BIO :: Julie Ann Kodmur

Julie Ann Kodmur is a second-generation Californian who was born in San Francisco and grew up in La Jolla. As an eighth grader she was the runner-up in the state spelling bee. One of her pivotal experiences as a Stanford undergraduate was a junior year in Florence. She lived in New York City for ten years after her graduate work in art history: that time included directing Sotheby Parke Bernet's first U.S. wine auction and working for Frederick Wildman & Sons and Renfield. Next came a decade of working for The Seagram Classics Wine Company, who moved her to northern California, where she has lived since 1988. Today she lives in St. Helena with her husband, winemaker Stuart Smith, and family.

She has won awards for publicity and marketing campaigns she created and executed--including a program for Bandiera Winery in 1988 to the Guinness Book of World Records for The Monterey Vineyard (the largest wind sock in the shape of a wine bottle), also in 1988, to a cause marketing program in Sterling Vineyards in 1994.

Since 1995 she has written articles for a wide range of outlets---The New York Times, Town & Country, The Wine Enthusiast, The Wine News, Quarterly Review of Wine, American Journalism Review, Editor & Publisher and Appellation. She also served as editor for The Napa Valley Wine Library Report.

In 1997, she became a one-man shop offering marketing and publicity consulting services (www.julieannkodmur.com) and her clients have included:

The Oakville Grocery
Zinfandel Advocates & Producers
Bonny Doon Vineyard
Wine Appreciation Guild
Marchesi de' Frescobaldi
White Oak Winery
Duckhorn Vineyards
Tapioca Tiger
Stony Hill Vineyard
Sawyer Cellars
Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery
Sea Star Sea Salt
Society of Wine Educators
St. Helena Rotary Association
St. Helena Hospital
Napa Valley Grapeseed Oil Company
The Vintners Club of San Francisco,
Lail Vineyards
Napa Valley Vintners Association
Franciscan Estates

Pro bono clients have included Montessori Family Center in St. Helena, Shawnigan Lake School (Canada), Royal Academy of Ballet in Napa, Sunrise Stables in St. Helena and The Beate Klarsfeld Foundation.

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