Claudia Schug (DipWSET)

Partner

Joining her brother in a full-time role at the winery, Claudia Schug capitalizes on her decades-long international experience in the wine industry by managing the winery’s export sales.

In 2017 Claudia returned to California after spending nearly 30 years in Germany, where she ran her own wine import and distribution company and managed the European export market for Schug. For six years, she also served as California Wine Institute’s German representative and its European Trade Education Ambassador.

Claudia has a BA in Economics from Stanford University and attained the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits in 2009. Through her education and professional experience, she has built a global network, cultivated a deep knowledge of all aspects of the industry, and has tasted a broad range of wines of domestic and international importance. Claudia is active on several wine association committees, continuing her father’s collaborative spirit in advocating for California and Sonoma wines.

Claudia, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Germany, lives in Sonoma, where she balances her love of food and wine with early morning workouts, day hikes and dancing. Music has always been an important part of her life, and when time allows, she plays her trombone and piano. She enjoys traveling the world and immersing herself in new cultures. Claudia has a daughter, Laura, who lives in Munich, and is very close to her twin sister Andrea, a partner in Schug, who lives in San Diego.