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Winegrowing, done properly, is quite unreasonable. A ballerina, spinning gracefully on their toes until they bleed, is quite unreasonable. Sailing past the horizon in a hollowed-out log with no certain aim but to go “there”, is quite unreasonable. Existence itself sometimes feels quite unreasonable. It is the varying degrees of this absurd and hazardous itch that pulled us from the Savannah and in...

Matt Hardin is a sixth-generation Napa Valley farmer whose roots in viticulture trace back to 1849, when his family first began farming in Pope Valley. After earning his degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, he joined Barbour Vineyard Management, eventually becoming a partner, before launching his own company, Hardin Vineyard Management, in 2021. Today, he oversees some of Napa Valley’s most pres...

Robin Daniel Lail is a name is synonymous with heritage, excellence, and innovation in American winemaking. Born and raised among the vineyards of Inglenook, founded in 1879 by her great-granduncle, Gustave Niebaum, Robin was steeped early in the traditions of fine winemaking. As founder and owner of Lail Vineyards (established in 1995), she carries forward a family legacy rooted in one of Califor...

Dr. Richard Peterson is one of California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemakers, blending scientific rigor with creative innovation to help shape the modern wine industry. Born in Iowa during the Great Depression, he went on to earn a Ph. D. in agricultural chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1958 before beginning a transformative career at E. & J. Gallo Winery as Research Director. In 1968, th...

James Conaway, born in Memphis, Tennessee, is an acclaimed author and journalist whose work has left an indelible mark on both American letters and the cultural history of wine country. Educated at the University of North Carolina, Southwestern at Memphis, and Stanford University, where he was a Wallace Stegner Fellow in creative writing, Conaway began his career as a reporter for the Times-Picayu...

Priscilla Hennekam is a Brazilian-born, Adelaide-based wine consultant and founder of Hennekam Wine Consultancy. With over a decade of experience in the international wine industry, she helps producers and organizations adapt to changing markets by focusing on communication, consumer engagement, and forward-looking strategies. She is the creator of “Rethinking the Wine Industry,” a global communit...

Lamberto Frescobaldi is the President of Marchesi Frescobaldi, one of Italy’s most historic and influential wine families, with a legacy that spans over 700 years and 30 generations. Born into this lineage of Tuscan nobility, Lamberto was immersed in the world of viticulture from an early age. He studied Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florence and later completed a Master’s degree in V...

Jason Haas is a second‑generation proprietor of Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, California, where he serves as Partner and General Manager. Raised immersed in the wine world, Haas accompanied his father, Robert Haas, the founder of Vineyard Brands and co‑founder of Tablas Creek, on numerous buying trips to Europe. Under his stewardship, Tablas Creek has continued to flourish as a benchmark f...

Michael Osborn is a pioneering entrepreneur and respected leader in the American wine industry, best known as the founder of Wine.com, the largest online wine retailer in the United States. With a career that spans more than two decades at the intersection of technology and wine, Osborn has played a pivotal role in reshaping how consumers discover, purchase, and connect with wine. He launched the...

Steve Matthiasson is a Napa Valley winemaker and viticulturalist whose influence has reshaped the conversation around California wine. Known for his restrained, elegant style and deep commitment to sustainable farming, he is both a celebrated producer and a trusted vineyard consultant to some of the region’s most respected estates. Alongside his wife Jill, he founded Matthiasson Wines in 2003, cre...

Michael Juergens is the founder of the Bhutan Wine Company and the visionary behind the development of Bhutan’s nascent wine industry. A longtime wine expert, certified sommelier, and Master of Wine candidate, Juergens began his journey in wine over three decades ago. By day, he is a senior partner at Deloitte, where he leads the firm’s Winery Solutions & Services practice, advising some of the wo...

Heidi Peterson Barrett is one of the most influential and celebrated winemakers in California, widely recognized for her pivotal role in shaping the cult wine movement of Napa Valley. Born in Berkeley and raised in the Napa Valley, Barrett is the daughter of Dr. Richard Peterson, a respected winemaker, and Diane Peterson, an artist and musician. This unique combination of science and art formed th...

Hunter Rudd is a wine entrepreneur redefining how consumers discover and connect with wine. As CEO and co-founder of Wine Dispensary and Somm Says, he blends digital strategy, personalized service, and tech-driven tools to create accessible, engaging wine experiences for modern drinkers. At Wine Dispensary in Denver, he leads a team focused on delivering deeply personalized service, curated select...

Jane Anson is one of the world’s foremost authorities on Bordeaux wine. A celebrated wine writer, author, and critic, she spent nearly two decades living in Bordeaux, where she became the first woman to write a definitive book on the region, Inside Bordeaux , widely regarded as a benchmark reference for professionals and enthusiasts alike. A former long-time correspondent for Decanter , Anson has...

Chinedu Rita Rosa is a Nigerian-born, Bordeaux-based wine consultant and entrepreneur transforming the relationship between European wines and African markets. After beginning her career in banking, she entered the wine world through her late husband’s import business in Lagos. In 2016, she moved to France and founded Vines by Rosa, a consultancy focused on bringing European wines to Africa with c...

Michel Rolland is one of the most influential figures in modern winemaking. A celebrated oenologist and consultant, Rolland has helped shape the style and success of hundreds of wineries around the world, from his native Bordeaux to Napa Valley, Mendoza, Tuscany, and beyond. His career has spanned more than five decades and has left an indelible mark on the global wine industry. Born in 1947 in Li...

Magalie Dubois, Ph. D. is an Assistant Professor of Wine Economics & Marketing at the Burgundy School of Business’s School of Wine & Spirits in Dijon, France. She holds a Master’s degree and earned her Ph. D. in Economics from the University of Bordeaux, concentrating on experimental economics and wine consumer behavior . A recognized member of the European Association of Wine Economists, Magalie...

Esther Mobley is an award-winning wine journalist and the Senior Wine Critic at the San Francisco Chronicle , where she has been covering wine, beer, and spirits since 2015. Mobley is widely recognized for her in-depth reporting on the wine industry, with a particular focus on the business, culture, and environmental challenges facing California winemakers today. Mobley began her career in wine af...

Sonal Holland is India’s first and only Master of Wine, and one of the most influential figures in the country’s wine industry. With a career spanning education, media, retail, and consulting, she has played a pivotal role in shaping India’s modern wine culture. After earning her MW in 2016, she founded the Sonal Holland Wine Academy, offering world-class wine education to aspiring professionals a...

Felicity Carter is an acclaimed wine journalist, editor, and speaker with a global reputation for her deep understanding of the wine industry. She currently serves as Editorial Director of ARENI Global, a London-based think tank focused on the future of fine wine. Previously, she was editor-in-chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International , where she transformed the magazine into a leading glob...

Paul Mabray is a pioneering figure in the wine industry, renowned for his innovative integration of technology and digital strategies into wine marketing and sales. With over two decades of experience, he has consistently been at the forefront of digital transformation within the sector. In 2002, he founded Inertia Beverage Group, which later evolved into WineDirect.com, a company that revolutioni...

Madeline Puckette is a James Beard Award-winning wine expert, author, and co-founder of Wine Folly , the leading digital platform that simplifies wine education for consumers and professionals alike. With a background in graphic design and music, Madeline brings a unique, visual approach to wine communication, making complex topics accessible and engaging. She is the co-author of the best-selling...

Paul Caputo is a UK-based wine writer, critic, and entrepreneur, widely recognized for his expertise in Italian and Balkan wines. He is the founder of Vinorandum, a comprehensive digital platform offering in-depth guides and reports on wine regions, grape varieties, and producers worldwide. Caputo's writing has been featured in esteemed publications such as Forbes, Decanter, Food & Wine, and Club...

Dr. Laura Catena is a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, physician, and author, renowned for her pivotal role in elevating Argentine wine, particularly Malbec, on the global stage. Born in Mendoza in 1967, she is the daughter of Nicolás Catena Zapata, a key figure in modernizing Argentina's wine industry. Catena pursued her undergraduate studies in biology at Harvard University, graduating magna...

Dave Phinney is a visionary winemaker and creative force in the global wine industry, renowned for his bold blends, provocative label designs, and entrepreneurial spirit. He is best known as the founder of Orin Swift Cellars and the creator of The Prisoner, two brands that have redefined modern California winemaking. In 1998, he launched Orin Swift Cellars with just two tons of Zinfandel and a dre...