Senior Director of DTC, Marketing and Business Development
Elizabeth Phelps Neuman
Bio
“It all starts with Joe – his vision, the people he brought together, and the way he lived his life. We are stewards of the land.”
The oldest grandchild of winery founder, Joe Phelps, Elizabeth Phelps Neuman was the first member of her generation to join Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 2011. For the next five years she served as a sales representative in New York and subsequently as regional sales manager representing the winery on the East coast and in the Midwest. In 2016 Elizabeth was promoted to Director of Business Development and joined the winery’s leadership team. In 2017 winery marketing initiatives were also added to her role. Continuing her leadership journey, in 2021 Elizabeth relocated to the Napa Valley to lead the winery’s direct to consumer efforts, overseeing hospitality and customer service, in addition to her existing marketing and e-commerce duties as Director of DTC, Marketing and Business Development. She is also responsible for evaluating the winery’s business from a large-scale perspective and completing strategic assessments of areas of opportunity while overseeing the brand’s management and communication of the strategic vision.
Though Elizabeth knew from an early age that she wanted to join Joseph Phelps Vineyards, her grandfather encouraged her to first gain experience elsewhere. “I really had to prove myself. That was the tone my grandfather set.” And so, in the early part of her career, Elizabeth did just that, exploring all sides of the industry she had come to love.
During college, Elizabeth designed her own internship at Phelps, a vocational program that involved working in the retail room and the cellar, attending strategic planning meetings and acting as a sales representative for the brand. In 2005, following graduation, she took a position with a NY-based PR agency planning marketing events nationwide for prestigious Champagne producers. In 2008, she worked a harvest at Ceretto Wines in Barolo, an experience she treasures but which taught her that management and marketing was more to her liking. When she returned to New York she was hired as a Wine Consultant at Southern Wine & Spirits’ Fine Wine Division, a position she held for three years. Finally, in 2011, she joined Joseph Phelps Vineyards as a sales representative in the New York area.
Today, in addition to her day-to-day duties, Elizabeth is mindful of the responsibility of carrying on her grandfather’s incredible legacy. “It all starts with Joe – his vision, the people he brought together, and the way he lived his life. We are stewards of the land. My grandfather wanted us to continue his legacy, and if his life was any example, he didn’t mean in any prescribed way – but through taking risks, remembering our values and continuing to pursue excellence.”
Elizabeth graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania with a degree in Business Administration. She and her husband Clayton Neuman reside in Napa Valley with their three daughters.
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