Board Member
Natalie Cilurzo is the Co-Owner and President of Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa and Windsor, California. Natalie has been in the wine or craft beer industries since the age of 16. Her husband, Vinnie, opened Blind Pig Brewing Company in 1994 in Temecula, CA, while Natalie was working at a local winery and putting herself through college. In 1997, Vinnie and Natalie moved to Sonoma County where Vinnie began brewing for Russian River Brewing Company originally located at Korbel Champagne Cellars. Korbel closed the brewery in 2003 and gave Vinnie and Natalie the opportunity to acquire the Russian River brand. After 19 years in the wine industry, Natalie made the decision to join Vinnie full time when they opened their Santa Rosa brewpub in 2004. Over the years, she has developed a passion for giving back to the beer community, whom she considers family, as well as the community in which they live. Natalie previously served nine years on the Board of Directors for the California Craft Brewers Association, two of those years as Board Chair. She is now back on the CCBA Board and loving every minute!
In 2017, Vinnie and Natalie were awarded the “Brewers Association Recognition Award.” And, in 2019, Natalie was honored to be recognized as a “Distinguished Alumni” from her alma mater, Sonoma State University (SSU). She currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for SSU’s School of Business and Economics. Some of her favorite things to do, when time permits, are hiking, working on her 1968 Chevy pickup, and spending time with Vinnie and their three cats!
