Attendee Bios for the 2015 Symposium* 11th annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley

Dan Amatuzzi Dan is a professional beverage director who has published two books on wine, and various articles published online. Dan’s tenure at New York restaurants Del Posto, Jean Georges, Babbo, Otto and Eataly USA—where Dan currently manages the wine and beverage program for all of their restaurants and retail operations—have shaped the foundation of his wine experiences and expertise. His website, wineforthestudent.com, is based on wine and spirits education. Dan’s most popular publication, A First Course in Wine, is a comprehensive guide to understanding and enjoying wine (Race Point Publishing). He holds an MBA degree from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU and is an Adjunct Professor at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at NYU. His most recent publication is How to Host a Wine Tasting Party: The Complete Kit.

Lynne Char Bennett, Editor’s Choice Fellowship Lynne Char Bennett covers food, wine and the Bay Area culinary scene. She was a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle Food & Wine section for more than 14 years and now freelances. Bennett also develops and tests recipes, teaches and caters. Lana Bortolot, Fellowship Winner Lana Bortolot started her serious wine-drinking career while living in Italy as a travel journalist for the International Herald Tribune. Writing about it followed a few years later. This fairly recent direction combines her three loves: heritage, culture and anything associated with cork or cask (or Stelvin closure). Based in New York City, she is the east coast editor for The Tasting Panel and SOMMJournal magazines, and in her non-wine life, she reports on community development and arts & culture for the Wall Street Journal. Lana is a candidate for the Diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.

Elaine Chukan Brown, Frank G. Prial Fellowship Winner Elaine Chukan Brown began writing about wine as a diversion from her career as an academic philosopher. She has since given herself to wine. Her work appears in Wine & Spirits, World of Fine Wine, Men's Health, Serious Eats, and on her website WakawakaWineReviews.com. In 2014, Imbibe Magazine selected her as one of their Imbibe 75 People to Watch, and Saveur named hers one of their Best Food Blog finalists. Previously, she served as Dartmouth College’s Charles A Eastman Fellow, and a McGill University Tomlinson Fellow. Prior to her academic career, Elaine

was a commercial salmon fisherman in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

Julie H. Case, Fellowship Winner Julie H. Case is a freelance journalist based in the Pacific Northwest where she writes regularly about wine and travel for publications such as Virtuoso Life, Sip, Seattle Met, & AAA Journey. As senior editor at SagaCity Media she edits the Washington State Wine Tour Guide and other travel pubs.

Alfonso Cevola, Fellowship Winner Alfonso Cevola writes On the Wine Trail in Italy, one of the top 10 wine blogs and winner of the 2012 Wine Blog Award in the Best Single Subject Category. Certified Specialist in Wine, Special Contributor to the Dallas Morning News, The Art of Eating, WineSearcher.com and Sommelier Journal. 2013 - Given the Vinitaly International Award for a lifetime of service writing, education and advancing the cause of Italian wine in America and the world.

Annie Xiaolei Chen Professional beverage director with two published books on wine, various articles published online. http://anniec700.wix.com/xiaolei-annie-chen

Tricia Conover Tricia Conover, GrapeStone Concepts, is the Contributing Wine and Travel Editor, PRiME Magazine, www.primewomen.com. Tricia features a recurring “Women in Wine” Series including YouTube links. Interviews have included: Carissa Mondavi, Continuum Estates; Jean Arnold Sessions, Hanzell Vineyards; and Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Prime Donne Winery, Montalcino, Italy. Travel articles have covered wine regions: Napa Valley, other California wine regions, Texas, Priorat, Barcelona, Tuscany, Piedmont, Italy. Tricia’s blog is titled “Passages to Wine & Health,” www.grapestoneconcepts.com. She appeared on KDAF-TV in Dallas. Tricia, is WSET® Certified Advanced Level 3 Sommelier, Diploma of Wine Candidate, and (C.W.P.) at the CIA, Greystone.

Mary Cressler, Fellowship Winner Mary Cressler is a wine, food, and travel writer and founder of Vindulge Wine Education & Consulting -- enhancing the consumers wine experience through classes, seminars, and consulting. Mary is a columnist for Palate Press, active contributor to Wine.4.Me, Barbecue America Magazine, and Bottlenotes. She has also written for Serious Eats, Snooth, Oregon Wine Press, The Gorge Guide, Multiplicity Magazine, in addition to her blog Vindulgeblog.com. A frequent judge for wine competitions, Mary also speaks at events on various aspects of wine. She is a Certified Sommelier via the Court of Master Sommeliers.

John Curley, Editor’s Choice Fellowship John Curley has been writing wine and feature articles for the Tasting Panel Magazine for four years. In 2013, he was named Editor at Large by Publisher Meridith May. Prior to launching his independent writing and photography business in 2007, John was Deputy Managing Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, where he supervised all aspects of daily newspaper production, including the design and editing of the front page. In his Chronicle career, John was an editor, writer, photographer, blogger and podcaster, leading the integration of the analog and digital editions of the paper. In addition to his writing and photography, John has taught at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of

Journalism and San Francisco State University. He is also a writer and photographer for the Burning Man Project, which produces the yearly art festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

Marisa D’Vari Marisa D'Vari is a sought-after wine judge, program co-chair for the American Wine Media Guild and a member of the international Circle of Wine Writers. D'Vari writes about wine for several publications, including London's FT, Decanter, Robb Report, Quarterly Review of Wine, the San Francisco Chronicle, Meininger's, Food Arts, Drinks Business, South China Morning Post and Sante, in addition to being Wine & Spirits Editor for Taste Cincinnati magazine. She is the publisher of AWineStory.com in addition to syndicating her weekly column to a variety of newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and blogs. A wine educator, D'Vari holds three of the most important international wine designations including the Diploma of Wine and Spirits from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust, one of 323 individuals (as of January 2012) to earn the Certified Wine Educator designation from the Society of Wine Educators, and the 'Certified Sommelier' designation from the Court of Master Sommeliers in addition to

numerous other designations from the American Sommelier Association and the Sommelier Society of America. She now holds the Fine and Rare Wine Specialist Diploma, having graduated from the course with Merit. D'Vari was awarded the Level 5 Honors diploma from WSET for completing a year-long research project focusing on the topic of marketing wine to millennials. In Boston D'Vari had produced and hosted the television show A Taste of Luxury (1995 – 2003) in which she interviewed the late Robert Mondavi and Julia Child, among others. story @ awinestory.com

Jennifer Fiedler, Fellowship Winner Jennifer Fiedler is the author of The Essential Bar Book: An A-to-Z Guide to Spirits, Cocktails, and Wine, with 115 Recipes for the World's Great Drinks (Ten Speed Press, Oct. 2014) and a former editor at Wine Spectator magazine. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, she got her start in the food and wine world while working harvest at a winery in New Zealand after high school. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, she has notched time in the fields on an organic farm in Virginia, in New York City kitchens as a personal chef and caterer, and behind the desk as a researcher and writer for books, magazines, and websites including PUNCH, Lucky Peach, Modern Farmer and Hawaii Luxury. She lives on the North Shore of Oahu.

Jameson Fink, Editor’s Choice Fellowship Jameson Fink has been active as a blogger for over ten years, much of that time working as a buyer in a variety of wine retail settings. His cleverly named site, jamesonfink.com, was nominated for a 2013 Saveur Magazine Best Food Blog Award. His online and print achievements include (but are not limited to): gorging on Halloween candy for Serious Eats, chronicling a month on a farm in Edible Seattle, and writing about coffee for SIP Northwest. A tireless advocatefor year-round rosé consumption, Jameson also enjoys a glass of Champagne alongside a bowl of popcorn.

Melody Fuller Melody is the Food and Wine Editor for Renew Magazine. Melody writes about high-end food, wine, and travel and she was published on a James Beard Award winning site. She has also enjoyed being published in Australia. Melody hopes to share her worldwide experiences in the food and wine industry through a book that is under construction titled, The Table. This book takes the reader through over thirty years of fine wining and dining at home and abroad. Melody filmed her first TV show in 2014 at Pebble Beach Food and Wine. She is the Founder of The First Annual Oakland Wine Festival, which is an educational and charitable showcase of fine wines and delicious foods. When Melody is not reviewing wines, she is called upon to share her wine thoughts with the curious wine novice and with the seasoned wine enthusiast. She also coordinates two wine clubs. One wine club meets monthly at her undergraduate alma mater, Mills College, and the other wine club meets monthly in private homes and at fine restaurants throughout the

Napa Valley. Melody holds a Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing, from Stonecoast in Maine, and a Master of Public Administration from The University of Southern California.

Tom Gable Tom Gable has been writing about wine for more than 40 years, initially for Copley News Service, inflight magazines and the Wine Spectator. He currently free-lances for U-T San Diego, San Diego Magazine and other magazines, and blogs as SD Wine Guru.

Matthew Gaughan I am a freelance writer, as well as maintaining my own blog, matthewsworldofwineanddrink.blogspot.co.uk, where I write about my discoveries during my studies for the WSET Diploma, which I am currently taking.

Paul Hodgins Scholar, author, teacher, award-winning journalist and dedicated bon vivant, Paul Hodgins brings a wealth of unique experience to his Good Libations column in the Orange County Register's Food section. Hodgins was a professional musician and professor at UC Irvine before taking a mid-career detour into journalism. With a doctorate in music and experience composing for dance and theater, Hodgins was well suited to the job of drama and dance critic at the Register, an assignment he has enjoyed for more than 20 years. His book about dance-music relationships, Music, Movement and Metaphor, was published in 1992. Hodgins began writing about wine, beer, spirits, bars and cocktails about six years ago as part of Nancy Luna's Fast Food Maven blog at the Register. When the Food section was redesigned, he was invited to write a weekly column. He covers trends, places and personalities in the vast world of alcoholic

beverages. Comparative tastings are also an important recurring topic. In his spare time Hodgins teaches journalism at Cal State Fullerton. He also composes songs, plays tennis badly and bicycles, usually competently. He loves to travel, especially to places where wine is made.

Cathy Huyghe, Fellowship Winner Currently I write about the business and politics of the wine industry for Forbes.com. I’m also the “Wine, Unfussed” columnist at Food52.com. My work in the past year – from Lebanon, Turkey, New Zealand, Italy, and Patagonia – has also been published in Decanter, The Atlantic, and on DailyBeast.com. I’ve just launched a new website at http://www.cathyhuyghe.com, I’m working on a new radio program with Georgia Public Broadcasting, and I’m writing my first book, Hungry for Wine: Seeing the World Through the Lens of a Wine Glass. It’s an exciting, pivotal moment in my career!

Tracy Ellen Kamens, Fellowship Winner With 20 years of experience in education, Tracy Ellen Kamens marries her passion for teaching with her love of wine and brings them to the page in her wine writing endeavors. A board member of the Wine Media Guild, Tracy has written for both print and online publications. She is a contributing writer for Wine Portfolio, the online arm of the CNBC World-based television program, and the NY Wine Shopping columnist for Examiner.com. She currently publishes the It’s A Winederful Life website and writes for Through the Bunghole. Additionally, Tracy has served as an editorial consultant for Columbia University Press."

Dong Li I have been the U.S. correspondent for tasteSpirit.com for the past three years. TasteSpirit.com is a leading online wine magazine and wine education institute in China, partner of Le Figaro Avis du Vin and JancisRobinson.com. We are dedicated to providing comprehensive, authentic and customized wine culture and knowledge for Chinese wine consumers and building the bridge of mutual understanding between wine producers and Chinese wine consumers.

Janis Miglavs During my lengthy photography career—clients include National Geographic, Nikon, Wine Spectator and National Enquirer—I wanted to supplement my income by becoming either an accordion repairman (two in my home state of Oregon) or a wine writer (hundreds in Oregon). Although my wife and aptitude tests strongly advised against it, I chose the wine route. So far I've written and photographed three solo award-winning wine-related books, contributed to dozens of other books, have two more books in the works (one for a Chinese publisher), photographed and written a number of articles for Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator and a handful of other wino magazines and have winery clients around the world. Best yet, my wife still loves me.

Peter Mitham, Editor’s Choice Fellowship Peter Mitham is Northwest correspondent for Wines & Vines. A seasoned reporter with 20 years' experience covering agriculture and business stories, he has also contributed to books including Opus Vino (DK, 2010). He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Marcella Newhouse Marcella is a wine writer, blogger, educator, and certified sommelier. She spends a large portion of the year in Italy, committed to hunting down every grape variety and wine-producing region there is. Find her stories, adventures, and experiences on her blog, www.enotecamarcella.com.

Lee H. Murphy, Fellowship Winner I am a writer for several publications and a full-time freelancer. I write on wine, food, whiskey, wine retail and also travel with wine and golf themes.

Judy O’Kane Judy O’Kane is a wine writer based in London. She trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, and worked the 2009 harvest at Château Meyney, Saint-Estèphe, while on sabbatical from partnership in legal practice. She holds the WSET Diploma and an M.A. from University of East Anglia where she wrote on wine and food. She has read at the London Review Bookshop, has been mentioned in The Times Literary Supplement; her work has been published in The World of Fine Wine and Fire & Knives. She was awarded a Ph.D. bursary at Kingston University, where she teaches creative writing.

Michael Reiss Michael Reiss is an entrepreneur, management consultant and executive coach. He is the editor, chief photographer, and webmaster of www.foodandwineaccess.com. He speaks German, French, Spanish, and Japanese, and has lived in these countries as part of his life-long travel adventures. Michael Reiss and Diane Sukiennik are the co-founders of www.foodandwineaccess.com. They have completed wine studies at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, and are yearly attendees of the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers.

Tom Riley Tom Riley is a freelance wine writer and educator. He currently writes for the Bay Area News Group (San Jose Mercury, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune); The Alcohol Professor, the online magazine of the New York International Beverage Competition; and, the American Winery Guide. Prior to joining the world of wine, Tom taught high school literature and rhetoric, and freelanced as a literary editor. He began his career in public relations, overseeing publications for colleges and universities in New York and Massachusetts. Tom holds a master’s degree in literature from the University of Connecticut. He

blogs at The Grape Belt (www.thegrapebelt.com) and lives in Alameda. He is studying for the WSET Level IV (Diploma), which he would love to finish this year.

Eric Rosen, Editor’s Choice Fellowship Eric Rosen lives in Los Angeles and writes about food, wine and travel. He regularly contributes to Los Angeles Confidential Magazine, Condé Nast's HotelChatter and Jaunted, Frontiers, and more. His work has also appeared in the L.A. Times and the New York Post, and he is the Los Angeles Editor for JustLuxe as well as the Managing Editor of The Points Guy, and he is proud to accept at Editor's Choice Fellowship for the Wine Writers Symposium. When he is not exploring the LA dining scene, Eric is on assignment across the globe as he discovers new culinary adventures and far-flung wine regions from the shores of Western Australia to Bordeaux's chateaux, Austria's

Danube Valley and up and down his native California. Most recently his travels took him to the wine regions of New Zealand. To read his articles and see what he has been up to lately, you can visit his site, Eric the Epicure.

Yuki Saito I have two channels to publish my writing on wine-related articles -- one on a corporate website for which I provide wine reviews and educational articles mainly on California wines as sole corporate advisor, and two in Japanese language community papers (NY-based US Frontline and SF/Bay area based J Weekly). Since I am native-bilingual (English/Japanese), my current choice of publication language is Japanese to reach Japanese readers in and outside Japan. I do provide bilingual articles in English as well while publishing English versions is in my plan as I achieve Master of Wine designation.

Christopher Sawyer, Fellowship Winner A sommelier, wine journalist, wine judge, consultant, and public speaker, Christopher Sawyer travels the world following trends in wine and has been featured in a wide array of national media, including USA Today, MSN, NBC, ABC, CNN, Redbook, Maxim, Esquire and The Hollywood Reporter. Sawyer has been a personal sommelier for an array of luminaries and aficionados, from the Getty Family to the Gorbachevs, as well as for Oscar-winning director and chief creative officer of Pixar, John Lasseter. To follow his journeys through the world of wine, visit www.SawyerSomm.com.

Laura Levy Shatkin A veteran multi-media journalist and Certified Sommelier, Laura has spent the past 18 years crafting fascinating stories on food, wine, spirits, and travel. After full-time writing positions at Chicago Reader, WineTasteTV.com and “Taste” on NBC5 Chicago, Laura is now a freelance content creator in traditional media, digital media strategy and the blogosphere. Currently, she is Digital Media Editor at Make It Better Magazine and a regular contributor to Tribune newspapers, including Chicago and six other East-coast newspapers. She has also contributed to Chicago Sun-Times, Today’s Chicago Women, Preiser Key and Wine & Spirits. She relishes in digging deep into issues to provide intriguing factual yet entertaining coverage of her passions: food, drinks and travel.

Pam Strayer Wine writer and expert on organically and Biodynamically grown wines. I also speak and moderate panels on these topics and lead tours to wineries that make organically or Biodynamically grown wines. Author of 7 apps on these wines. I have also written for Beverage Media and many other publications.

Diane Sukiennik Diane Sukiennik is an internationally recognized writer, coach, keynote speaker, consultant, educator and licensed therapist. She is the author of The Career Fitness Program: Exercising Your Options, 11th edition, Prentice Hall, the most widely used text in colleges and universities in the subject area. A self-proclaimed 'leisurologist,' she speaks French and Spanish, is an avid world traveler and is a freelance food, wine and lifestyle writer.

Fred Swan Fred is a San Francisco Bay Area-based wine writer, judge and an instructor for the San Francisco Wine School. He holds a WSET Diploma and is a Certified Sommelier, California Wine Appellation Specialist and Certified Specialist of Wine. In 2009, he was inducted into the Eschansonnerie des Papes, the honorary society of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC.

Ilona Thompson Ilona grew up in stunning St. Petersburg & is a serial entrepreneur. Awestruck by the beauty of Napa Valley, she moved to San Francisco Bay Area to pursue her undeniable passion for food & wine. She spends a lion’s share of her time visiting various wine regions and attending a wide variety of diverse tastings worldwide. She knows her way around some of the most prestigious & exclusive wine & food events in the country. Her inner wine geek led her inside the cellars of highly notable, sought after, elusive, fascinating wineries in California. She recently earned a CWAS, or California Wine Appellation Specialist certification. Follow her adventures on Twitter @PalateXposure.

Kort van Bronkhorst After working for an eternity (okay, 32 years) in high-tech communications in Silicon Valley (including 14 years running his own advertising agency), Kort van Bronkhorst finally waved the white flag and headed north for greener past--, er, vineyards. Now safely removed from the rat race, Kort uses his journalism degree from the University of Oregon as he writes about interesting people in the wine business. He has also spent the last year mentoring with Karen MacNeil in order to hone his wine knowledge and writing skills.

Bill Ward Bill Ward has been covering wine for the better part of a century (the 21st). His “Liquid Assets” column runs in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and he has a wine website, www.decant-this.com. He has written for the Wine Enthusiast, Sommelier Journal and other publications. He won a James Beard Award for a series on Italian regional cuisine. He lives in Hopkins, Minn., with his wife, Sandy.

Deborah Parker Wong Deborah Parker Wong, AIWS, is Northern California editor for The Tasting Panel magazine and Senior Industry Editor for SOMM Journal where she reports on the global wine and spirits industries. In addition, she contributes features on business and production technology to Vineyard & Winery Management magazine and writes a drinks column for the new online platform TidBitts.com. As a sensory consultant to companies in the beverage and technology industries, Deborah provides guidance in product development and market dynamics. She serves as a professional wine judge for several regional, national and international wine competitions and, as a Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma, teaches WSET certification courses as a certified educator.

Becca Yeamans-Irwin, Fellowship Winner Coming from a science background (B.S. Biology, M.S. Environmental Science), I’ve extensive experience in both research and working in wine. These interests amalgamated to form my blog, The Academic Wino, through which I have received scholarships to two Wine Bloggers Conferences, a nomination for a Wine Blog Award, as well as the 2013 Donnafugata Award for Excellence in Enotourism. I’ve transitioned into full-time freelance writing where I regularly contribute to The Alcohol Professor, and periodically other publications including Wines & Vines and Palate Press. I hope to further develop my skills as a writer and increase my contribution to wine education.

* To see the bios of speakers and coaches, please go here.