Advanced Viticulture will be celebrating it’s 15th year in business on May 1 of this year. As for most businesses large and small, it started humbly and on a shoestring. Since it’s inception, our business has grown in its services and in its staff. We’re proud of what we’ve been, what we are and what we will become.
One thing is for sure: we will continue to be personally humble but intensely proud of our work.
During this difficult time, we feel fortunate and grateful to be an essential business and are allowed to continue our work, with protections in place to protect our personnel and our customers. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for new technology projects, new consultations, and new management services. And please stay safe and healthy.
We’d like to take this time to introduce you to the leaders in our company. Today we will continue with Mark Alvarez, Vineyard Operations Supervisor and Loni Lyttle, Viticulturist.
Mark Alvarez, Vineyard Operations Supervisor
Mark was born and raised in Sonoma County. After graduating from Geyserville High School, he pursued a passion for agriculture and never looked back. Mark has been involved in vineyard and agriculture for the past 17 years as a vineyard supervisor and safety officer. Developing safety programs and managing vineyards and staff for such companies as Clos Du Bois, Buena Vista, Redwood Empire Vineyard Management and now currently Advanced Viticulture. “I’m lucky to do something I love to do and to work with people that I not only respect and admire but care about on a daily basis. That is what makes this company great: we are not only a team but a family.”
Mark exhibits all of the qualities we prize in our company. His meticulous attention to detail, his expertise at dealing with his employees in all situations, his coordination of training and enforcement of safe practices have greatly enhanced our vineyard management business. We are so fortunate to have Mark on the team.
Loni Lyttle, MS, Viticulturist
A native of Point Reyes Station in Marin County, Loni grew up eating good cheese and making jokes about her mother’s love of California Chardonnay. She attained a B.A. in Economics from Smith College in 2010. Though originally intent on going into banking, she opted to travel the world after graduation and soon found her calling in Piedmont, Italy, harvesting grapes and making wine with the locals. Loni worked as vineyard worker and English teacher while attending the University of Turin, graduating in 2014 with a second bachelors in Viticulture and Enology. She was hired as an Assistant Vineyard Manager for Ceretto Winery and began simultaneously working on her Masters in Viticulture and Enology at the University of Turin, finishing in 2018. She started with AV in 2019.
Loni brings an intense passion for viticulture and fine wine production to our company, a foundation in science with a holistic approach that is a perfect complement other aspects of our company. We are blessed by Loni’s participation in client consultations and expert recommendations in addition to her support of our technology offerings.