SYMPOSIUM FOR PROFESSIONAL WINE WRITERS 2018 – …images.winewriterssymposium.org/... · Professionally since 1994, he has written over 1,000 wine and food stories in local and

SYMPOSIUM FOR PROFESSIONAL WINE WRITERS 2018 – FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS

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Lynda Balslev Author, Writer, Editor Sausalito, California [email protected] Lynda Balslev is an award-winning cookbook author, nationally syndicated columnist, recipe developer and editor based in the San Francisco Bay area. A New England native, Lynda attended Le Cordon Bleu École de Cuisine Paris and remained in Europe, writing, teaching, and cooking for more than 15 years in Switzerland, England, and Denmark before moving to the Bay Area in 2007. Lynda is a regular contributor to Marin Magazine and pens the weekly syndicated column TasteFood. She writes, edits, and develops recipes for books, magazines, and digital media with a focus on food, wine, and travel. Among her collaborations, Lynda was the exclusive recipe editor and tester for Stone Edge Farm Cookbook (IACP Best Cookbook 2014) and Silver Oak Cookbook: Life in a Cabernet Kitchen (Rizzoli 2016).

Jill Barth Writer – Author Springfield, Illinois [email protected] Jill Barth is the founder and author of L'Occasion, winner of the "Best Overall Wine Blog" and "Best Writing" on a wine blog awarded by the Wine Blog Awards. Her work appears in Forbes, Provence WineZine, VinePair, Courrier International, Palate Press, California Winery Advisor, Vivino, and more. Jill is a Wine Country Travel panelist for USA TODAY Readers' Choice Awards and holds a Provence Master certification from the Wine Scholar Guild and a BA in Communication from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jill is a published fiction writer and the author of a novel about winemakers in 1940's Provence and 1970's California. She lives in Illinois with her husband Jason and three children.

Stacy Briscoe Writer/Editor San Jose, California [email protected] Stacy Louise Briscoe is a freelance wine, spirits, and food writer with her BA in English Language Literature from UC Santa Cruz. Her professional work has been featured in publications such as the SF Chronicle, Napa Sonoma Magazine, and Edible -- among others. She also runs her own wine-focused website at BriscoeBites.com. Her passion for wine stems from the stories that come with it -- whether from the grape-grower, the winemaker, or the people who drink it. Stacy looks forward to learning from both the experienced professionals and her fellow attendees and is excited to use this educational opportunity to help advance her career in the wine writing industry.

Lisa Denning Staff Writer Grape Collective New York, New York [email protected] Lisa’s love of food and wine has led her on the path to many culinary adventures. Attending the French Culinary Institute was the first step in this journey. After stints in food styling, recipe development, catering and restaurants, she began a course of study with the Sommelier Society of America that led to a position selling wine and spirits at Sherry-Lehmann. Most recently, Lisa’s desire to share her passion for food and wine led her to create a blog, The Wine Chef. In addition to her musings there, she currently works as a staff writer for GrapeCollective.com. Follow her instagram, @nycrestaurants to see many mouth-watering experiences.

mailto:[email protected]





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Mary Ann DeSantis Writer Lake & Sumter Style Magazine Lady Lake, Florida [email protected] Mary Ann DeSantis has written “Saluté,” a monthly wine column in Lake & Sumter Style magazine since 2010. Based in Central Florida, she has written for the magazine since 2006, specializing primarily in travel and food articles. She received her WSET/1 certification in 2017. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and the Florida Press Club, which has honored her with awards for “Saluté” and travel writing. Her professional experience includes working for newspapers, magazines, and public relations. In addition to her work with Style, Mary Ann currently serves as editor of DeSoto Magazine | Exploring the South.

Dave DeSimone Wine, Food and Travel Writer In The Wine Cellar/ Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [email protected] His passions for wine, food and travel took root during Dave DeSimone’s youth in Western Pennsylvania. Fun moments and vivid family memories with his father’s southern Italian family and his mother’s French, Belgian and German relations provide inspiration. Professionally since 1994, he has written over 1,000 wine and food stories in local and national publications. Today he continue sharing stories at “In The Wine Cellar with Dave DeSimone” (www.daveswinecellar.com) with blog posts, social media, radio interview archives, and information on escorted wine and food tours. he also writes for the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Pittsburgh Quarterly and Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Viki Eierdam Freelance Writer Savor Sip and Sojourn Battle Ground, Washington [email protected] Viki Eierdam is Level 2 WSET-certified. As a former wine columnist, she now authors the blog, Savor Sip and Sojourn, and is a frequent contributor to numerous Pacific Northwest publications. When she’s not writing about wine, food or travel, she can be found exploring her world with her husband and two special-needs Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.





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Chris Gray Faust Senior Editor, Cruise Critic Yardley, Pennsylvania [email protected] Chris Gray Faust is Senior Editor at Cruise Critic, the web’s largest cruise information and review site, where she works full time as its river cruise expert, wine writer and resident foodie. Winner of a Lowell Thomas travel writing award, Chris ran travel and features sections at USA TODAY and the Philadelphia Inquirer; she also worked for many years at the (New Orleans) Times-Picayune. She holds WSET Level 3 and Level 2 certification, and travels frequently to wine regions around the world. When she's not cruising, Chris lives in a renovated barn in Bucks County, Pa., with her husband, cat, and papillon, Monet. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @chrisgrayfaust.

Marisa Finetti Freelance Writer Las Vegas, Nevada [email protected] Award winning writer Marisa Finetti has penned stories from nudist colonies and Greek travel to Googie architecture and Olympians, but her favorite storytelling subjects revolve around food and wine. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, she was a zinfandel grape grower in Dry Creek Valley. And after 10 years of calloused blisters from winter prunings, she discovered that putting the shears down and writing about wine industry superstars and fermented grape juice keeps the heart fuller (and the hands more youthful). You’ve seen Marisa in Southwest Airlines Magazine, The Tasting Panel, Italy Magazine, VEGAS magazine and others. She was shortlisted for best investigative feature wine writing for the 2017 Born Digital Wine Awards. She is happy to return to the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers Symposium. Visit her at marisafinetti.com and loveandrelish.com.

Paul Gregutt Contributing Editor/Writer Company/Publication: Wine Enthusiast/freelance Waitsburg, Washington [email protected] Paul Gregutt is a Contributing Editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, a founding member of the magazine’s Tasting Panel, and reviews the wines of Oregon and Canada. He writes a monthly column on wine in Walla Walla's Lifestyles magazine. The author of the critically-acclaimed Washington Wines & Wineries – The Essential Guide, he consulted on the Pacific Northwest entries in current versions of The World Atlas of Wine, The Oxford Companion to Wine and Hugh Johnson’s 2019 Pocket Guide. He is a frequent guest speaker on cruise ships and at industry symposiums. He lives with his wife Karen and his rescue dog Cookie – a terrier/Chihuahua (a genuine terr-hua!) – in a renovated 140-year-old cottage in Waitsburg, Washington. In his spare time he writes songs, plays guitar, sings and performs with his band, the DavePaul5.





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Kelly Hayes Wine Editor/ Scribe Aspen Times / Swift Luxe Aspen, Colorado [email protected] “A Chronicle rather than a critique” is how wine writer Kelly J. Hayes describes WineInk, the column he pens for a half-dozen newspapers from Aspen to Tahoe. “There are just too many good things about wine to waste readers’ time discussing the bad. I inform my audience about people, places and things that will help them get the most from their drinking experiences.” Hayes began his decade-long career in wine as a consumer before turning passion into a semi-profession. When not writing about wine, he can be found in NFL stadiums as an Emmy Award-winning member of the NBC Sports Production team.

Joseph Hernandez Deputy Food & Dining Editor Chicago Tribune Chicago, Illinois [email protected] Joseph Hernandez is a Chicago-based journalist specializing in food, wine and travel. As Deputy Food & Dining Editor for The Chicago Tribune, Joseph helps shape the coverage of that city's vibrant restaurant scene, from top restaurants and wine programs to killer taquerias and dive bars. Before returning to Chicago, Joseph was a digital editor at Wine Enthusiast, cookbook assistant to celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, and a retail manager and bartender for a boutique Brooklyn wine shop and bar. He holds WSET Advanced certification, and his writing has appeared in Afar.com, Conde Nast Traveler, Tribune Sunday Magazine, and Modern Luxury publications.

Paul Hodgins Wine Writer The Orange County Register Huntington Beach, California [email protected] Paul Hodgins has worked full-time as a journalist for The Orange County Register since 1993. For more than 20 years he was an arts critic at the paper, covering theater, dance and classical music throughout Southern California. Hodgins began writing about wine, beer and spirits for The Register in 2008. His column, Good Libations, appears regularly in The Register’s food section. His book, The Winemakers of Paso Robles, was published in 2017. Hodgins has also written for The Tasting Panel, The SOMM Journal, Variety, American Theatre, Backstage West and The Sondheim Review, among other magazines. Before he became a journalist, Hodgins was a performing-arts professor at the University of California, Irvine. He holds a doctorate in music from the University of Southern California. His book about dance-music relationships, Music, Movement and Metaphor, was published in 1992. Born in Canada, Hodgins became an American citizen in 2010 and lives in Huntington Beach, California.





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Matthew Horkey Exotic Wine Travel Dundee, Michigan [email protected] Dr. Matthew Horkey has authored four books and written for several trade magazines and peer-reviewed publications. His wine writing has appeared on JancisRobinson.com and Wine Folly. An experienced public speaker, he’s been a guest speaker at the American University of Rome, Life University, and various companies including Microsoft, TripAdvisor, Norton Rose, and JP Morgan. Dr. Horkey is passionate about learning and trying traditional and unique wines, sharing information with people, and turning them on to wine. He does that now predominantly via the website Exotic Wine Travel and the Exotic Wine Travel YouTube channel.

Miquel Hudin Author & Journalist Marçà, Spain [email protected] Miquel Hudin is a wine writer originally from California with a degree in English Literature from UC Berkeley. His career in wine started in Napa Valley and led to the founding of the Vinologue series of wine books with its newest title for the Republic of Georgia. As a contributor to Decanter, World of Fine Wine, Harpers, and other magazines, he focuses mainly on the wines of Spain where he is based in Catalonia but regularly writes about Georgia and the Mediterranean in general with a focus on the Balkans. He was awarded Best Drink Writer of 2017 by the Fortnum & Mason Awards and was the recipient of the 2016 Geoffrey Roberts Award. He holds the Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is a Certified Sherry & Cava Educator.

Jess Lander Freelance Writer Rutherford, California [email protected] Jess Lander is a freelance wine, food and travel writer. She regularly contributes to The Napa Valley Register, 7x7, SF Eater and Wine Country Media (napavalley.com, sonoma.com, winecountry.com). Her work has also appeared in Wine Enthusiast, the San Francisco Chronicle and Napa Sonoma Magazine. Jess moved to Napa Valley from Boston more than seven years ago. She has a degree in Journalism from Emerson College, and before she got into wine, food and travel, was a sports writer and dating columnist.





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John Lenart Producer/Director/Writer Chicago, Illinois [email protected] John Lenart is a wine writer and podcast host as well as an Emmy Award winning producer and director. Based in Chicago, he is published in Wine & Spirits, Crain’s Chicago Business, Modern Luxury, Plate, Drink Me, and Chicagoist, among others. Lenart focuses on consumer education; helping them make better choices when it comes to purchasing wine, whether it be at retail, in a restaurant, or at auction. He produces and hosts the wine podcast “The Honest Pour” where he interviews wine makers to go beyond the bottle to discover what makes their wines unique and special. He was recently inducted into the Confraria do Vinho do Porto.

Jaime Lewis Freelance Writer San Luis Obispo, California [email protected] Jaime Lewis is a WSET Level-3 freelance wine, food, and lifestyle writer based on California's Central Coast. Her work has appeared in Vegetarian Times, the Santa Barbara Independent, The Tasting Panel Magazine, Somm Journal, Darling Magazine and Life & Thyme Magazine, among others. Jaime is the managing editor of Edible San Luis Obispo Wine Country Magazine; a contributing columnist for 805 Living Magazine, a high-end lifestyle monthly that covers Malibu and Thousand Oaks to Paso Robles, California; a reporter for Wines & Vines Magazine, covering the wine industry from Santa Cruz to Temecula; and the cuisine columnist for SLO Life Magazine.

Jānis Miglavs Writer/Photographer/Storyteller Sherwood, Oregon jā[email protected] He’s been very blessed. First, his family came to this country as immigrants; so he had to learn English the first day of school. Then, after careers as a high school teacher and writer/photographer for organizations like National Geographic and Nikon, he stumbled into wine. Since he loved photographing vineyards, he called Chronicle Books to suggest a book on Pacific Northwest wineries. They said fine. That’s when he learned that there was a difference between red and white wine. With that new-found knowledge, he went on to write and photograph features for Spectator, Enthusiast, Sommelier Journal and the others. But his heart wanted to do books. So he did Oregon The Taste of Wine. Having just learned how to spell Pinot noir, he was surprised the book won a Gold for Best Regional Book in North America and, without even having to be bribed, Wine Spectator called it “one of the best reads for wine lovers." It gets even better. The Chinese publisher of his third book, China The New Wine Frontier, flew him first class to Beijing to receive the Best in the World book award. Now, with an eye to more free amazing wines, he’s started two huge new wine books.



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Rebecca Murphy Freelance Writer Seattle, Washington [email protected] Over the course of 35-plus years, Rebecca Murphy has fashioned a career in wine beginning as the first female sommelier in Texas, to forming her own consulting firm, Vintage Productions, to becoming an accredited writer of wine-related articles. However, the efforts she enjoys most are mentoring and coaching wine professionals and sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with wine consumers. She was the founder of The Dallas Morning News Wine Competition in 1985. Murphy also oversees the organization of the Sunset International Wine Competition, established in 2012, and has offered expert consultation in numerous other competitions in the U.S. In addition to her competition interests and features in The Dallas Morning News, Murphy is also a columnist for Wine Review Online. She has also contributed to the third edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine and the sixth edition of The World Atlas of Wine.

Kirk Peterson Freelance Writer Las Vegas, Nevada [email protected] Kirk Peterson is an experienced wine and spirits professional, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Italian Wine Ambassador certified by the Vinitaly International Academy, and award-winning writer. Delivered with a unique blend of style and wit he combines expertise and enthusiasm to impart his passion for food and wine to guests and audiences alike. Kirk is often seen and heard on Las Vegas’ ABC-affiliate daytime television talk show, FOX5 Las Vegas, and KNPR Nevada Public Radio in addition to being a regular contributor to Vegas Seven, David Magazine, The Tasting Panel, and The Shift Drink.

Shundria Reed Wine Experience Writer and Concierge West Sacramento, California Southern Girl in a Wine World [email protected] Shundria Reed is a freelance wine lifestyle writer and publisher of the blog, Southern Girl in a Wine World. Having moved to California from Mississippi in 2006, she immediately began immersing herself into the wines, people and places of California wine country. A writer of poems and short stories from an early age, it was only natural for Shundria to combine her passion for writing with her newfound love of wine. Her work has appeared in the online publications NapaValley.com, Sonoma.com and WineCountry.com. In her spare time, Shundria works in media relations and volunteers for several charity-based wine industry organizations. She is also currently studying for her WSET Level 3 certification. When not writing or on a wine country adventure, Shundria works full-time, is married, a mother to four boys and an advocate for special needs children.





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Yuki Saito Wine Writer, Educator, Judge and Consultant San Francisco, California [email protected] Yuki publishes numerous wine columns and reviews via paper and digital publications. Her main readers are business professionals and consumers in Japan and in the USA. Leveraging on her successful international business career and as an active Master of Wine student, her writing is analytical and provocative at times to infuse global viewpoint and current statistics into Japan market. She resides as regular judge at acclaimed international wine competitions in Japan and the UK. In 2001 after 9/11, she left her successful international banking career in New York City to pursue her passion of wine.

Anne Sampson Freelance Writer Richland, Washington [email protected] Anne Sampson is a freelance writer based in the heart of wine country in Richland, Washington. She points her readers toward great wines by searching out the vintners and growers who have mastered the methods and science that create them. She is the Vine to Table columnist for Edible Seattle Magazine. She also writes about agriculture, business, travel, culture and food. Her work has been published by Good Fruit Grower, Wines & Vines, Wine Business Monthly, Northwest Palate, The Somm Journal, Wine Press Northwest, Appellation America, Edible Portland, Spirited Magazine, Vineyard and Winery Management and Salon.

Fred Swan Writer/Educator Oakland, California [email protected] Fred is an SF Bay Area-based wine writer and educator. His writing appears in GuildSomm.com, daily.sevenfifty.com, SOMM Journal, The Tasting Panel, the blog at JJBuckley.com, winereview.planetgrape.com, the SF Wine School blog and FredSwan.wine, among others. His certifications include WSET Diploma, Certified Sommelier, California Wine Appellation Specialist, Certified Specialist of Wine, French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Professional, Sud de France Master, Napa Valley Wine Educator, WSET Level 3 Sake and Level 3 WSET Educator. He was awarded a fellowship by the SPWW once before, in 2009. He teaches for the San Francisco Wine School.





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Charine Tan Exotic Wine Travel Singapore [email protected] With a passion for flavors and other sensory merits, kindled by a mix of inquisitiveness and an athlete’s appetite, Charine left her decade-long corporate life in 2015 and reinvented herself as a location-independent wine communicator. As the co-founder of Exotic Wine Travel, her goal is to promote lesser-known wine regions and unique wines. Through writing and speaking, she shares pertinent information about various wine destinations, introduces wine lovers to the best of what each region has to offer, and provides anecdotal insights into each region’s peculiarity. Charine has co-authored three wine books, and she continues to release new books every year.

Ilona Thompson Editor, PalateXposure San Ramon, California [email protected] Ilona Thompson is Editor-in-Chief at PalateXposure, a destination site for oenophiles, gourmands and luxury travelers. She also recently launched #Wine, a site dedicated to wines and spirits reviews, and #Photography, a site devoted to high-quality wine, food, and travel related photography. She is a staff contributor to Wine Behind the Label (now in its 10th edition) and has written for a multitude of wine, food and lifestyle publications, such as 7×7, 360 Magazine, Artful Living, Drink Me, Glass of Bubbly, Snooth, Very Napa Valley, and others. Post her successful stints in fine art and wine businesses, she pursued her passion for writing. She splits her time between visiting wine regions worldwide, attending trade and consumer tastings, taking professional development courses and judging at wine competitions. She studied at the Culinary Institute of America and holds a California Wine Appellation Specialist certification (CWAS). Her recent international destinations include wine regions in France, Italy, Spain and New Zealand. Stateside, she has spent the last several years extensively covering Napa, Sonoma and Anderson valleys, Central Coast, Paso Robles, Lodi and Livermore wine regions.

Daenna Van Mulligen Publisher/Wine Writer Vancouver, Canada [email protected] Daenna launched her website, WineDiva.ca, nearly 15 years ago. Following that, WineScores.ca went live in 2008. She’s been a regular contributor to Vines Magazine and TASTE Magazine for a decade, and has recently taken on the wine specialist role at Montecristo Magazine. Daenna has been a keynote speaker in New Zealand and Portugal, is an international wine judge, and previously taught for the International Sommelier Guild. She has travelled extensively to every major wine region in the world and is regularly called upon to lead seminars for consumers as well as industry peers.




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SYMPOSIUM FOR PROFESSIONAL WINE WRITERS 2018 – …images.winewriterssymposium.org/... · Professionally since 1994, he has written over 1,000 wine and food stories in local and