FutureWine is lead by a team of wine industry veterans and insiders that have worked with a myriad of company types; from winery start-ups to established family wineries to corporate firms, and from the broad Negociant-style to micro-level Estate producers. Their background allows them to evaluate existing business and offer new strategies as well as solid industry know-how.

Mike Kohne

Business Director

Mike brings over two decades of experiences in virtually every capacity of the wine industry. In particular, he has worked in various high-level marketing, sales and executive capacities; most recently as Marketing Director and National Sales for Eden Rift Vineyards (foundational brand building for a historic California mountain estate in the Monterey Bay region). Prior to, and for nearly a decade, he was General Manager for Mercy Vineyards (an artisan producer from finite portion of Monterey’s Arroyo Seco AVA) where he was intimately involved in every capacity of the winery from direct, national and export sales; to marketing, PR, package design and communications; to HR, government relations, compliance and accounting; to production, procurement and winemaking.

Mike began his wine career in sales with Beringer Wine Estates (BWE now Treasury Global). Following his departure from BWE, he spent six years helping build and market Bill Foley’s multiple estate wineries and vineyards in the Sta Rita Hills and Santa Ynez Valley. Mike left Foley Family Wines to become Director of Marketing for Rosenblum Cellars where he was part of a critical growth and portfolio organization that ultimately helped lead to the company's $105m sale. Mike’s other experiences include Brand Manager for Diageo (a $15 Billion premium drinks corporation); West Coast Sales Manager for a multi-tiered, multi-branded 1.5m-case Spanish wine company; Innovation Partner for a 100k-case Custom Crush / Private Label Business; as well as working in sales partnership with Kobrand Corporation. Ultimately, his expertise covers virtually all facets of the wine business. Mike has a built-in network of contacts that provide best-in-business solutions.

Alan Phillips

Guru of the Vine & Wine

Alan Phillips has built wine empires! Graduating from UC Davis’ Department of Enology in 1976, Alan moved to the Napa Valley where, in his formative years, he began his career working alongside legendary winemakers - among them Phil Baxtor of Rutherford Hill winery as well as America’s Patron Saint of Pinot Noir Andre Tchelistcheff at S. Anderson. In 1981, Alan was hired by the Corely family to become Monticello Cellar’s founding Winemaker. For over a decade he crafted prized wines for Monticello from a stable of newly developed estate vineyards in addition to sourcing fruit from a venerable “who’s who” of Napa vineyards (La Jota, Eisele, State Lane, Dalla Valle among others). Then, in 1990, during the golden era of Napa’s development, Alan left Monticello to establish his own wine-industry consultancy. For a half-decade he worked on wine projects not only in Napa and Sonoma but also travelled the globe to assist start-up and fledgling wineries. Lured to a project in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the mid-nineties, Alan became General Manager and Winemaker for Byington Winery. Happy in the coastal mountains of Santa Cruz, Alan was ultimately wooed to Santa Barbara County by vintner Bill Foley and a shared vision to build a portfolio of fine wine estates.

Hired to spearhead the nascent Foley projects in Santa Barbara County (Foley Estates and Lincourt Vineyards), Alan built the foundations of the company as both General Manager and Director of Winemaking. In over a decade with Foley Family Wines, Alan not only crafted highly regarded wines, he also achieved operating profitability (in 6 years), established Foley’s estate Sta Rita Hills’ vineyard and winery (Rancho Santa Rosa) as well as providing counsel to all of Bill’s many M&A evaluations. Eventually, as Foley Family Wines transitioned its headquarters to Sonoma, Alan elected to remain in Santa Barbara County where his young family was well established. With the 2008 harvest, Alan became the founding Director of Winemaking for Terravant Wine Company (now Summerland Wine Brands) a large custom crush facility in Santa Barbara County. Ultimately, Alan left Terravant, in 2014, to further his own wine brand with his wife Rochelle as well as provide consulting services for many startup and established winery clients.

Alan has accomplished so much over his storied career and brings great perspective to all clients. Moreover, his wines have received hundreds, if not thousands, of 90+ scores and other exalted titles by leading industry competitions, critics and magazines - notable among them “Top 100” and “Wines of the Year” lists by publications such as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and more.

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