Kapalua Wine and Food Festival 2024

2024 Sommeliers and panelists

Committed to date. Check back for updates.

Michael Jordan, MS

Jackson Family Fine Wines

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MICHAEL JORDAN, MS, CWE
Director of Global Key Accounts

“Sommelier for the People”
Host of CRN DIGITAL TALK RADIO’S “The Word on Wine”

• 2008 International Sommelier of the Year – Whitefish Wine & Food Summit
• 2007 General Manager of the Year – Southern California Restaurant Writers
• 2006 Restaurant Professional of the Year – Orange Coast Magazine
• 2003 & 2005 Sommelier of the Year – Southern California Restaurant Writers
• 2005 Wine Educator of the Year – Starwine
• 2001 & 2002 Sommelier of the Year – California Restaurant Writers Association
• 2022 ‘KNIGHTED’ in France – by L’Echansonnerie du Vin du Pape de France

Five-time Sommelier of the Year and Veteran Restaurateur affectionately named “Sommelier for the People” Michael Jordan is Director of Global Key Accounts for Jackson Family Wines.

Jordan travels the globe to work with key decision makers and hospitality industry leaders. Passionate and friendly, Jordan demystifies the world of wines as a true “Ambassador of Flavor” for wine lovers across the globe. With over forty years working in hospitality Michael holds both Certified Wine Educator and Master Sommelier Diplomas (one of only 15 people in the world to hold both).

Starting in the kitchens of his father’s famous Matteo’s Italian Restaurants in Hollywood and Waikiki, Jordan worked his way up to executive chef and has also done every job in the front and back of the house. Jordan fine tuned his hospitality skills at Four Seasons Hotel Newport Beach and opened restaurants for Chef Joachim Splichal in California and Nevada. Overall, Jordan has opened 17 restaurants.

Jordan was Chairman and Chief Judge of the Los Angeles International Wine Competition for15 years and Hosts the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival every year on the island of Maui – this will be the festival’s 42nd year.
Jordan also hosts a weekly radio show, The Word on Wine – in many AM radio markets across the country and podcast on CRN Digital Talk Radio.

Jordan’s previous roles include:
• Global Manager of Wine, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Worldwide
• President of The Beachcomber Restaurant Group
• Vice President of THE RANCH Restaurant & Saloon (Zagat 28-29-28),
• GM/Somm of Napa Rose Restaurant, Disneyland Resort (Zagat 29-28-28)
• GM/Sommelier of the award-winning Pinot Provence Restaurant
• GM/Sommelier of the “AAA Five Diamond” Pavilion Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Newport Beach

Jordan has proctored examinations for the Court of Master Sommeliers to hundreds of Master Candidates, also taught wine education, service and hospitality to thousands of people in restaurants, hotels and cruise lines internationally, across the globe.

Michael was in the documentary movie called SOMM and was responsible for the concept and creation of the series of three SOMM movies – when filmmaker Jason Wise took Michael’s Wine Education Class at the Napa Rose Restaurant at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA. Wise was inspired by Michael’s wine course to create the films that tell the story about the culture and dedication of service obsessed restauranteurs and hospitality professionals.

“Michael Jordan is one of just 15 people in the world awarded both Master Sommelier and CWE (Certified Wine Educator) Diplomas. And if there were an equivalent for farming heirloom tomato expertise, he’d have that, too.”
– Priscilla Mayfield’s column in Orange Coast Magazine – August 2013

Patrick Okubo

Patrick Okubo, MS/RNDC

Napa Valley Farming Focus
Paso Robles Cab Collective
Champagne & Caviar
Maneet Chauhan Cooking Demonstration

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Patrick Okubo has been a Master Sommelier since 2011, one of 273 in the world, and 168 of which are in the Americas.

He is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE) and Certified Specialist in Spirits (CSS). The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) he holds the Advanced Sake Level 3 Award, and is a WSET Educator.

Patrick is the Fine Wine Specialist and Wine Educator for Republic National Distribution Company (RNDC) Hawaii since 2011.

Born and raised in Kaimuki he graduated high school from University Laboratory School in 2000. He then went to the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a Bachelor of Science in Travel Industry Management with an emphasis in hospitality. 2016 he earned his Masters from Hawaii Pacific University with a Master of Arts in Organizational Change and Development, graduating with Distinction.

He has been a member of the National Guard since 1999 in the 111th Army Band as a Sergeant First Class and retired in 2021.

Patrick started a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Aloha Wine Foundation with a mission to Unite, educate, and inspire the Hawaii sommelier community. They primarily give scholarships to industry member to take wine classes.

Since the start of 2022 he was elected to the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas Board of Directors.

Previous to RNDC he opened Formaggio Grill in 2008 as Managing Partner managing all operations in the front house, kitchen, as well as business support operations. He opened the restaurant from construction to opening and expanded the operation to include a private banquet room. While he was there Formaggio Grill won Hale Aina Awards Gold Award for Best Wine Program from 2008-2010 and Ilima Awards Best Wine List.

Prior to Formaggio he was the Wine Director / Restaurant manager at Four Seasons Lana’i. He managed the fine dining restaurant at Manele Bay as General Manager. In addition to the restaurant he managed the wine program for both Manele and Koele including 13 different outlets from restaurants, banquets, room service, to retail shops.

Christopher Ramelb, MS

Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits

Global Wine Focus
Champagne & Caviar

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Christopher Ramelb MS, a native of Kaua’i, started his wine career as a business analyst for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits after earning a Computer Science degree at University of Hawaii-Manoa. He has twice since represented Hawaii at the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs National Young Somm competition and earned the coveted Johnston Medal in 2016, achieving the highest score for all Advanced Sommelier examinations in the calendar year. After stints at Vino Italian Tapas and Alan Wong’s, he took the post of opening Wine Director at Senia, where he helped earn the restaurant a James Beard nomination for “Best New Restaurant” and a spot in Wine Enthusiast’s 2017 “America’s Top 100 Wine Restaurants”. He rejoined Southern Glazer’s as the Restaurant Sales Manager in 2018, the same year he first passed the Master Sommelier examination.

Patrick Okubo

Michael Kennedy, Vintner

Signature Winemaker’s Dinner
The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua

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Kennedy’s passion for wine started in an unexpected place: his 7th grade French class where his teacher shared the culture of French wine and how it’s something that brings people and families together while enhancing dining experiences. This always stuck with Kennedy even as he earned his bachelor’s degree in international business and French Language from Purdue.
Upon graduating, Kennedy worked at a local vineyard where he studied to become a Certified Sommelier. Once Certified, he looked to expand his exposure to wine and turned to the Ritz-Carlton. He worked as a Sommelier at two Ritz-Carlton properties, first in Washington DC for two years, followed by the Grand Cayman property. At the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, Kennedy served as Beverage Director at the restaurant on site, Blue by Eric Ripert. Blue exposed Kennedy to wines he never dreamt he’d work with, and through his time there, he came up with the idea to found Component Wine Company in 2014.
Since the start of Component, Kennedy has taken on additional projects leading to the creation of Fraîche Wine Group. Fraiche now holds a total of four wineries: Component Wine Company, Gagnon-Kennedy Vineyards, Borgo Bonelli, and SOM Wines. Kennedy aims to foster a culture centered around providing excellent wine and memorable hospitality for all patrons. It’s a gift to make wine and an even bigger gift to share it.
Kennedy was named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list for his work in the wine industry and has been called a “Rising Star” by Food & Wine Magazine, “Super-Somm” by Bloomberg’s Elin McCoy and a “Top Young Entrepreneur in America” by Business Insider. Kennedy splits his time between Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Tuscany and his hometown, St. Louis. He and his wife Rachel have three sons.
Kapalua Wine and Food Festival

Giorgio Bava

Bava – Piedmont, Italy

Global Wine Focus

Ancient Peaks
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Giorgio and his family run the Bava winery, an historical wine producer on the hills of Piemonte. The Bava family has cultivated vineyards in the village of Cocconato since 1600 and in 1911 built the first winery. After so many years, the family still runs every aspect, from vineyards to cellar to gala dinners around the world.

 

Being the 6th generation, Giorgio grew up between barrels and vineyards but soon left to explore new flavours beyond the region’s borders. After several years in London, working with different wine and spirits importers while discovering unknown varieties from far away parts of the world, Giorgio joined his father Roberto as Export Manager, with a focus on US, Canada, central and south America.

 

Giorgio travels far and wide to promote the Piedmontese wine and food culture but he’s always back in time for the trendiest countryside events and aperitivo season.

Austin Hope

Doug Filipponi

Ancient Peaks Winery

Paso Robles Cab Collective

Ancient Peaks
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Doug Filipponi, Owner
Doug Filipponi is a longtime local winegrower and Paso Robles native who oversees all vineyard operations for Ancient Peaks Winery. Doug was named “Agriculturalist of the Year” in 2021 and “Wine Industry Person of The Year” by his wine industry peers at the 2006 California Mid State Fair in Paso Robles. He is also the president of Filipponi & Thompson Drilling, the current president of the Paso Robles Cab Collective, a past president of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, and a past chairman of the Paso Robles Wine Festival. Doug is co-owner of Margarita Vineyard and Ancient Peaks Winery.
Austin Hope

Suzanne Groth

Groth Vineyards & Winery

Napa Valley Farming Focus

Hope Family Wines
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The vineyards of Oakville are both home and inspiration to Suzanne Groth, and the root of what drives her to lead the family winery for the next generation. “Our pursuit is to make the best wine that each vintage allows,” she says. “Growing grapes to make the best wine we can is the ultimate and highest purpose in our stewardship on this piece of land.” “The winery is a family business, and as a family we are compelled to be involved in every aspect, to learn, live and preserve it for the next generation,” says Suzanne. “Oakville, beyond being one of Napa Valley’s most desirable and coveted growing regions, is also a neighborhood, full of friends and farmers that share our vision and quest for fine wine,” she adds. Suzanne grew up around in and around the Groth vineyards and winery. Her first job was cleaning her parents’ office on weekends, and later she worked in the tasting room. She went away to college to study art, and is an avid and accomplished painter. But she came back to wine, back home to Oakville feeling the pull of the family wine business. “The wine business is so multi-faceted. It has so many points, from farming to winemaking to business, commerce, politics, environmental, sustainability — it’s satisfying and complex.” Suzanne first went to work selling wine for a fine-wine distributor. “After selling other people’s ‘wine vision,’ I was able to appreciate how very special Groth Vineyards is,” she says. Suzanne returned to the family business in 1998, working in wine sales and public relations before leading sales and marketing. In 2017, she succeeded her father, Dennis, as president. With her two children, she is committed to ensuring the success of the family business and health of the property for their future. In addition to her duties at the winery, Suzanne serves as chairman of The Wine Institute and is a board member and former president of the Oakville Winegrowers. Intertwining her loves of art, family and work, Suzanne creates paintings inspired from Groth’s vineyards. Many of her pieces adorn the walls at the winery.
Austin Hope

Austin Hope

Hope Family Wines

Paso Robles Cab Collective

Hope Family Wines
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Austin Hope is an owner, winemaker and president of Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles, California. He is an avid champion of Paso Robles who has spent more than 25 years at the helm of the family winery. Being awarded Wine Enthusiast’s “2022 American Winery of the Year” marked the highlight of Austin’s career to this point. Hope Family Wines today spans six brands that exemplify the quality and diversity of Paso Robles: Austin Hope, Treana, Quest, AUSTIN, Liberty School and Troublemaker. Austin came to Paso Robles with his family in 1978, when his parents, Chuck and Marlyn Hope, bought a ranch and planted both vineyards and apple orchards. Austin enjoyed playing and working in the vineyards as a child, a sign of things to come. Austin studied Fruit Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated in 1996. Shortly thereafter, and in the wake of a family tragedy, Chuck Hope turned to his son to lead the family business. The bold and brash 23-year-old Austin jumped in ready to make his mark on the business. Making and selling Treana Red, an ambitious $30 red table wine, proved to be challenging at first. However, Austin remained firm in his belief in Paso Robles wines, and he began to win over buyers and customers alike. The success of Treana would ultimately spark the creation of Hope Family Wines and its diverse portfolio of Paso Robles-grown offerings. In 2007, along with fellow Paso Robles winemakers, he helped produce the TTB petition for the creation of 11 new sub-AVAs for Paso Robles, a critically important distinction that elevated the region’s status on the world stage. In 2019, Austin was named “Wine Person of the Year” by the San Luis Obispo Wine INdustry. He is also active in the community as a supporter of Must! Charities, Operation Surf and others. At the heart of everything Austin does, there is a passion for Paso Robles and a dream of making it a global household name. At the forefront of this effort is the Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon—a luxury Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon that has twice been named a Top 10 Wine of the Year by Wine Enthusiast. This is a wine that he likes to say is “Paso Robles defined.” Austin lives on the family vineyard in the Templeton Gap District with his wife Celeste Hope and their two daughters, Ainsley and Avery Hope.
Kapalua Wine and Food Festival

Emily Gaspard-Clark

Spy Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand

Global Wine Focus

Petrossian Caviar
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Emily’s entry to the wine industry happened by chance when she visited a university careers evening, offering information on its Viticulture and Oenology course. She’d already decided to study food science and was caught by the prospect of a job that balanced science and function. After completing her first few harvests she knew she had made the right choice.

She attended Lincoln University and spent her summers working in vineyards around New Zealand, relishing the active roles and the ability to follow a product from start to finish.

She then went on to spend several years interspersing vintages between New Zealand, Australia, France and Canada, before settling in New Zealand into her role at Spy Valley in 2017.

In 2019, Emily competed in the Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker competition and took out the title, and in 2022 she took up the role or Chair of the Marlborough committee for the competition.

Emily enjoys working with all the different varietals they have at Spy Valley.

Kapalua Wine and Food Festival

Christopher Klapp

Petrossian Caviar

Champagne & Caviar

Petrossian Caviar
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As General Manager of Petrossian West Hollywood, not only is Christopher Klapp charged with the day to day management and operations for the boutique and restaurant, he is also responsible for the care and preservation of the standards set by the world’s finest caviar purveyor. In his nine years with the renowned company, Klapp has become an integral part of the family owned brand and its presence in Los Angeles. Klapp possesses a deep understanding of the historical and cultural significance of caviar, and is well versed on the many variations and expressions within the already wide range of caviars available at Petrossian. Klapp also oversees and executes the Caviar 301 classes offered monthly at the restaurant, which include 7 – 8 tastings of caviar along with an interactive lesson on the delicacy, discussion on the various tasting notes to discover how different species look,taste and small, and the chance to discover just what a full sensory experience caviar can be.
Dan Kosta

Dan Kosta

DK Wines & Convene Winery

Pigs & Pinot Hawaiian Style

DK Wines
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Dan Kosta has over 20 years of experience in the Sonoma County wine industry, specifically as THE leading producer of ultra-premium California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

A native son of Sonoma wine country, Dan’s lifelong love of food and wine led him to a career in the restaurant industry, utilizing skills learned as a child to navigate through a series of world class restaurants as a back waiter, waiter, bartender, maître d’, operations manager and finally as wine director at the acclaimed John Ash & Company in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. It was there that Dan and his business partner Michael Browne founded Kosta Browne Winery in 1997. As a founder of Kosta Browne, he oversaw an unprecedented marketing program that included never before seen growth in Direct-to-Consumer sales, as well as managing a nation-wide distribution network.

Dan’s accomplishments and contributions to the American wine industry are numerous. From industry volunteerism to children’s advocacy philanthropy, Dan continues to leverage his network for giving back to community through Convene. Some of Dan’s past and ongoing accomplishments:

• Chairman, 2016 Sonoma County Wine Auction
• Board member, Sonoma County Vintners Association
• Board member, Emeril Lagasse Foundation • Board member, Sonoma County Harvest Fair
• Trustee, Destin Charity Wine Auction • Board member, Family Winemakers of California
• Panelist, multiple industry trade shows and symposiums
• Wine judge, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, San Francisco Chronicle Citrus Fair, San Francisco Wine Competition, among many others.

David Long

David Long

David Arthur Vineyards

Napa Valley Farming Focus

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David’s interest in the fermentation process began at an early age. A friendship forged on a seventh-grade school bus resulted in some early experimentation with apple juice, yeast culture and plenty of boyhood anticipation. That initial interest soon waned, but would resurface many years later with a much more refined product. In the early 1970’s, David transitioned from University life to the world of food and wine opening his first restaurant in Boulder, CO. This experience cemented his passion for great food, fine wine (and hard work!) The art of hospitality and the cultivation of great friendships has never been lost on David. If there is any reason to celebrate; life, love, family, friends, a beautiful day, David is there with open arms, a mischievous smile and lots of delicious food, tasty libations and plenty of fun! David was lured to the Napa Valley by his adventurous spirit and the opportunity to do something special. One fateful evening in the winter of 1976, David’s father, Don Long, disclosed that during the 1950’s and 60’s he had purchased nearly 1,000 acres of land in the eastern hillsides of Rutherford. The Judgement of Paris had been published in Time magazine and conversations with Andre Tchelistcheff, the Dean of American Winemaking, ensued. The Europeans had been growing wine in the hills for centuries and the concept of terroir was on the American horizon. David wasted no time clearing the land, removing rock and planting his vineyard on Pritchard Hill. He began learning about viticulture and oenology through internships at Chappellet, Joseph Phelps and Schramsberg all the while taking classes at UC Davis. Hard work was the name of the game and David had endless energy to get the job done. The result: electricity, water, a barn, a house, a road and nineteen acres of pristine grapevines producing the extraordinary fruit that goes into each bottle of highly acclaimed David Arthur Vineyards wine. David’s energy is contagious. The glass is always half-full (or entirely full in many cases) and his vision and work-ethic are at the heart of our company. It’s about family and friends and being thankful for our blessings. One of David’s many insightful quotes is: ‘We make wine every day…the magic happens when we enjoy it together!’

Maeve

Neb Lukic

DAOU Vineyards

Paso Robles Cab Collective

DAOU
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Neb Lukic is a veteran wine sales executive who became President of DAOU Family Estates in 2019. Since that moment, Neb’s leadership skills have been instrumental in advancing DAOU’s status into the upper echelon of luxury wine.

Neb is renowned as a trendsetter in the “on-premise” restaurant space. He came to DAOU from Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits (SGWS), where he spent 17.5 years and served as Vice President of On-Premise Sales. At SGWS, he led the largest on-premise market network in the United States and recorded year-over-year sales growth during his entire tenure.

Throughout this time, Neb interacted with the world’s top luxury wine brands, but he was ultimately drawn to DAOU, above all, because of Soul of a Lion—a wine that he identified as California’s next benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon. In the promise and potential of Soul of a Lion, he saw the future of DAOU as a global force.

Neb’s drive, vision and imagination were also perfectly aligned with the journey of the Daou brothers. “When I first met Georges and Daniel, I knew that I was going to work with them someday,” he says. “DAOU is a family with a deep understanding of relationships and a devotion to creating wines that rival the best in the world. I felt very at home here from day one.”

As President, Neb not only oversees DAOU’s global sales initiatives; he is also a catalyst who inspires passion throughout the entire company. “Passion gives us the courage to take on new challenges, the power to break through barriers and the conviction to deliver extraordinary experiences—all of the aspirations that DAOU stands for,” he says.

Neb lives in Redondo Beach, California with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children.

BRIAN MALONEY

Brian Maloney

Boisset America

Maneet Chauhan Cooking Demonstration

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Brian Maloney was born on his family’s historic ranch in the Petaluma Gap straddling the Marin and Sonoma County border. Inspired by his grandmother’s stories of her father’s struggles to grow grapes and make wine in the Calistoga area before, during and after Prohibition, he enrolled in the world-famous Viticulture and Enology program at the University of California, Davis. While there, he fell in love with the diverse nature of the discipline and began a series of internships with wineries in Sonoma, Marin and the Sierra Foothills. Following graduation, he worked the harvest of 2003 at Deloach Vineyards and has remained there ever since, playing a key role in elevating the winery’s Pinot Noir pedigree, expanding its vineyard designate program and planting and establishing its

Biodynamic® estate vineyard. In 2011 he oversaw the rebirth of the legendary Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma and in 2012, along with his team, was the first to make wine in the historic Champagne cellars in over 30 years.

With generations of farming and winemaking in his background, Brian has always taken to letting the terroir show first. Whether with cool climate Pinot Noir or Old Vine Zinfandel, his ultimate goal is to let the interaction between the site, the vine and the grower shine through to set the style of the wines. This has led to amazing accolades and awards for his wines, including an impressive array of 90+ scores from top publications.

Grace Under Pressure

Christine Mercnik

Grace Under Pressure

Champagne & Caviar Special Club

Grace Under Pressure
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Christine Mercnik
Grace Under Pressure
Founder & Owner

Christine Mercnik is an internationally trained hospitality professional with a love for food and wine service and a true passion for collaboration.

Throughout her career Christine has aspired to bring the ‘finer things’ in life to guests and share her knowledge and experience in both culinary and vinicultural worlds.

Attending the University of Guelph in Ontario, Christine learned critical thinking and operations skills on a path to a degree in Hotel & Food Administration. Upon graduation, Christine began her journey into the F&B world at Walt Disney World in Food and Beverage management.

Pivoting to a more wine centric role on the opening leadership team at The Ritz-Carlton, Orlando as Wine Director/Sommelier she continued her pursuit of wine studies and sommelier certification including involvement in the Advanced Sommelier Candidate Program with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Stints at White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa, nearly four years in management with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group and Silverado Resort and Spa helped hone her high-touch, customer focused, experiential skill set while fine-tuning her operational and financial acumen. Throughout her career she has mentored hundreds of guest service staff and managed multi-million-dollar budgets.

After over 7 years in sales distribution, In 2020, Christine took a leap of faith to start Grace Under Pressure, only importing Special Club Champagne producers to US markets, which is currently in 15 states nationwide. Grace Under Pressure is exclusive US importer for eight of the now 24 Special Club winegrowers, all new to the US.

“Grace Under Pressure…is a sensory journey to the heart of the terroir of Champagne. Offering customers the best of Champagne, by working in close collaboration with passionate and talented winegrowers to select the best grapes and produce Club Trésors Champagne. This proximity and close relationships with her winegrower partners allows top-of-the-line bottles of exceptional quality” says Christine.

Josh Orr, MS

Chateau Musar

Global Wine Focus

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Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Joshua Orr got his start in the wine industry while attending Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California. He worked for Breakaway Wine Tours as well as at Taste Wine Bar, a tasting bar for the Edna Valley Vintners Association.

   Following graduation from Cal Poly, he lived and worked for a year in the famed Burgundy wine region of France. Upon returning from France, Orr moved directly to Las Vegas to begin work as a sommelier at B&B Ristorante in the Venetian and then Fiamma Trattoria in the MGM Grand. He left Vegas for San Diego where he was wine director for Vineagogo as well as the Marina Kitchen at the San Diego Marriott Marquis. With the birth of his first son, Brady, in 2015 he moved to the sales side of the industry with Epic Wines and now works for Broadbent Selections, a national wine importer.

    Orr is one of the US’s newest Master Sommeliers, having passed the exam in 2019. He also was top of his class when passing the advanced exam for the Court of Master Sommeliers. He is also a certified specialist of Sake from the Sake Education Council. Orr was named Ranch and Coast’s Best Sommelier in San Diego in 2012 and 2014. Also in 2014 he won the Top I Somm competition for best sommelier in the US.

   Orr currently lives with his wife and two sons in San Diego and is the Director of Education as well as manages sales for SoCal, Hawaii and Nevada for the importer, Broadbent Selections.

Stephanie Pope

Stephanie Pope

Hess Persson Estates

Napa Valley Farming Focus

DAOU
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STEPHANIE POPE

Winemaker Lions Head Collection

Stephanie Pope is an integral part of the Lions Head Collection winemaking team. She works with our signature varietals from the Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast—Cabernet Sauvignon, high-elevation Malbec, and Chardonnay. Her goal is to coax the powerful and bold flavor profiles from these varietals and craft wines that challenge the norms of modern winemaking. Stephanie began her winemaking career at Trefethen Vineyards & Winery, another iconic Napa producer, before moving to New Zealand to work in the cellar at Whitehaven Wine Company, where she fell in love not only with Sauvignon Blanc, but with her future husband. Upon returning to Napa, she joined Charles Krug Winery, first working in the winery lab and later serving as Assistant Winemaker. In 2008, she joined The Hess Collection as a winemaker, and has since taken over the leadership of the Lions Head Collection wines. Stephanie is known for her skill at the blending table, and she actively investigates and leverages new technologies in the cellar, all with the desire to reach new boundaries in flavor profiles. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Viticulture & Enology at the University of California at Davis, and now resides in Napa Valley with her New Zealand-native winemaker husband and young daughter. She is fluent in Italian and is an avid photographer.

Mike Sullivan

Mike Sullivan

Benovia Winery

Pigs & Pinot Hawaiian Style

DAOU
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Mike Sullivan was born in Sonoma County and grew up in the Russian River area. As a teenager Mike started working in his family’s vineyard and from a very early age understood and the challenges and rewards of winegrowing.

After graduating from Fresno State University with a degree in Fermentation Science, Mike held winemaking positions with Landmark Vineyards, Chappellet Winery, La Crema Winery and Hartford Family Winery. During his tenure at Hartford, Ronn Wiegand, MS and MW, called Mike “Winemaker of the Year,” and Robert Parker named him the “Wine Personality of the Year.” Robert Parker has said of Mike, “I’m a big fan…he seems to have the brilliant ability to convert Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel into wines of considerable character and individuality.”

As a winemaker, Mike listens. He listens to the vineyards; he listens to what the grapes are saying; he listens to nature unfolding each year, and he listens to the wine during fermentation. He listens to what is needed and strives to make the wine his senses tell him is there. He does not follow a standard recipe for each wine, but instead really listens – and most importantly, understands – what is needed to bring everything together.

“No wine reflects its place and time more than Pinot Noir,” says Mike. “At Benovia I have only one job: to create wines that capture the essence of this place and this time.”

Mike lives in the Russian River Valley with his two sons; Colin and Ryan.

Mike Sullivan

Jonathan Armstrong

Suntory Brand Ambassador

Kapalua Wine and Food Festival 2023
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Jonathan Armstrong is the West Coast Brand Ambassador for House of Suntory.  With 15 years of experience in the spirits industry, he has an extensive background in the craft bartending, artisanal spirits and the hospitality on both the East and West coasts. Based in Los Angeles, he represents House of Suntory’s Next-Generation and Luxury portfolios: Haku, Roku, Toki, Hibiki, Yamazaki, Hakushu, Ao and Legent.  His mission is to bring the House of Suntory portfolio to life and build brand awareness and education on Japanese spirits for the hospitality industry and consumers.