“FOUNDERS OF THE SONOMA SPARKLER BRAND”

Founders David Cordtz and his wife Ari Smith Cordtz

Cider Master David H. Cordtz is an international award-winning wine maker and nationally acclaimed cider maker. In the 17 years David spent as a winemaker, his career included:

During his tenure with Cordtz Brothers Cellars he was awarded gold medals in many competitions in the U. S. as well as a gold medal from the prestigious “del’Office International De La Vigne Et Du Vin” of France in 1984 for his 1980 Cordtz Brothers Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. This competition is considered the “Olympics of Wine” and came at a time when California wines were attempting to gain credibility in that venue.

With his Sonoma Cider Mill products on the market less than two years, his entire product line was awarded gold and double gold medals at the prestigious 2001 Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

He spent 7 years as the Cider Maker and National Sales Manager for a leading brand of hard ciders which won gold medals in national competitions.

He began the Sonoma Cider Mill in October of 1999.

Dr. Ari Smith Cordtz, David’s wife, served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. She has over 20 years experience in sales and marketing where she specialized in start up companies. Known as a pioneer in the field of electronic meetings, Ari held the position of National Sales Manager or V.P. of Sales for several companies, including: Info-Media Corporation (1980 – 1983), one of the first companies to offer email and computer conferencing commercially available.

She continued into the field of audio and video conferencing, as Vice President of Sales for Teleconferencing Systems International (Elk Grove, Il 1984 – 1987) and National Director of Sales as well as Corporate Board member for Business TV Guide, (Altadena, CA 1988 – 1991). She moved into the arena of corporate management and training serving in executive positions with various companies.

Always the seeker, she left the corporate world to complete graduate work, earning a Master’s of Divinity (1994) and in 1998 completed her Doctorate of Divinity from Emerson Theological Institute. Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelors of Science in Human Relations and Organizational Behavior, from the University of San Francisco. With her educational emphasis on world religions and spiritual psychology she served for six years as the Director of “The Center for Life Enrichment” in Rohnert Park, CA, a non-profit corporation. In April of 2000 she joined David in starting the Sonoma Sparkler Brand.

 

 

 

Robert Michael Daniel Cordtz

Robert Michael Daniel Cordtz was the first employee of Sonoma Sparkler. He started working after school and on weekends at the age of fourteen. David and Ari referred to him as their “free safety”. He stepped into any job, including production, shipping and even worked with David on creating the formula for Sonoma Sparkler Peach. After college he returned and became Chief Operating Officer and oversaw production, maintenance, quality and managed over 50 employees.

 

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