Judge Bios | Former Judge Bios | Annual Judges' Dinner

Wine judging photos from the competition.

Media

• Michael Apstein, Columnist, WineReviewOnLine.com, Newton, MA
• Dan Berger, Wine Writer, Vintage Experience, Santa Rosa, CA
• Jon Bonné, Wine Editor, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, CA
• Corie Brown, Co-founder and General Manager of Zester Daily
• Laurie Daniel, Journalist for 30 years, weekly wine column published in San Jose Mercury News
• Jeanne Christie, Wine Editor, Arizona Gourmet Living, Tucson, AZ
• Eric Degerman, Managing Editor, Wine Press Northwest, Kennewick, WA
• Martha Dunne, Administrator, winegigs.com, Sacramento, CA
• Mike Dunne, Freelance Wine Writer, A Year in Wine, Sacramento, CA
• Bob Ecker, Wine Writer/Photographer Freelance, Napa, CA
• Bob Foster, Assistant Editor, California Grapevine, San Diego, CA
• DeWayne Holmdahl, Radio Wine Show Host, The Wine Show, Lompoc, CA
• Craig LaBan, Restaurant Critic and "Drink" Columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA
• Paul Lukacs, Columnist, Author, Wine Educator, Baltimore, MD
• Tim McNally, Host of the Wine Show, WIST 690 AM, New Orleans, LA
• Andy Perdue,  Editor-in-Chief, Wine Press Northwest, Kennewick, WA
• Dr. Richard Peterson, Owner, Richard Grant Wine, Napa, CA
• G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski, Wine Educator, Wine Educator's Ltd., Lodi, CA
• Tom Simoneau, Radio, Wine Guy, Simoneau Vineyards, Healdsburg, CA
• Sue Straight, Director of Sales, J. Rickards Winery, Occidental, CA
• Marguerite Thomas, Columnist, Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine. Features Writer-Wine Review Online, Baltimore, MD
• Deborah Parker Wong, Northern California Editor, The Tasting Panel Magazine, San Francisco, CA
• Jessica Yadegaran, Staff Wine Writer for the Bay Area News Group

Restaurant and Hospitality Industry Wine Buyers

• William Bloxsom-Carter, Dir. of Food and Bev/ Exec Chef, Playboy Mansion, West Los Angeles, CA
• Ellen Landis, Sommelier/Wine Writer, Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, Half Moon Bay, CA
• Ken Landis, Chef/Owner, Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, Half Moon Bay, CA
• Richard Mercer, Owner / President, Experience Italy, Sacramento, CA
• Michael Overholt, Tasting Room, Manager Stryker Sonoma, Geyserville. CA
• Christopher Sawyer, Sommelier, Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar, Petaluma, CA
• Diane Teitelbaum, Diane Teitelbaum & Associates, Wine Solutions Education, Dallas, TX
• Larry Van Aalst, Host (The Sonoma Report), CRN Digital Talk Radio, Santa Rosa, CA
• Ron Washam, Sommelier, Le Mars Hotel, Healdsburg, CA

Retail Wine Buyers

• Patrick "Chip" Cassidy, Wine Director, Crown Wine & Spirits, Miami, FL
• Jill A. Ditmire, Owner, jad Productions, Indianapolis, IN
• TeeJay Lowe, CEO, GAGMARS INC., Santa Rosa, CA
• Kristi Mohar, Wine Buyer, Pacific Markets, Sebastopol, CA
• Ben Pearson, General Manager, Bottle Barn, Santa Rosa, CA
• Luigi Velo, President of Mercato Italia, Inc., Specialty Grocers & Wine Merchants, in Sacramento, CA
• Wilfred Wong, e-Commerce Cellarmaster, Beverages & more!, Concord, CA

Wine Education

• Carl Brandhorst, President, Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, Fairfax, VA
• Rick Fraga, Wine Consultant, Santa Rosa, CA
• John Giannini, Winemaker, Fresno State Winery, CSU, Fresno, CA
• Dr. Barry Gump, Professor of Beverage Management, Florida International University, Miami, FL
• Ralph Kunkee, Emeritus Professor of Enology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
• Ann Littlefield, Wine Education, Napa, CA
• Catherine Rabb, Associate Instructor, Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, NC
• Gerry Ritchie, Professor, Enology, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
• Derrick Schneider, Freelance Wine Writer and Wine Educator
• Richard Thomas, Old and Retired, RLT Vineyard Consulting, Healdsburg, CA

Winemaker and Industry Representatives

• Winnie Alberg, wine professional, member of Wine Press Northwest magazine’s tasting panel, Founding Roundtable of the Zino Society of Seattle, WA
• Sean Brosnihan, Guest Services Manager, Jordan Winery, Healdsburg, CA 
• Jim Caudill, Director, Public Relations & Hospitality, The Hess Collection, Napa, CA
• Mark Chandler, Executive Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Lodi, CA
• Mark Elcombe, Hospitality, Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Windsor, CA
• Denise Gill, Director of Sales & Marketing, Hop Kiln Winery, Healdsburg, CA
• Daryl Groom, Owner/ Winemaker for Groom Wines in Australia
• Tim Hardin, Winemaker, Stryker Sonoma, Geyserville, CA
• Pat Henderson, Senior Winemaker, Kenwood Vineyards, Winemaking Instructor at SRJC, Author, Kenwood, CA
• Dan Kosta, Proprietor, Kosta Browne Winery, Sebastopol, CA
• Robert Larson, Public Relations Director, Rodney Strong Wine Estates, Healdsburg, CA
• Charles Mara, President, The Mara Wine Group, Pound Ridge, NY
• Tim McDonald, Owner, Wine Spoken Here PR, Napa, CA
• Christopher O'Gorman, Director of Marketing & Communications, Merryvale Vineyards & Starmont Winery, Napa Valley, CA
• Ron Rawlinson, National Sales Manager, Ortman Wines, Arroyo Grande, CA
• David Rogers, Senior Wine Consultant, Vintage Wine Estates, Windsor, CA
• Kent Rosenblum, Winemaker/CEO, Rock Wall Wine Company, Alameda, CA
• Bill Smart, Director of Communications, Dry Creek Vineyard, Healdsburg, CA
• Kitti Stewart, Retail Consultant, Stuart Consulting, Fairfield, CA
• Gery Swallow, Enologist, Hanna Winery, Healdsburg, CA
• Miro Tcholakov, Winemaker, Trentadue Winery, Geyserville, CA

2012 Professional Wine Judges

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