Neil Williamson

Neil Williamson serves as President of The Trellis Group, LLC, (TTG) a marketing agency focused on East Coast based wineries. In addition to their full time clients, TTG also serves wineries on a project basis.

Known across the industry as the “Grumpy Marketing Guy”, Williamson serves as the Chairman of the Virginia Wine Club Tasting Panel, the Editor of The Virginia Wine Journal and a wine columnist for The Old Town Crier.  He hosts tasting events at the two largest wine festivals in the state (Vintage Virginia and Virginia Wine festival) He has served as a guest lecturer at The University of Virginia and is Adjunct Faculty to Piedmont Virginia Community College Viticulture and Enology program.

Williamson joined the wine industry in as Marketing Manager for Prince Michel Vineyards in Leon Virginia. In his tenure at Prince Michel (and their Napa sister, Leducq Vineyards) he developed and implemented innovative promotional campaigns including television, newspaper, magazine and outdoor advertising as well as e-mail, event and guerilla marketing.

After founding TTG, Williamson conceptualized and implemented the Discover Virginia Wine Festival in Greene County.  He has helped countless start up and existing Virginia wineries hone their marketing message.  His international work is focused in the winelands of South Africa where he helped create the United States/South Africa Wine Foundation’s apprentice program, bringing South African wine professionals to work in both Virginia and California wineries for the 2006 harvest season.

Prior to joining the wine industry, Williamson spent twelve years working for advertising agencies representing national accounts.  Williamson has a degree in Communications from Radford University and an Alumna of the first Wine Executive Course from University of California at Davis (2001).

292 Carodon Drive Ruckersville, VA 22968 434.962.0847 trellisgroup@earthlink.net