STEPHEN BLOOM
Stephen Bloom is an importer of high-quality wines from small estates in Italy. He believes in wines that exalt the uniqueness of the varietals from which they are made and are expressive of the traditions and terroir from which they come. Stephen has been a judge at this competition since its early days and has been a regular judge at the Riverside International Wine Competition as well as for the Long Beach Grand Cru for the past six years.

MARK BUNTER

Mark Bunter is owner of Bunter Spring Winery in Napa, and Bunter Wine Consulting.  He is the consulting winemaker for owner Bill Cadman at Tulocay Winery in Napa, and for an anonymous negociant bottler in Montreal, for whom he blends wines from California, Argentina, and Chile.  He also occasionally advises two wineries in Virginia, and one in Maryland.  A small organic vineyard owner , Mark has  17 years experience in propagation and management.   Inside the winery, he has 20 years of production  and lab experience at several leading Napa and Sonoma wineries, large and small, including Charles Krug, Robert Mondavi,  Sebastiani, and St. Supery .   Mark has made  gold and double-gold medal winning wines on both coasts.  He has enjoyed judging here at the Grand Cru previously , as well as at the Orange County,  Riverside International, and Grand harvest Awards wine competitions.    He created and helped organize the first “Best of Virginia” judging in conjunction with Jennifer McCloud, owner of Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg, Virginia.  He has an active interest in all the various wines from around the U.S. and enjoys traveling and tasting outside of California.  Syrah and Norton are of particular interest to Mark.   He lives in Watsonville, California, with his wife, Margaret Spring, who recently accepted a position with NOAA.  Mark has three college-age children.  He enjoys surfing, hunting , flyfishing, and literature.   He is a graduate of Napa Valley College, with A.S. degrees in enology and viticulture.

RENÉ CHAZOTTES
Originally from Madagascar, following private schooling in France and Switzerland, René Chazottes first set foot in the United States in 1967. Currently the Director of Wine Maitre Sommelier for The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, CA, René’s career prospered since his arrival and the following are some of his achievements:

Founder and Member of the Board of Directors of The Sommelier Association of California and Former Vice President of The Sommelier Society of America.

A sought after jurist for wine, chef and sommelier competitions at such well known events as:

• The Los Angeles County Fair
• National Orange Show Pacific Rim
• Riverside County National Wine Competition
• San Diego National Wine Competition
• Cofradia del Vino de Baja California (Wine Society of Baja California)
• Has judged for Sommelier contests both in the United States and France

A very popular guest speaker and makes several appearances a year, including:

• The Kapalua Wine Symposium
  Aspen
• The Society of Wine Educators
• The School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at California State
  Polytechnic University, Pomona

Conducts Wine and Gastronomic tours in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, California, Washington, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

In 1988 René was pronounced “Best Sommelier” in the United States. He also is the only Frenchman outside of Europe to hold the title “Maitre Sommelier” and the title of “Commandeur” in the International Association of Masters counsel in French Gastronomies..

CHRISTOPHER MITCHELL COOK
Christopher Cook's career spans 20 years on both coasts, working for five newspapers, with stops along the way as a wine writer, wine competition judge, restaurant critic and restaurant guide editor.

Cook is chief restaurant critic for HOUR Detroit magazine and the weekly wine columnist of the Oakland Press, the suburban daily in Detroit. For 12 years, he was wine columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Since 2001, he has been superintendent of the Michigan State Fair Wine Competition. Since 1995, Cook has been editor of the Zagat Survey of Michigan restaurants. He was restaurant critic for the now-defunct Detroit Monthly magazine from 1988-1991.

His freelance writing on wine and food has been published in Newsday (NY), the San Diego Union, Kansas City Times, Crain's Detroit Business and other publications.

Cook judges wine competitions in the U.S. and abroad. He has judged the Royal Australian National Wine Competition in Canberra, the VinItaly competition in Verona, and the Long Beach Grand Cru (CA).

He is regular judge each year at:

• The Riverside International Wine Competition (CA) for 10 years
• The Los Angeles County Fair Wine Competition (CA) for three years
• The Indianapolis International Wine Expo (IN) for three years.
• The Long Beach Grand Cru (CA) wine competition for two years
• The Great Lakes International (MI) for six years
• The Michigan State Fair Wine Competition for 18 years

Cook has been a speaker, panelist or moderator on more than 100 occasions at wine and food conferences and conventions, including the Midwest International Wine Expo in Chicago, and for the past two winters at the Vintners Holiday Series at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park (CA). He also has hosted wine dinners for restaurants and organizations around the Midwest.

In his other life, Cook is a documentary filmmaker, producer, writer and director whose honors include four regional EMMYs, a TELLY, and two Clarion Awards from the Association of Women in Communications. His work has appeared on public television, History Channel and elsewhere. He is a freelance producer for ABC News and NBC News, and has field produced segments for the National Geographic channel, VH1, NBA Entertainment and HBO Entertainment.

He has held various reporting and editing positions for several newspapers: Newsday, Staten Island Advance, San Diego Union, Kansas City Times, Detroit Free Press and was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism at Newsday.

Cook was born in England, grew up in France and came to the U.S. when he was 19-years-old and is bilingual. He is bilingual. He attended Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY and was awarded journalism fellowship at the University of Michigan 1981-82. He is married and lives in Ann Arbor, MI.

MITCH COSENTINO
Mitch Cosentino began making wine in small lots in 1980 in Modesto, California. Ten years later he moved his operation to the Napa Valley. Here, he continues a hands-on, old world approach to winemaking. The use of punched cap fermentation a labor-intensive, hand-crafted method of winemaking, sets Cosentino apart.

Cosentino’s passion for winemaking and respect for traditional methods has resulted in a somewhat untraditional approach. Today, more than 30 ultra-premium, limited production wines are produced with more than 15 varietals. “I don’t eat just one type of food,” said Cosentino. “Why should I make just one type of wine?”

Cosentino’s award-winning reputation was built on a variety of wines including cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel, pinot noir, merlot, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. In addition, Cosentino is recognized for its production of lesser known varietals like viognier, gewürztraminer, nebbiolo, sangiovese and semillon.

As Cosentino continues to discover new wines, the “micro” approach to winemaking remains consistent. An exceptional talent for identifying fruit sources and determining blends continues to be the driving force behind the M. Cosentino signature.

MIKE DUNNE
Mike Dunne is a Sacramento-based freelance writer and consultant specializing in wine, food, travel and restaurants.  Though he retired as food editor, wine comumnist and restaurant critic for The Sacramento Bee last Fall, he continues to write a weekly column for The Bee's wine web site, www.sacwineregion.com, as well as other features for the news paper. He’s been writing about wine for three decades and each year judges at competitions ranging from those international in scope to those of a regional nature.

TRACI DUTTON
Traci Dutton is the beverage manager and sommelier for The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, located in Napa Valley, CA. Ms. Dutton’s responsibilities include the selection and purchasing of wines, inventory control, wine list development, menuing, food and wine pairings, and staff training for all components of the CIA Greystone campus, including the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, the Professional Wine Studies Program, and Special Events.

Traci started her tenure with The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in 1998, as beverage manager and sommelier for the college’s Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, where all of her California wine lists and imaginative Flights of Fancy have won her numerous awards, the most recent being presented by the National Restaurant Association for “America’s Best Wine Lists.”

Traci has extensive experience in the beverage industry, including a position as Bar Manager at the three-star Montrachet under the direction of Daniel Johnnes (New York City), Service Manager at The Striped Bass (Philadelphia) and Beverage Captain at 231 Ellsworth (San Francisco area). Her expertise spans a spectrum from French and Italian wines, to the wines of California and the northeastern United States, as well as the art of mixology.

In addition to her work at The Culinary Institute of America, Traci has judged the Dallas Morning News New Wine Competition and the Los Angeles Country Fair Wines of the World Competition, two of the largest wine competitions in the country. She has spoken on the marketing of wine at the University of California at Davis, Sonoma State University, and the Wine Industry Financial Symposium. Her wine and beer writing have appeared in Kitchen & Cook, Wine Country Magazine and the St. Helena Star.

Traci’s special interest is in finding vintners who create “labors of love” that civilize our daily lives.

BOB FOSTER
Bob Foster is the Director of the Mid-American Wine Competition as well as the Temecula Valley Wine Competition. Along with Dan Berger, he was the co-founder of the San Diego National Wine Competition and was its director for the first five years (1982-1987). For almost twenty years he has judged numerous wine competitions including the Riverside International Wine Competition, the West Coast Wine Competition, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition, the Baja California Wine Competition, the Missouri State Fair, and the Jefferson Cup Competition in Kansas City.

He is the assistant editor of the California Grapevine wine newsletter and a member of its tasting panel. He recently retired, after thirty-three years, as a prosecutor for the California Attorney General’s Office in San Diego. In that capacity, he twice argued and won cases at the Supreme Court of the United States.

JANE GOODNIGHT
Jane Goodnight is an Account Executive for Young's Market Company, a major West Coast Distributor, selling quality wine and spirits to Specialty Market Chains. She has been involved with the Orange County Wine Society and the Orange County Fair Wine Competition since the inception in 1976. An original Regional Director, for Jerry Mead's Wine Investigation for Novices & Oenophiles (WINO) in Long Beach, she has judged the New World International Wine Competition, the Indiana State Fair Wine Competition, the Orange County Fair Home Wine Competition, the Riverside International Wine Competition, the Temecula & San Diego Wine Competition, as well as the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition for many years. Jane lives in Anaheim Hills with her husband John, and enjoys traveling to distillers, wineries and vineyards in the U.S. and abroad.

RON GILLIES
Ron Gillies is a business leader as well as an avid wine collector, wine industry consultant and founder of Lone Cypress Importers. Ron continues to work in the Electronics Industry which  allows him to hone his wine skills by traveling around the globe visiting and learning about wine in Europe, South America as well as the United States. 

Ron founded Lone Cypress Importers in 2001, bottled his first wine under the Lone Cypress - “Sassy San Diego Red” label in 2005 and helped in the research and launch of BottleWise, a unique patent pending wine carrier with a built in liquid proof sealing system.

Ron will complete his Professional Certification in Wine from San Diego State University in spring 2010 and frequently teaches introductory wine courses for private events as well as the Intuit Women’s Network.
Ron is a long-time judge at the Long Beach Grand Cru International Wine Competition and resides in San Diego California.

UP

WES HAGEN
Wes Hagen has been Vineyard Manager and Winemaker at Clos Pepe Vineyards and Clos Pepe Estate since 1996, after finishing a crush under the tutelage of Bryan Babcock at Babcock Vineyards and Winery in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County. Clos Pepe Estate makes a few hundred cases of Pinot Noir a year, and the vineyard sells fruit (for vineyard designated bottling) to world-class producers such as Brewer-Clifton, Siduri, Ojai Vineyard, Copain/Roessler, Ken Brown Wines, Loring Wine Company and others. Wes is also very involved in wine competitions and has participated as a judge for eight years running in the L.A. County Fair, three years in the Long Beach Grand Cru, and served for two years as the Director and architect for the Santa Barbara County Fair Wine Competition. Wes writes a bi-monthly column on viticulture for WineMakerMagazine and creates content for wine websites. After launching Santa Barbara County’s only regional, commercial wine competition and successfully researching and writing a petition to establish the Santa Rita Hills American Viticultural Area, Wes, was awarded the Central Coast Wine Growers Association “Grower of the Year” award for the 2001-2002 growing seasons. Wes received his viticultural and enological training through the UC Davis Extension, ten years of vineyard labor, as well as from a bunch of crazy Italian-Americans that taught him how to make wine in a Long Beach garage in 1989. Clos Pepe Vineyards has provided grapes for the single vineyard designated wines that have received the highest Wine Spectator scores for the CA Pinot Noir vintages 2001 and 2002, both by individual bottles, and by the average score of different bottles and different producers using our grapes.

JOE HART
Joe Hart, owner and winemaker of Hart Winery in Temecula Valley since 1980. He is a resident of Carlsbad and, on weekends, the mountain community of Idyllwild. He is a professional member of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Southern California regional director of Family Winemakers of California, and past president of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.

He owns a classic Cessna taildragger, drives a recently restored 1960 Alfa Romeo, and is an avid catch-and-release fly fisherman, pursuing, and occasionally catching, the wily trout of California’s eastern Sierra. He has been a wine judge since 1982.

RANDY KEMNER
A Signal Hill native, Randy Kemner began his love affair with wine over 35 years ago. While working as a professional pianist, he took an interest in wine as a hobby in 1970. In 1982 he started working in a retail wine store in Long Beach and began heading down the path that would lead him to being the owner of one of Southern California’s leading wine stores.

From 1985 to 1995, he co-founded and co-owned Pacific Coast Wine Marketing, a distributor for California artisan wines and Kermit Lynch French Imports. With the split from his partner, Randy opened The Wine Country on November 14, 1995—now in its 12th year in business—which he co-owns with his wife Dale Ferguson Kemner.

The Wine Country is the area’s largest and most comprehensive wine store. During its tenure the store has been named a “leading American wine retailer” by Food & Wine magazine, one of “America’s Best Wine Stores” by the Wine and Spirits Reader’s Poll, and listed as one of the “Best Wine Shops of L.A.” by Los Angeles Magazine. An October 2004 article in the Los Angeles Times named The Wine Country’s free monthly newsletter as one of the three best wine shop brochures in California.

ELLEN LANDIS
Ellen, a certified Sommelier, Wine Writer and Consultant, is involved with many aspects throughout the world of wine. As Wine Director and Sommelier at Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, which she co-owns with husband and chef Ken Landis, she coordinates and hosts wine events to help further educate wine aficionados. She has traveled many wine regions throughout North America including California, Canada, New York, Virginia, Arizona, New Mexico, Connecticut, Oregon and Washington, and has traveled several international wine regions as well, including Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Rhone, Tuscany, Spain, Portugal and Australia.

Ellen actively participates in numerous trade events, choosing top notch wines from around the globe for the 3,000 bottle cellar at Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn (which was voted one of the top 15 Inns in North America for Wine Connoisseurs). Her wine seminars focus on wine topics such as “Basic Wine Components,” “Wines from around the World,” “Food and Wine pairings” and “What’s IN for summer wines.” In addition to an MBA, Ellen’s wine education includes UC Davis courses, and the Court of Master Sommelier certification program. She regularly serves as a judge at numerous wine competitions including the California State Fair Wine Competition, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the Amador County Fair Wine Competition, the Sonoma Harvest Fair Wine Competition, the West Coast Wine Competition, the Grand Harvest Wine Competition, the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition, the Wine World Market International Wine Competition, the top 12 ZINS of Lodi Wine Competition, and Affairs of the Vine competitions. She also hosts blind tastings, and participates as a key speaker and panelist at various wine events.

KEN LANDIS
Ken is Chef and co-owner (with wife and Sommelier Ellen) at Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn (recently named one of the top 15 Inns for Wine Connoisseurs in North America. 
He has traveled many wine regions throughout North America including Canada, New York, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, California; international wine regions including Bordeaux, Champagne, Burgundy,  Rhone, Tuscany as well as throughout  Australia, Chile, Argentina, Spain and Portugal. 

In addition to creating recipes for Landis Shores, Ken participates as a guest chef at off-site events including the Lodi ZinFest, creating and demonstrating unique recipes, and attends numerous trade events to assist in choosing top notch wines from around the globe for their 3000 bottle wine cellar.  In addition to his degree in marketing, Ken has successfully completed wine courses at UC Davis, and course work at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.  He participates in numerous blind tastings, and regularly participates as a wine judge at various wine competitions including the California State Fair Wine Competition, The Sonoma Harvest Fair Wine Competition, The Grand Harvest Wine Competition, the Amador County Fair Wine Competition,  the San Francisco Chronicle Competition, The West Coast Wine Competition,  the top 12 ZINS of Lodi, and Affairs of the Vine competitions.  

ADAM LaZARRE
Adam LaZarre is the man behind our outstanding wines here at Villa San-Juliette Winery. Making the transition from Hahn Estates Winery in Monterey where he has been the head winemaker for the past 8 years, Adam has an impressive list of accomplishments under his belt. He has lead the nation in gold medal hauls three out of the last five years as well as Best-of-Show awards. In addition, he has been honored by the Sacramento Bee as Winemaker of the Year in 2005, and was named one of the Top Five Winemakers in 2006 by the San Francisco Chronicle. Adam first fell in love with California wine while serving in the US Navy. At some point, his passion for the liquid became so consuming, that he enrolled in the Enology program at Fresno State University immediately upon receiving his honorable discharge. While in the department, he fell in love with the Central Coast wine growing region and chose to make it his home upon graduation. Although he has produced wines from virtually every major appellation in California over the course of his two decade career, he truly enjoys above all else the challenges and rewards that Paso Robles wine making has to offer. While walking through the vineyards after first meeting with Ken and Nigel, it became apparent to him that Villa San-Juliette should be his new home. All of us here are excited to have Adam in charge of the team.

Adam is a long time supporter of Legal Aid.  His fiancee and her 13 year old son Elijah were both beneficiaries of the Legal Aid's services during a difficult time in their lives.

ANN LITTLEFIELD
Ann Littlefield fell in love with wine during college years spent studying in Europe. A longtime international industry veteran and professional wine judge, she specializes in new market development. Pioneering many facets of the international wine business, Ann’s diverse focus includes marketing, buying, selling and teaching in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and South America. Ann launched and developed a successful company to market and sell wines of the world to the international airline industry. She went on to create global wine sourcing and corporate wine programs for the leading Internet wine retailer. A resident of Napa Valley, Ann’s current focus is development of direct wine marketing programs for diverse wineries, worldwide.

Ann judges in many prestigious wine competitions, including Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, Riverside International, Dallas Morning News International, San Francisco Chronicle, Long Beach Grand Cru International, New World International, Pacific Rim International, San Diego International, The New York Wine Classic, Sonoma County, Mendocino County and Monterey County.

DOUGLAS P. LUMGAIR
As General Manager and partner at Windsor Oaks Vineyards and Winery, Douglas is responsible for both strategic and operational oversight of the 700+ acre estate and winery located in the Russian River and Chalk Hill appellations of Sonoma County.

Douglas has always been passionate about wine. When the opportunity to move his business management career into the wine industry arose, he enthusiastically took it. In 1992, he accepted the challenge from the entrepreneur, Mr. Robert Stein of Long Beach, to transform the former Balverne Cellars into a new, ultra-premium vineyard estate.

Douglas began by completely redesigning all aspects of the vineyards nestled from the Russian River Valley floor to the steep hills and mountain terraces of the Chalk Hill growing region. Through detailed analysis of terroir and potential, he led replanting of over 50 distinct vineyard blocks, encompassing 17 varietals to date, all with a goal of sustainable, environmentally friendly agriculture.   Additional highlights of this redesign include a "Forever Wild" nature preserve on over 300 acres of the estate and implementing several habitat restoration programs.

To enhance the quality of his winegrowing, he is continually comparing winemaking notes and tastings with the over 35 artisan winemakers that buy their grapes from Windsor Oaks. He also is a Certified Specialist of Wine and active member of the Society of Wine Educators where he enjoys a deep exposure to wines and winegrowing traditions from all regions of the world.

When Douglas is not fine tuning Windsor Oaks Vineyards, he enjoys restoring and flying his antique airplane, fly-fishing and volunteering with hospice. He feels awed by nature, and will always be an eternal student of the art, science and magic that transforms terroir, to grape, to wine. He loves his rich life with his wife and muse, Julie.

JULIE HAGLER LUMGAIR
As winemaker, Julie makes the highly awarded hand-crafted artisan line and also does custom crush winemaking at Windsor Oaks Vineyards (a private 700+ acre estate in the heart of Sonoma County's renowned Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill AVA's). She additionally leads the strategic sales and marketing of luxury winegrapes to the Estate's 35+ winemaker clients.  

To enhance the quality of her winemaking, Julie is continually comparing winemaking notes and tastings with the over 35 artisan winemakers that buy their grapes from Windsor Oaks. She is a Certified Specialist of Wine and active member of the Society of Wine Educators where she enjoys a deep exposure to wines and winegrowing traditions from all regions of the world.   She also serves in research and marketing roles for the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission (Grape Growers) and is very active in the Russian River Valley Winegrowers AVA group.

Julie also enjoys wine judging in some noted competitions.  Wine judging is a natural extension of Julie's passion for wine, combined with her years of technical experience which cover a broad range of beverage and food judging, numerous consumer and chef-based sensory evaluation studies and global new product development.  She has won numerous national marketing industry awards including National Gold Effie and Gold Edison Awards for her brand management and consulting work in both Fortune 100 and private firms.

She also guest lectures for industry panels and academic groups, supports various charities and cultural organizations, and remains active in her family's fifth generation multi-faceted farming operation. She enjoys living and working at Windsor Oaks Vineyards with her husband and muse, Douglas.

MICHAEL MARTINI
Mike Martini grew up in his father and grandfather’s vineyards, learning first-hand what it takes to make world-class wines. When he wasn’t in school in rural St. Helena, he was working at the winery, or out riding horses. Today, St. Helena has grown up, and Mike rides a motorcycle, but he still gets up every day to make Cabernet Sauvignon that will make his family proud.

A graduate of the world-renowned winemaking program at U.C. Davis, Mike worked alongside his father before taking over the reins as winemaker in 1977. He continues to develop his own strong personal style, creating wines that are balanced, complex, and well-suited to accompany foods.

Mike studied artisan winemaking techniques in Bordeaux and Burgundy before settling in at home. Much of what he learned there went into the micro-winery he recently built a hundred yards from his office. “This is the greatest tool kit a winemaker ever had,” Mike says. “We’re going to have some great wines coming out of what we learn with these small lots.”

The focus in the micro-winery is Cabernet Sauvignon. “Everyone talks about massive Cabernets,” Mike says, “but the great thing about Cabernet is that its structure can show power and also elegance, grace, and finesse.”

TIM McDONALD
Based in Napa Valley, Tim Founded a full service marketing communications consulting company in 2006.  As a 25 year wine industry veteran, Tim held positions with: E & J Gallo as Marketing Director Fine Wine Communications; Peak Wines as V.P. of Marketing & Communications; Director of Trade Relations with Trinchero Family Estates; Heublein Wines as Director of Trade & Public Relations and sales assignments with Seagram and Heublein.

Tim has experience with all types of Media, National Accounts, Wholesale Distributors, Restaurant and Retail segments.  Tim has served as a Wine Judge at over 100 Wine Competitions here in North American and spoken frequently on assembled panels at many win e industry events.

The Agency is small and nimble, offers quality personal service and, provides measurable results.  Wine Spoken Here is a source for Wine pros...seasoned experts with solutions and reputation engineering for wine brands.

FRED NURY, PH.D
Dr. Fred S. Nury of Fresno, California is emeritus professor of Enology and Food Science at California State University, Fresno, where he served as chairman of the Department of Agricultural Industry and as a professor.  He is the author or co-author of 56 publications (including the winemaker’s guide) as well as six U.S. patents.

He was given an award of life membership by the Technical Advisory Committee of the Wine Institute (one of only five such awards granted).  He also served as a member of the editorial board of the American Society of Enologists and is presently a consultant to the wine industry.  In 2001, Nury received the ASEV award of Emeritus life member in the American Society of Enologists.

JEFF SLANKARD
Jeff Slankard is the wine director for Barons Marketplace, a chain of specialty food and wine stores located in San Diego County. He has over 25 years of experience in the wine retail business.

A long-time judge at the Long Beach Grand Cru International Wine Competition, the San Diego International Wine Competition, the Riverside International Wine Competition and the Fiestas de la Vendemia, Mr. Slankard has also been a member of the California Grapevine tasting panel since 1985.

Mr. Slankard is married with two sons and resides in Oceanside, California.

CLARK SMITH
Winemaker, Clark Smith. Dropped out of M.I.T. in 1971, and has been in the wine industry ever since. Among the Clark’s claims to fame are the only perfect score ever in the Winetasting Olympics and being fired by Alice Waters. Twice.

After graduating U.C. Davis in 1983, he served as winemaker for the R.H. Phillips Vineyard for its first seven years, taking if from 3,000 cases per year to 250,000. In 1990, he began Vinovation, now the world’s largest winemaking consulting company, with over 1, 200 clients around the world. Clark and his staff at Vinovation named the practices they developed “GrapeCraft” a name adopted by his family’s winemaking venture, GrapeCraft Wines. These practices mainly center around building structure, integrating aroma, and promoting living soils.

Clark spends his time dreaming up ways to improve his client’s wines, rattling the cages of established wine industry icons and institutions, folksinging, and making his own line of eclectic brands including the astounding WineSmith line, the fun & friendly PennyFarthing wines, and the groundbreaking CheapSkate brand. Clark also miraculously finds time to teach courses in Enology at University of California at Davis, Napa Valley College, Fresno State University, Southwest Missouri State University, Florida International University, and l’Academie du Vin in Tokyo.

MIKE STEPANOVICH
Based in Bakersfield, Mike Stepanovich has been writing his wine column, "Life is a Cabernet," since 1985, and judging wines since 1987. As an avid wine collector, Mr. Stepanovich also teaches wine history and wine appreciation classes for California State University, Northridge, and California State University, Bakersfield. "Life is a Cabernet" first appeared in the pages of The Bakersfield Californian, where it ran continuously until 1998. In 1986, "Life is a Cabernet" was syndicated by Columbia Features, and appeared as a regular feature in various newspapers around the nation until 1992, when Columbia Features closed. In 1997 his column began appearing in Bakersfield Magazine, for which Mr. Stepanovich also reviews restaurants. His work has appeared in such national and international publications as International Wine Review, Wine News and Wine Business Monthly. Mr. Stepanovich is recognized for his discerning palate, and has judged at such renowned competitions as the Indianapolis International Wine Competition, Florida International Wine Competition, Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, and the Riverside International Wine Competition. He is the past president of the Bakersfield Wine Society, and serves on the committee for CSU Bakersfield's annual scholarship fundraiser, "Party in the Park," a wine tasting that has grown to one of the largest wine events in Central California. He also makes his wine, a blend of syrah, petite sirah and cabernet sauvignon, from grapes he grows himself, and from other sources. In his spare time, he is writing a tongue-in-cheek novel about wine, tentatively titled "Zinforado!" which he hopes to publish sometime in the near future.

DAVID STEVENS
David, a former middle school science instructor, earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Williams College, a UC Davis MS in Food Science/Enology, and held winemaking and senior management positions at ultra-premium producers Bouchaine Vineyards, Domaine Chandon, and Freemark Abbey in the Napa Valley.   David is currently a senior consultant for Davon International, a wine and distilled beverage production and marketing consulting firm.  He is also the Vice President/Technical Director for TFC Wines & Spirits, a world leader in the production and marketing of reduced alcohol wines.

An expert in ethyl carbamate formation in wine, David has published numerous technical papers on the subject.  He is on the faculty of UC Davis Extension, teaching winemaking and wine marketing courses, is a speaker/moderator for national and international conferences.  His resume includes international consulting work for, among others, Booz Allen Hamilton. And, most recently, the pioneering work on the "building" of flavorful lighter style, less alcoholic wines.

David’s interests include travel, hiking, and dining out with his physician wife, Dr. Susan Stevens, and their daughters, Molly and Emma.  An avid fan of the Oakland A’s, he is equally happy cheering at the girls’ athletic or dramatic endeavors.

JAMES TREZISE
James (Jim) Trezise has been president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation since its creation in 1985 and has been involved with the industry since 1982.  The Foundation is a private, not-for-profit organization which sponsors research and conducts promotion programs in support of New York grapes, grape juice and wine.  The Foundation’s research and promotion programs have received national recognition, as has its close and productive partnership with the State of New York.

Jim is also widely recognized for his leadership in the American wine industry, having received three national awards for his many contributions: the Wine Integrity Award in 2006 from the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission; the first-ever “Distinguished Service Award” in 2001 from the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (Eastern Section); and the Perpetual Monteith Trophy (Thomas Jefferson Cup) in 1995 from the Vinifera Winegrowers Association.   He was also named by Wines & Vines magazine as one of the top 50 “movers and shakers” in the United States wine industry

Jim is actively involved with several national and international organizations focusing on key issues affecting the grape and wine industry worldwide.  He is President of the International Riesling foundation, a coalition of top Riesling producers from around the world seeking to promote Riesling and educate consumers.  He serves on the Presidential Council and as Director of Communications of FIVS (formerly Federation Internationale des Vins et Spiritueux --International Federation of Wines and Spirits) based in Paris.  He also serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of  WineAmerica, the national organization of American wineries; as a Board member of the National Grape and Wine Initiative; was a co-founder of the American Wine Alliance for Research and Education, and has been active in many other  organizations including the International Organization of Vine and wines in Paris.  He is a frequent speaker on major issues at conferences throughout the United States, as well as a professional wine judge at several international competitions, and the author of articles which have appeared in the New York Times and other media.

Prior to his appointment as the Foundation’s President, Jim had been involved with the New York grape and wine industry for three years, first as Executive Director of the New York State Wine Grape Growers and then as president of the New York Wine Council representing both growers and vintners.  His career includes more than 30 years of communications consulting, public relations, advertising, public policy, and strategic planning.  He holds a master’s degree in International Communications from the American University in Washington, DC, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Allegheny College.

A native New Yorker from Rochester, Jim lived in France for three years prior to his involvement with the New York grape and wine industry.  He now lives in the Finger Lakes region.

DAVID VERGARI
"...David Vergari left a lucrative career of selling used banjos to Sicilians to become a winemaker."   Hold on.  Let's restart, shall we?

David Vergari makes wine under the eponymously named Vergari label, specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a small bit of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon thrown in to keep him sane.  David also works as a winemaking consultant and teaches wine classes.  He has a particular fondness for the Long Beach Grand Cru because this was his first experience as a wine judge way back when the earth was still cooling and sabre-tooth tigers roamed Signal Hill.

KESTUTIS "GUS" VIZGIRDA
My family immigrated to aurora, Illinois, from Lithuania in 1949.  As was the family custom, fruit trees, a large garden, and hops for beer making were planted.  One year my father decided to plant Concord grapes and try his hand in winemaking.  I remember my dad working in the basement, with the beer and wine and the smell of sweetness mixed with a hoppiness filling my nose.  The beer was always good, but the wine...well, it wasn't very good.  While working in Germany from 1980 to 82 for the U.S. Air Force Weather Service (Upper air aviation weather, not TV) wine once again intrigued me.  It was those two years that I spent tasting and learning about German wine.

I moved to Temecula in the early '80s and by some luck became involved in wine.  I started by "helping out" at the Culbertson Winery, then under the direction of winemaker Jon McPherson, and then later became more serious when I was hired at Temecula Crest Winery to manage the tasting room and maintain the wine cellar.  Winemaking education was done the old fashioned way, hard work and apprenticing.  I trained under Joe Chirpin, a Temecula Valley winemaker pioneer, Steven Hagata, Faulkner Winery and Mike Tingley, Maurice Car'rie Winery.  2004 marked my first year as the winemaker for both Maurice Car'rie and LaCereza wineries
and I continue in that position today.