Special Guests
Chad and his brother Brent planted the vineyard from raw land in the cold climate of Santa Rita Hills in 1997 and 1998. The family has been in the growing of wine business since the mid 80's and found their…
Andrew Murray fell in love with the emerging Rhone varieties, Syrah and Viognier, in the late 1980's while traveling through France's Rhone Valley. Leaving his UC Berkeley paleontology and English literature studies behind, he pursued his new mistress, Syrah, with…
Joe Wright joined the Oregon wine industry in 1996 after leaving Glenwood Springs, CO where he had managed a fine wine shop for several years. While in Oregon he made wine at Willamette Valley Vineyards, which included the Griffin Creek…
Roland Micu is a Master Sommelier and experienced wine and beverage educator. Roland has run wine and beverage programs for Michelin Starred restaurants in the Bay Area, California, and currently resides in the western mountain region of Colorado. Roland's true…
Cameron joined Ramey Wine Cellars prior to the 2002 harvest and has since been an integral part of crafting our award-winning wines. Cameron was born and raised in Lodi, California before heading off to California State University-Fresno. He graduated with…
Chefs
Kevin grew up in the Pacific Northwest and started his culinary career in Seattle, Washington over 30 years ago. He landed a job with The Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts at the age of 19 as a Cook III shucking…
Born and raised in North Carolina, Chef Matt has been in Vail for 13 years. Starting out at Mirabelle in Beaver Creek then working his way to becoming Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Kelly Liken for 5 years, he is…
Executive Chef Daniel Maguire's point of view is to utilize the best local ingredients, giving them their truest expression on the plate. Chef Dan studied at Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, and turned his culinary eye to the…
Brian Ackerman has been with Splendido for over a decade, working as a sous chef and then for years as chef-de-cuisine. He purchased the restaurant in the spring of 2016, and as executive chef he is committed to carrying on…
Jason started his career bouncing around the country gaining experience in a variety of culinary styles, targeting locations that are recognized for their cuisine. Some areas of focus were around seafood in the Pacific Northwest, smoked meats in the Texas…
Chef Joe moved to Vail, Colorado from Chicago in 2019 because it seemed like the right thing to do. After three years in the Windy City, he was looking for somewhere new to call home. Joe found that Vail was…
Jose has been masterfully creating beautifully prepared dishes at the Chophouse from the restaurant’s inception. Beginning at the age of 14 he has proven himself time and time again working up from a dishwasher to being named Executive Chef. Chef…
I was born in Tijuana, Mexico and was greatly influenced by the Mexican-American culture of the city. My mother was from Mexico and my father was from the States. I went to school in Mexico until the age of 24.…
Riley Romanin was born in Evergreen, Colorado before moving to the Vail Valley with his family when he was ten. His fascination for food and cooking manifested early, and he spent his childhood hovering close behind his mother and grandmother…
Growing up in Denver Colorado, Jay Spickelmier joined the restaurant industry at age fourteen. His culinary career quickly took shape in Boulder, Colorado's restaurant seen, which included the iconic Flagstaff House. Finding his passion and the entrepreneur spirit, Chef Spickelmier…
Jack Ridenour attended the Western Culinary Institute and graduated with an Associate's Degree in Culinary Management. Ridenour takes pride in training culinary students from all over the world. He describes his biggest challenge as providing the freshest food at an…
Mike Sheard graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with an Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts and Hotel and Restaurant Management. Sheard is the Executive Chef at Two Elk Lodge and has worked with Vail Resorts for 26 years, starting…
Born and raised in North Carolina, Chef Amick has been living in Eagle County for almost three years, and has worked in progressive cuisine for 25 years. Growing up surrounded by agriculture, he began his education at an early age…
Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que was founded by three Alabama boys: Ben Gilbert from Athens, Mike Fernandez from Tuscaloosa, and Jeff Kennedy from Huntsville. After meeting at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, they instantly became friends and had a mutual interest…
Michael Irwin had started his career in the Vail Valley in 1994 working at Sweet Basil until 1999. This is when he left Sweet Basil to open Larkspur with Thomas Salamonovich. Over the course of his early days working in…
Distinguished chef and culinary leader Marco Fossati has been appointed Executive Chef at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail. Fossati has an impressive culinary career that began more than 30 years ago in his home country of Italy. After completing…
Taylor grew up in Boulder and loved to ski and snowboard, and everything mountain. She began her culinary career at home with her parents when she was a child. They would cook elaborate meals on the weekends, and their cuisine…
La Tour's award-winning Chef-Owner Paul Ferzacca, honored at the James Beard House in New York City, is one of Vail's most celebrated and respected chefs. He has served in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the country, such as…
Matthew Good's career began after enrolling in the Culinary Program at Colorado Mountain College where he quickly found his way into the field of fine dining. After 6 years working in Vail Valley for a variety of restaurants such as…
Wade's career has taken him from his roots in Sonoma, California, to the island of Maui and then to the Colorado mountains. He worked his way up early from pastry chef to line cook to sous chef, then to executive…
Wineries
ZD Wines President Brett deLeuze is a lifetime veteran of the wine business. He was only four years old when ZD Wines was founded in 1969. He grew up immersed in the excitement surrounding the founding of a new winery.…
Josh first worked with MS Larry Stone on the wine team at the legendary Michelin Charlie Trotter's. When chef Trotter retired, Josh relocated to the Cayman Islands, where he continued his pursuit of excellence in food and wine- opening a…
Jesse Becker is a Master Sommelier and has worked for some of the top restaurants in the United States including Tra Vigne (Napa Valley), NoMI at the Park Hyatt (Chicago), and Frasca Food and Wine (Colorado). His training included three…
Neil was born and raised in Bristol, England. Trained as a chef, he moved into winemaking with stints with John Munch at Adelaida Cellars and Ken Volk at Wild Horse. At Adelaida, Neil met Robert Haas and the Perrins of…
"Winemaking is a science and entails technical skill, but just as critical is having deep intuition, keen observation, and a sense of wonder." Chris Kajani became the winemaker and general manager at Bouchaine Vineyards in early 2015, replacing longtime Bouchaine…
Matt Trevisan, owner, and winemaker of Linne Calodo crafted his first vintage in 1998. He has garnered accolades and A-level scores for his Rhone influenced and Zinfandel artisan blends. Considering Paso Robles is a wine region in the grips of…
Applying his Business Management degree from St. Mary's University, Eric has enjoyed building and managing businesses alongside incredibly talented professionals. Eric has expertise in building and cultivating strategic partnerships and is committed to applying his experience to serve the family…
Brian O'Donnell began his winemaking career in New York City in the 6th grade when he pilfered some Concord grapes from a neighbor's arbor. After the ensuing hangover, he went into retirement for about 20 years until he started making…
Dave Guffy first became interested in wine as a Food Science student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. During his college years, he was working in restaurants where he had the opportunity to sample a variety of different…
Adam Fox is the Managing Partner at Canard Vineyard in Napa Valley, CA. Originally from Denver, Colorado, his family moved to Los Angeles in the early 70's. From a young age, Adam was passionate about creating art. Over the years…
German Bistue is a Founding Partner at Wine Bridge Imports and assistant winemaker at Bistue Cellars winery in California. Growing up in Mendoza, Argentina, German has always been involved in the wine industry. After graduating from college, he managed a…
Carolina Bistue is a Proprietor and Winemaker at Bistue Cellars winery in California. Growing up in the heart of the Mendoza wine region in Argentina, the world's fifth largest wine-producing country, Carolina developed a strong passion for wine early on.…
Intrigued by the potential of the microclimate and its ability to produce evocative Pinot Noir, Carl and Marilynn Thoma were among the first to choose the foothills at the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor to build their family estate…
Michael Beaulac knew he wanted to be a winemaker after reading a single interview with winemaker Christian Moueix of Bordeaux's renowned Chateau Petrus. From then on, the Burlington, Vermont, native likes to say, he learned about winemaking from the school…
When you are born into a family business and the "office" is just outside your back door, the chances are pretty good you will be put to work at a very early age. And so it was for Harry Wetzel…
Jesse's diverse experience spanning 18 harvests at wineries, along with his desire to travel, fed his aspiration to learn from the best in the industry, including Petrus in Bordeaux, as well as time on the winemaking teams at Screaming Eagle…
Mikey Etzel's tenure at Beaux Freres began in 1994 when he and his two brothers sought to acquire the recently debuted Nintendo NES game console. Their father advised them that if they truly wanted it, they would have to work…
Paddy's family association with farming and the fine food it produces dates back to his great-great grandfather, Sir Thomas Borthwick who was a pioneer in the English meat trade. Originally a butcher, Sir Thomas went on to be one of…
Amber used to tend bar at beloved local spots like The Altamont in Occidental, the lobby bar at the Hotel Healdsburg, and Underwood Bistro in Graton, but it was a tasting room gig at Rochioli Vineyards that ignited her passion…
In the late 1970s, while teaching math at San Jose State University and working a side hustle at a home-brewing supply store, Rick was encouraged to try his hand at winemaking and fell deeply, madly in love. His hunger for…
Growing up on the East Coast, Shannon began a career in television working for Viacom Inc. as a Line Producer for on-air promos. In her spare time, she learned about wine while helping her father, a home winemaker, and the…
Christopher Hyde has always had a passion for land. After studying Agricultural Business and Viticulture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Farm Management, Chris worked an internship in sales at Wilson Daniels.…
Matthew Regan is the Vice President/Brand Ambassador of VGS Chateau Potelle Winery in the Napa Valley. Matthew joined Chateau Potelle in 2000, and now manages all aspects of the VGS experience. Prior to his appointment at VGS Chateau Potelle, Matthew…
Braintree, MA native, winemaker Keith Emerson has more than 20 years of experience in fine wine production. He is one of the few winemakers who excels in crafting both Bordeaux and Burgundian varieties and produces wines from Napa, Sonoma, Oregon…
Ken fell under the thrall of wine's mystery while growing up in Scarsdale, New York, amidst a wine loving family. He recalls venturing to Zachy's with his mom and being fascinated by the wooden crates bearing the imprimaturs of Chateau…
THE STORY: When I was a kid, I thought I'd be a farmer. All my family thought I'd be a farmer. When we sold our farm, I spent every school holiday I could on a farm. I loved getting up…
After eight years managing restaurants including three years at San Francisco-based Morton's Steakhouse, Jeff Zappelli joined HALL Wines in 2006, helping define one of the most successful Direct to Consumer industry efforts in the Napa Valley. In 2012, Craig and…
Mr. Shanks has a long history of driving our collective consciousness toward 'Sustainability as a Business Model'. Carey, along with his wife Connie, have put Marble Distilling on the map as 'the most sustainable distillery on the planet'. And Carey…
Ms. Baker spent her years in marketing drugs, with a long standing fascination for vodka and how its produced. "It's amazing to me that you can make vodka out of anything." In 2010 Connie went to school for distilling, and…
Zachary Barlow Smith is 3rd generation grape grower within the Barlow vineyards family. From a young age, he started learning about life in the vineyard and the daily work that goes into all four seasons of farming vineyards. After high…
Olivier will impress you from his 6'8" frame and charm you with his kind & friendly attitude. From Brittany, he moved to the US in 1994. He started working in the wine industry in 2001 and joined the Thienot USA…
Macey resides in Austin, Texas; however, she spends much of her year on the road in Texas, California, Colorado, Arizona, Alabama, Nashville, and Oklahoma. Macey's love of wine began in her days as a bartender while attending the University of…
My career in the wine business began at 15; however, while at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas I double majored in Hospitality Management and Philosophy. Moving on to the Court of Master Sommeliers the "brass tacks" of wine have…
As the Central Coast winemaker for the Duckhorn Portfolio, Katie brings more than 15 years of experience to her role helping to guide a winemaking program that reaches from Monterey County in the north to Santa Barbara County in the…
Ali Hill is a certified Sommelier who discovered her passion for wine while bussing in a French restaurant at 19 years old. Residing in Denver, she covers the Southwest and New England regions for Wine Bridge Imports and enjoys sharing…
It was while living in Paris that Janet discovered a fascination and passion for wine. With visits to Champagne, Burgundy, the Rhone, the Loire and the Languedoc, she began her education. After two years abroad, Janet returned to New York…
Hometown: St. Paul, MN Been at Miner since: January 2017 Why the wine industry? Passion for constant learning. Always a new vintage and grape varietals to learn and taste. Favorite part of your job: Working with our team! We have…
Brandy has always had a passion for wine and has now worked in the industry for almost 20 years. Starting with domestic, then imported wines, the world of Port sparked her interest as one of the more mystical wine regions…
Ali Hill is a certified Sommelier who discovered her passion for wine while bussing in a French restaurant at 19 years old. Residing in Denver, she covers the Southwest and New England regions for Wine Bridge Imports and enjoys sharing…
Tim Colla discovered his passion for winemaking while traveling through Argentina during a post-high school gap year. After completing his studies in Fine Art and Chemistry at Columbia University, he returned to Argentina to start his career in wine with…
