Stevie Stacionis

Stevie Stacionis is the visionary and founder behind Bâtonnage Forum and Bay Grape wine shop, a Certified Sommelier, and a proud mother. Driven by the desire to “stir-up” conversation around issues women in the wine industry face, Stevie planted the seeds for Bâtonnage, the popular women-in-wine conference, in early 2018. Those seeds have since sprouted into an annual forum and a thriving mentorship program. No one else could have taken this idea and run with it in quite the way that Stevie has.

Stevie has always had a heart for hospitality, working her way from server to writer published in prominent outlets including Wine & Spirits, SF Chronicle and Wine Enthusiast. After landing in media, marketing and brand strategy for Corkbuzz Wine Studio, Crush Wine & Spirits, as well as the Guild of Sommeliers, Stevie went on to launch her own brands focused on community and education in the wine and hospitality industry.

A true entrepreneur, Stevie saw the need for more robust dialog to happen around issues women face in the wine industry and created a tangible solution after realizing that “I was lonely, having the same conversations with myself about things my gut told me other women were facing as well but too scared to admit.” Stevie decided to move forward focusing on positivity and inclusiveness to try and drive progress instead of dwelling on the past. Creating a space for vulnerable conversations, 2021’s Bâtonnage Forum housed discussions around harassment, women-owned businesses, and a lack of financial transparency in the industry amongst other important topics. 

Stevie shared some words originally penned by Marianne Williamson that she uses as a personal mantra and wanted to share with other ambitious women who are on their journey: “Your playing small does not serve the world.” Stevie embodies this spirit, putting herself out there, and actively working towards making the wine space, and to that we say Cheers!