Ray Isle of Food & Wine. The three-day Spring Wine Weekend includes a dinner and party at Inglenook, wine tastings and seminars led by Galloni and Isle, and a dinner and auction at Louis Martini Winery. Wines will flow from dozens of iconic producers, including Screaming Eagle, BOND, Schrader Cellars and BRION. Tickets are available here.
About one in nine people aged 65 or older has Alzheimer’s, and as our population continues to grow and age, that number will only rise. Inspire Napa Valley has raised more than $7.5 million for research and created a priceless community of advocacy, support and freedom around a disease that, for too long, people were ashamed to admit they suffered from.
Laz’s mother died in 2023, but her legacy — and her impact — will live on and inspire others.
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If you would like to nominate someone for MIP consideration, fill out the form here.
Kathleen Willcox
Kathleen Willcox writes about wine, food and culture from her home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She is keenly interested in sustainability issues, and the business of making ethical drinks and food. Her work appears regularly in Wine Searcher, Wine Enthusiast, Liquor.com and many other publications. Kathleen also co-authored a book called Hudson Valley Wine: A History of Taste & Terroir, which was published in 2017. Follow her wine explorations on Instagram at @kathleenwillcox
