Boris Champy steps down as winemaker at Dominus Estate Dec. 15.

“After 10 years with Dominus,” the time is right for me and my family to return to France,” Champy said. “I’ve learned so much about viticulture and winemaking from Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet, and have worked on developing the vineyard and producing great vintages. I’m ready for new challenges.”

Tod Mostero will become technical director at Dominus as of Aug. 1. Mostero was most recently winemaker at Viña Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile. Before that he was technical manager of Domaine de Lambert, Languedoc-Rousillon, France. He has also worked at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Ets., Jean-Pierre Mouieux and Chateau Haut-Brion and Opus One.

Dominus Estate, the property of Bordeaux producer Christian Mouieux, produces Dominus and Napanook from the historic Napanook Vineyard in Yountville — Napa terroir with Bordeaux spirit.

David Tate has been named winemaker at Barrett Vineyards in St. Helena. Tate has worked in Australia, Provence and New Zealand, and after coming to California worked at Ridge Vineyards for five years, where he made wine from the famed Montebello Vineyard.

Women for WineSense honors Margrit Mondavi as its first inductee into the Women for WineSense Hall of Fame. Copia will serve as the permanent home to the Women for WineSense Hall of Fame.

Formal induction of Mondavi takes place June 23, at the San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel, as part of the Wines Women Want Grand Tasting event, sponsored by Women for WineSense.

“Margrit introduced the concept of hospitality to the winemakers of Napa Valley, and by extension, the American wine business. She knew well before others that it was good business to celebrate the pleasures of the table,” said Gabrielle Leonard, national president of Women for WineSense.

“She also remains a cultural leader in bringing together wine and the arts, having started four decades ago to incorporate art exhibits, concerts, literary evenings and international cooking classes into the extensive education programs offered at Robert Mondavi Winery,” said Michaela Rodeno, co-founder of Women for Wine Sense.

Tickets for the June 23 event are available at www.wineswomenwant.com

Sonoma County’s largest charity wine event, Imagine, has been renamed Sonoma Paradiso Wine Auction. The 12 chairing families include Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson, Peggy Furth, Fred Furth, Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola, Sandra and Tom Jordan, Sally and Ray Duncan, and Nancy and John Lasseter.

The event is Oct. 6 at the Francis Ford Coppola Presents Rosso & Bianco Winery in Alexander Valley.

As was the case with Imagine, Sonoma Paradiso will continue to distribute 100 percent of the proceeds raised to the beneficiaries. According to a press release, “Although key Sonoma County vintners are participating in the event through donation, sponsorship and volunteer work, the Sonoma County Vintners Association, previously announced as a sponsor, will not be participating due to a lack of internal infrastructure.”

Info, Kelley Perez at 522-6444 or info@sonomaparadiso.com.

Tastings coming up at Back Room Wines:

Tonight, 5-9, Rhone Valley wines, reds, whites and rosés are poured. $15 tasting fee.

Thursday is Summer Fun Thursday, 3-6 p.m., with four wines from “The Lafite of the Languedoc” Red Daumas Gassac from the 2001 and 2005 vintages and White Daumas Gassac from 2003 and 2006. $10.

June 22, 6-9 p.m., it’s the Backroom Blowout XXII, the “best blow-out ever” with Crocker & Starr, Mauritson Winery, Skylark Winery, Michael Austin Wines and Kysela Imports. This tasting is $15, with $5 refunded for each bottle of Blow Out wine purchased.

Back Room Wines is at 974 Franklin St, Napa. Info, 226-1378.

The wineries of Appellation St. Helena host a wine tasting Saturday and they’re  giving away a wine collection worth $1,700 — if you can correctly identify some wines in brown paper bags. Thirty participating wineries will be pouring at Distinctively St. Helena: A Blind Date Country Style at Flora Springs Winery, 1978 West Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, 2-5 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person; $25 for associate members.

Clos Du Val celebrates the release of its 2003 Stags Leap District cabernet sauvignon with a backyard barbecue June 23, noon to 3 p.m. The staff will also pour the 2005 Carneros chardonnay, and “an aged beauty” from the cellar. The cost is $40 per person, $25 for club members. R.S.V.P. to Lauren Velleno at 261-5225 or lvelleno@closduval.com. The deadline is today.

The African-American Vintners Association holds its walk-around tasting at Copia on Saturday, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Two seminars precede the event: “Careers and Women in Wine” 11 a.m. to noon; and “African-American Vintners” 12:15-1:15 p.m. Nine wineries from throughout California will participate in the tasting. Tickets are $35, which includes admission, $25 for members. Info, www.copia.org.

Napa Valley Grapegrowers sponsors a community forum on genetic engineering in the wine industry Wednesday, 8 a.m. to noon at Copia.

The program will focus on the opportunities and risks of genetic engineering. Participants will discuss current research, applications and ethics of using genetically modified organisms.

Admission is $50 for members of Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Vintners and Napa Farm Bureau, and $75 for general admission. Info, www.napagrowers.org, or 944-8311.

About two-thirds of St. Supery’s Dollarhide Vineyard is open space, home to a wide variety of wildlife. It’s open to the public June 23 and June 30, and the winery will feature photos taken at the event in the St. Supery gallery during November. Prizes will be given for the best photos. Reservations for the tours of Dollarhide Ranch must be made at (800) 231-9116.

The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group conducts a seminar on Agro Ecosystem Management June 28, 8 a.m. to noon at the River Ranch Farmworker Housing Center in St. Helena. Topics include Hedgerows; Biodiversity in Vineyards — What Difference Does it Make?; Beneficial Habitats; The Birds, Bees, Flowers and Trees; and Pierce’s Disease — Hotspots and Management. Fee is $45, or $40 for NSWG members. Info, www.nswg.org.

Registrations are being accepted now for the 2007 Wine Industry Technology Symposium July 17 at the Meritage Resort. Registration fee is $375 per person before June 30, and $425 after that. Multiple attendees from the same company can register for $325 each. Info, www.wineindustrytechnologysymposium.com or 261-8716.

The E&J Gallo Winery has purchased 182 acres of Chiles Valley vineyards from the California Wine Company. This marks a second expansion of Gallo’s interest in Napa Valley. In 2002, Gallo purchased the historic Louis M. Martini Winery in St. Helena, which included the 150-acre Ghost Pines vineyard in Chiles Valley.

Marilyn Merlot has come of age: The 21st vintage of the wine was released on Marilyn Monroe’s birthday, June 1. The 2005 version is 88 percent merlot and 12 percent cabernet sauvignon, which comes from vineyards in Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. The wine sells for $27 and is available at MarilynWines.com or at the Cellar Door tasting room at Napa Wine Company. The company also produces Marilyn cabernet, Norma Jean — a Young Merlot (2006) and the Marilyn Velvet Collection, a magnum in red box.

While the so-called “cult” wines are popular, the “old guard” wineries still fare well with high-frequency wine buyers, according to a new study of the U.S. wine market by Wine Opinions, a St. Helena-based research firm.

“Consumer ratings showed the old guard wineries as equivalent in quality to top cult producers and in our choice scenario their greater familiarity tipped the balance in their favor,” said Christian Miller, director of research for WineOpinions.

The panel from which the survey was taken is representative of the 18.5 million wine drinkers who consume wine either daily or several times per week, as well as some less frequent drinkers and members of the wine trade.

The 64-page report can be purchased at www.wineopinions.com or info@wineopinions.com. Cost is $495, or $475 for a downloadable PDF file.

Submit items for Toast of the Valley to On Wine editor Sasha Paulsen, spaulsen@napanews.com