Categories
Judges

John Prager

Categories
Judges

Bryan Parker

Bryan Parker joined Terlato Wine Group in June 2003, and is the winemaker for Terlato Family Vineyards Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

Parker came to Terlato Family Vineyards from Pine Ridge Winery in Napa Valley, where he was assistant winemaker for two years.

A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in chemistry, Parker earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Illinois, and also studied viticulture and enology extensively at University of California – Davis. Bryan has particular expertise in growing and vinifying fruit from the Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley appellations of Sonoma, crafting wines that are balanced, elegant and characteristic of their place.

Categories
Judges

Mike Owen

Mike has led the charge at Crystal Basin since 1988. A veteran of numerous harvests and cork-pulling contests, Mike contributes the drive and vision for the company. A Silicon Valley escapee, Mike also lived in France, where he learned to love Rhone wines. Mike has been very lucky to find high-quality Rhone grapes and put together a talented team to make and market Crystal Basin’s wines. Mike has always gets wildly motivated when people say things cannot be done.

Crystal Basin Cellars

Categories
Judges

Marcello Monticelli

Categories
Judges

Tim Meinken

Categories
Judges

Fritz Meier

Fritz was born in a small town in the Black Forest, in the German territory of Baden, one of the country’s biggest and most important wine regions. He went on to graduate from Geisenheim University, the leading enology school in Europe, and fell in love with wine. After Geisenheim, Fritz did his Army service for eighteen months. Twelve hours after his discharge, he was on a plane to Texas, where—on the referral of a friend—he’d landed a job at a small winery. “It was not a successful venture,” Fritz remembers. “Texas is a very difficult place to grow grapes.”

One thing led to another, and Fritz—again on the referral of his friend—got a job in the laboratory at Charles Krug Winery, in the Napa Valley, although it was just for the harvest. After the harvest, he met Mark Theis who then hired him as Assistant Winemaker at Husch.

Kendall-Jackson

Categories
Judges

Rob McNeill

Rob McNeill is a UC Davis Enology graduate and resides in Healdsburg. Rob has been a winemaker for over 30 years. His major experience relies in sparkling wine involving the North bay counties of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino (Mumm Napa, Piper Sonoma, and Scharffenberger). Other winemaking experience includes still wine primarily Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. Experience in Alambic brandy production via Remy Martin’s RMS distillery.

Accolade Wines

Categories
Judges

Dennis Martin

The former Vice President, Winemaker at Fetzer Vineyards, Martin earned an Agricultural Business degree in 1973 from California State University at Fresno and a master’s degree in Enology and Food Science there in 1975. He worked at United Vintners as a cellar supervisor, white and sparkling winemaker until 1982, when he moved to Scott Laboratories, a major winery supply company where he served as a sales enologist. In 1985, Fetzer Winemaster Paul Dolan selected Martin as his assistant. When Fetzer was acquired by Brown-Forman in 1992, Martin was named
Director of Winemaking. In 1996, Martin ascended to the position of Vice President/Winemaking accountable for all winemaking at Fetzer Vineyards for their several brands.

Martin and his winemaking staff was dedicated to working with individual grape growersand committed to the concept that winemaking is an integrated team effort. Martin focused on the Fetzer super premium and Luxury collection and selecting the highest quality varietal fruit from vineyards in the finest growing regions of California. “I think one of our major strengths as a winery is our ability to blend consistently, vintage after vintage,” Martin said.

With the Luxury wines, production lots are kept relatively small to emphasize individual vineyard character in the wine’s true expressions of the terror they represent. “We strive to make the best possible wine we can from each vintage, emphasizing the true character of each varietal. Our goal is to offer our consumers quality wines that are stylistically pleasing and consistent from vintage to vintage.” Fetzer was acquired by the Chilean wine company Vina Concha y Toro in 2011 and Martin was excited about the future opportunities for investment, growth and improved quality for all of the brands. “It’s great to be owned by a wine company again,” Martin said.

Dennis is a member, former director and a past President of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. He is married and has two children. Dennis was with Fetzer Vineyards for 31 years.

Categories
Judges

Barry Lawrence

Barry has been involved in every aspect of wine all his life; Home and Commercial wine Maker since 1983, vineyardist, winery owner, wine sales. inc. wholesaler, retailer and importer and Wine Educator at colleges and specialized wine schools. He was Calif. and National Board Member of SWE, is currently a Tastevin (DTM) member of the Dionysian International Wine Society. And is a published author. He was one of the first to pass the professional wine judges exam for both Intervin and California State fair in 1985 and has been a judge every year for he Orange County fair since 1989.

Currently he still operates a Syrah vineyard high atop Sonoma mountain and is a consultant to Fogline Winery in Fulton

Categories
Judges

Jim Klein

Jim Klein views himself as a winegrower more than a winemaker. After graduating from UC Davis, he worked making wine in the Santa Ynez Valley, New Zealand, Napa Valley and the Golan Heights in Israel. He joined Navarro Vineyards in 1992 and won the title of winemaker of the year from the San Francisco Chronicle in 2002. He chose to live on the ridgeline above the Anderson Valley to get a feel for how the weather affects the grapes every day of the year. With loads of experience, he has developed definite ideas about how to best bring out the character of his estate-bottled Pinot Noirs.

Navarro Vineyards