Speakers

Speakers:

Sonal C Holland, MW

Sonal C Holland is India’s first and only Master of Wine (MW), having earned the wine world’s most prestigious qualification in 2016.

An award-winning educator, entrepreneur, author, broadcaster and international speaker, she has spent more than two decades shaping India’s modern wine and spirits culture. Widely regarded as India’s leading drinks expert, Sonal also holds the highest qualifications from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in wines, spirits, sake and beer.

She founded the Sonal Holland Academy, one of India’s leading beverage education institutions; SoHoWines Consulting, which advises global brands on entering and growing in the Indian market and consults with luxury hospitality groups and airlines on their beverage programmes; and the India Wine & Spirits Awards, India’s leading blind-tasting competition for wines and spirits. She is also the creator of the India Wine Insider Report, the definitive analysis of trends, consumer behaviour and opportunities shaping India’s evolving wine market. In partnership with Vinexposium, she is curating Vinexpo Discover India, a business forum connecting international wine and spirits producers with importers, distributors and key trade stakeholders in the Indian market.

With a social media community of nearly two million followers, Sonal has become one of the most trusted and far-reaching communicators in the world of wine and spirits, shaping consumer awareness and beverage culture in India and beyond.

Recognised among the most influential figures in India’s luxury and alcobev industries, Sonal has received numerous international accolades for her contribution to wine education, communication and industry development. She is also the author of her memoir, One in a Billion, and serves as a global ambassador for the growth of wine and spirits culture in India.

Erin Kirschenmann, Managing Editor of Wine Business Monthly

Erin Kirschenmann, DipWSET, is the managing editor for Wine Business Monthly and has been with the company since 2012. In addition to production responsibilities for the monthly trade magazine, she writes about business, technology, sales and marketing, and also oversees content and programming for WBM's symposia. She speaks on wine industry trends at numerous conferences, including the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium and the World Bulk Wine Exhibition, and guest lectures on wine, media and public relations.

In 2022, she joined the Napa Valley Wine Academy as a WSET instructor. Erin has served as a judge in the international Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine competition since 2016 and at several regional competitions. Erin was named to Beverage Dynamics' 40 Under Forty List in 2025.

In 2025, she launched Novel Pairings, an online membership designed to bring women together to discuss books, wine and life with a variety of gatherings that delivers a fun, no-pressure community, fosters creativity and fulfills a need for an uplifting escape from the daily grind. Learn more at www.novelpairings.club or on Instagram @novel_pairings.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in communications with a journalism emphasis from Sonoma State University. When she’s not working in wine, she’s at the dog park with Scout and Nova, on a run or curled up on the couch with a good book. Find her online via her Instagram, @erinakirsch.

Brodie McLeish, GM Marketing TNZ

Brodie has been in the GM Marketing role since September 2019. She is responsible for driving the Global Marketing Strategy across multiple disciplines including Brand, PR, Global Partnerships, Social, Digital and Trade Experience to drive the 100% Pure New Zealand destination story.

Brodie comes from a background in advertising, formerly working at Colenso BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi in Auckland, and before that multiple agencies in London over the last 15 years. She has also worked with brands such as Heineken, Toyota, Air New Zealand, Coca-Cola, Westpac, Nestle, Kraft, and O2 and is driven by a passion for commercial driven creativity through consumer driven insight.

Justin Noland, VP Digital Experience, Treasury Americas, Treasury Wine Estates 

Justin Noland serves as the VP of Digital Experience, where he leads digital strategy and an enablement roadmap across the Americas. A forward-thinking leader at the intersection of technology and consumer experience, Justin specializes in modernizing digital ecosystems, scaling capabilities, and driving cross-functional growth. Known for his collaborative leadership style, he focuses on building future-ready digital foundations that drive both team success and consumer connection. He is dedicated to transforming digital frameworks into high-performing engines that elevate brand engagement and business efficiency.

Anna Nielson ,CEO, Destination Wairarapa & Steering Group Member, Classic New Zealand Wine Trail (CNZWT)

If anyone understands the connection between wine, tourism, and regional prosperity, it's Anna Nielson.

Anna's passion for food and wine began at a young age and has shaped a career spanning tourism, hospitality, destination marketing, and events. While studying Japanese, marketing, and management at Victoria University, she worked in Wellington hospitality before discovering a deeper fascination with New Zealand wine—an interest that quickly evolved into a lifelong quest for further knowledge and education.

Over the past two decades, Anna has built a reputation for connecting people with places through authentic food, wine, and tourism experiences. Her career includes formative years post university in a global FMCG company, working in the Luxury Lodge market, helping establish Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand, co-founding Wellington On a Plate, managing Toast Martinborough through significant regulatory change, and working across F&B and regional development.

Since 2020, Anna has led Destination Wairarapa – Wairarapa’s Regional Tourism Organisation, guiding the organisation through the challenges of COVID-19 while championing regional tourism growth and collaboration. Today, she is also a Steering Group member of the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail (CNZWT), helping strengthen partnerships between some of New Zealand's premier wine regions and showcasing the collective power of wine tourism.

Anna has served as a judge for the Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards for the past 3 years and is widely recognised for her practical industry knowledge, strategic leadership, and passion for regional New Zealand.

She believes the future of wine tourism extends far beyond the cellar door. For Anna, wine tourism is about provenance, storytelling, hospitality, and creating meaningful connections between visitors, landscapes, communities, and the people behind every bottle. She sees tourism as one of New Zealand's greatest export opportunities and wine as one of its most compelling ambassadors.

Known for her warm, engaging style and infectious enthusiasm, Anna describes her job as her hobby. She remains inspired by the growers, winemakers, chefs, producers, and tourism operators who work together to create extraordinary visitor experiences and build stronger regional economies.

Her message is simple: when wine and tourism work together, everyone benefits.

"Together we're going to be stronger and achieve greater things than we ever have as two separate industries."