Chief Judge Tim McDonald CSW CSS – President of Wine and Spirits Spoken Here

Tim has over 40 years of proven success in the wine industry with positions in public relations, trade relations, marketing and sales, event management and wine education.  His experience includes positions at prominent adult beverage companies; such as E&J Gallo where he served as Marketing Director Fine Wine Communications, Peak Wines as V.P. of Marketing and Communications, Trinchero Family Estates as Director of Trade Relations, with Heublein Wines as Director of Trade & Public Relations, and sales assignments with both Seagram and Heublein.

Tim has experience with all types of Media, National Accounts, Wholesale Distributors, Restaurant, and Retail segments. Tim has served as a Wine Judge at over 200 Wine and Spirits Competitions here in North America and spoken frequently on assembled panels at many wine industry events.

Karen Bennett –  Wine Buyer, Restaurant Owner

Karen has worked in the wine industry for 29 years and opened one of the first California wine bars in 1991. In 2004 she moved to the Central Coast and became manager and wine buyer for Bill Hoppe of Hoppe’s Garden Bistro in Cayucos. In 2011 she returned to the Central Valley as wine director and buyer for Meir Brown, a winner of The Food Networks ‘Cooks vs Cons’ television series and owner of Cafe’ Med Restaurant and Gourmet Shop in Bakersfield, California. Karen is certified WSET2 and Court of Master Sommeliers.

Mark Chandler – Partner, Burlington Chandler Wines, Former Mayor, City of Lodi California

Mark was raised in a farming family in the Central Valley town of Visalia. He holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Business from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and has an MA in Organizational Management and Development. He is also a graduate of the esteemed California Agricultural Leadership Program.

Mark’s 40-year career in wine includes winemaking, marketing, wine education and association management. He is best known for his 20 years as CEO of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, where he launched Lodi wine into the modern era. He is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) through the Society of Wine Educators, of which he is past president. He was named Sunset Magazine’s Wine Professional of the Year 2005 and was recently picked among the Top 100 Most Influential People in US Wine. He judges at numerous wine competitions, and since 2015 he has served as Chief Judge of the CA State Fair Wine Competition.

Mark was elected to the Lodi City Council in 2014, and has served as Mayor in 2016, 2019 and again in 2022. He is most proud of his economic development efforts, supporting tourism and the infrastructure that serves it, creating of hundreds of jobs. Maintaining Lodi’s widely known quality of life has been his passion, at the same time allowing the community to grow.

Mark and his wife, Jan, own 120 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon winegrapes, and are building the Burlington Chandler wine brand with their children, Dave and Laura.

Michael Cervin – Wine & Spirits Writer and Author

Michael is the author of eight books including California Wine Country. He has authored wine and spirits articles for Robb Report, The Hollywood Reporter, Wine & Spirits, The Tasting Panel, Sommelier Journal, Forbes, Fine Wine & Liquor Magazine (China), Old Liquors Magazine (Netherlands) Vivino and more than 50 other publications. His wine and spirits reviews include IntoWine.com (18 years), The Whiskey Reviewer and SpiritsReviewOnline. As a professional wine and spirits judge he has been invited to competitions in Portugal, Puerto Rico and throughout California including Critics Challenge (he is the Chief Spirits Judge), San Francisco International, the California State Fair, and many others. He is also a professional water judge for the Berkeley Springs International Water Competition, and the Global Bottled Water Awards, and has conducted water tastings in China, California, and Europe. He is also the wine and beer buyer for the Santa Barbara Airport.

Traci Dutton – Culinary Institute of America – Manager – Public Wine and Beverage Studies

Traci Dutton serves as the Sommelier in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America. With the goal of creating The Ultimate California Wine Cellar to be housed in the former Christian Brothers winery, the wine list has won awards and gathered national recognition for the extensive representation of wines from throughout the state, with a special emphasis on Greystone’s Napa neighbors. Ms. Dutton worked in New York City for 14 years and came to California with vast experience in fine dining beverage service and international wine buying. She specialized in Italian wines with her first Sommelier position at Andiamo! and then immersed herself in French wines (though unfortunately, not literally) by joining the top notch service team at the 3 star Montrachet, under the direction of Daniel Johnnes. Ms. Dutton worked as a consultant for several other restaurants in New York at various times specializing in mixology, beer, organic wines and the wines of the northeastern United States. In addition to her work at the CIA, Traci has judged the Dallas Morning New Wine Competition and the LA County Fair “Wines of the World” Competition, two of the largest competitions in the country. She has spoken on marketing at UC Davis, Sonoma State University and the Wine Industry Financial Symposium.

Jamie Knee – Global Wine Communicator, Wine Educator, Int’l Wine Judge, Wine Critic & Writer, Wine Lifestyle Influencer

Jamie Knee, known as The Petite Wine Traveler, is recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in the Wine Hospitality Industry and a leading global voice in wine. As a Wine Communicator, International Wine Judge, and Wine Media Personality, she blends sustainability, storytelling, and wine lifestyle to connect audiences with the people, places, and cultures that define the wine world.
Jamie has judged prestigious wine competitions around the world, bringing her global perspective and over a decade of expertise to the international wine stage.
Certified as a Specialist of Wine, Spanish Wine Scholar, Rioja & Cava Wine Educator, WSET, Champagne, and California Wine Appellation Specialist, she is a respected authority in wine education and hospitality. She is also known for her engaging wine experiences and presentations for brands, resorts, festivals, and private events.
As Director of the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience, in partnership with the Julia Child Foundation, Jamie curated and led over 70 events in 2025, celebrating farm-to-table cuisine and world-class wines.
A prolific writer and founder of PetiteWineTraveler.com, her work appears in Somm Journal, Napa Magazine, Santa Barbara Independent and The Montecito Journal, where she is a weekly wine columnist. She also contributes to publications like The Slow Wine Guide, highlighting sustainable viticulture and wine’s cultural impact.
Jamie is a frequent TV guest on News Channel 3-12, offering wine pairings, wine purchasing tips, and expert insights. She serves on the Board of the Association for Women in Communications, and is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, advocating for sustainability, community, and the power of women and storytelling in the wine industry.

Roxanne Langer – Sommelier, Wine Writer and International Wine Judge

Roxanne Langer has tipped her glass around the world looking for the best wines, Champagnes, Cognacs, and Whiskeys. She has held executive management positions for Napa Valley wineries, international winery associations and even a cult winery located in the tawny hills of Bel Air, Los Angeles. Frequently a guest wine speaker for wine festivals (including EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival) to cruise ships, Langer has coauthored, “Churchill, A Drinking Life: Champagne, Cognac and Cocktails” (Skyhorse Publishing NYC, Aug 2022). Langer has also penned a myriad of articles for the Somm Journal, The Tasting Panel, and numerous newspapers and wine blogs and was most recently a writer for the Carmel Pine Cone, Carmel by the Sea, CA.
As the co-founder of LadySomm, a wine edutainment and experience company, wine school, tasting salon and wine store, located in Carmel, CA, Langer provides wine programs to corporations, associations, universities and C-suite executives in the US and Europe. A two-time graduate of the University of the Pacific (B.A & M.A.) Langer wrote her master’s thesis on wine. She attended the University of California at Davis Community Education Program in Viticulture and Enology and has studied under WSET in the UK, US Somm and is a somm-certification adjunct professor. Langer has traveled extensively through 40 countries focusing mainly on wine regions.

In addition, Langer serves as Vice Enchansson for the Los Angeles Chapter of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, is a member of Women of the Vine & Spirits, Women for WineSense (past Sacramento president), CMO Club (Chief Marketing Officers), Board of Director for Les Dames d’Escoffier International Monterey Chapter, American Institute of Food and Wine, Knights of the Vine, and Women in Wine, Monterey, CA.

Robert Larsen – Owner of The Larsen Projekt

Robert Larsen started in the wine industry in 1992 at Glen Ellen Winery, then owned by the Benziger family. He worked at a handful of California wineries as well as a few agencies over the years, representing family-owned wineries and large wine brands, including Buena Vista Winery, Dry Creek Vineyard, Beaulieu Vineyard and Rodney Strong Vineyards, his last job before starting The Larsen Projekt.

Following unveiling a statue of legendary BV winemaker André Tchelistcheff, a grape stomp in San Francisco’s Union Square, directing the publication of the cookbook Down Home Downtown and its media tour, and a four-city, 20 chefs, simultaneous live broadcast James Beard Foundation Celebrity Chef Tour dinner synchronized with nine in-home influencer viewing dinners, he introduced The Larsen Projekt in 2015, which for a minute included his own wine – a rosé of grenache and a red grenache.

The Larsen Projekt is now strictly a scalable communications agency focused on measurable ROI and hard-to-measure connections that elevate brand or company reputation. It is true that grenache remains near and dear.

Allison Levine – Owner, Please the Palate

Allison Levine is the owner of Please The Palate, a boutique agency specializing in marketing and event planning for the wine and spirits industry. With over 20 years of experience in communications, marketing, and event planning, Allison is passionate about the world around her and the diverse people in it. Allison holds a master’s degree in international communications with a focus on cross-cultural training from the American University School of International Service. Allison is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. She also holds a WSET Level 3 Certificate from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and an Italian Wine Specialist Diploma from the North American Sommelier Association.

As an industry expert, she works with wine regions around the world, organizing trade and media events around the United States. Allison is a partner with Vintage Hollywood, an annual charitable food and wine event, as well as the co-creator of The Festival of Forgotten Grapes. She has traveled extensively and has lived abroad in Italy, Spain, and Mexico where she developed her passion for food and wine. Her work allows her to live life to the fullest and, as a freelance writer, Allison communicates her experiences in articles, as well as in her blog. She writes for various outlets, including Men’s Journal, Wander with Wonder, Monarch.wine, California Winery Advisor, BIN (Beverage Industry News), WineTraveler, SommJournal, and The Tasting Panel. A full list of outlets is available on her website. Allison is the host of the podcast WineSoundtrack USA where she interviews winemakers and winery owners who share their stories, insights, and some humorous anecdotes. Allison can also be found on YouTube where she co-hosts Crush On This, a video series about wine.

Omar Lima – Certified Sommelier/WSET 2/ Certified Saké Advisor

Omar Lima who is a born and raised Angeleno where he began his journey as a wine steward at his favorite wine bar Augustine Wine Bar in Sherman Oaks, considered to be one of the best wine bars in America, where he was humbly tapped by Matthew Kaner and David Gibbs to take on the GM / Wine Director role. This is where he caught the wine/ hospitality bug and after passing his Certified Sommelier and obtaining Level 2 WSET/ Certified Sake Advisor he was ready to join the hotel/ restaurant world by becoming a sommelier at the prestigious Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills and then being chosen to join the world-renowned Wolfgang Puck SPAGO in Beverly Hills.

Katy Long – Freelance Consultant

Katy Long is a Freelance Wine Professional, Consultant, and Team Captain of the USA Wine Tasting Team. With nearly two decades of experience in the wine industry, she specializes in content creation, brand storytelling, wine education, and beverage program consulting.

As a freelance consultant, she develops compelling wine content, curates wine lists, optimizes beverage programs, and assesses wine quality for commercial potential. She also serves as an on-camera wine personality, bringing engaging, educational storytelling to video platforms.

Previously, Ms. Long held leadership roles at Vintage Wine Estates, where she worked across production, marketing, and sales, and played a key role in the Angels Share Giving Campaign, supporting local food banks. She has also contributed to renowned wine and hospitality institutions such as Far Niente Winery, Nickel & Nickel Winery, Meadowood Napa Valley, and The Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Spirits.

Ms. Long holds an AOS from the Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY), a BS from New York University, and advanced wine certifications including DipWSET, CSS, and CSW. She is currently a Master of Wine Student.

Phil Markert – Director of Liquor for Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions

Phil Markert began his career in the retail grocery industry in 1978, where he worked as a stock clerk in an independent liquor store while attending high school in North Torrance.  His career with the Safeway organization began in 1982, where Phil worked as a bagger in a Torrance store.  He quickly advanced through the retail ranks, serving as clerk, head clerk, grocery manager, assistant manager and store manager.

His entrance into the liquor business began in early 1988 when he was introduced to Fine Wine at a restaurant in Santa Monica during a food and wine experience with friends and family that forever changed the landscape of how wine is sold in grocery stores.  At this dinner, a 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet was served – the first 100-point wine rating given by Robert Parker to a California wine.   Seeing the dinner guests enjoying and talking about it, the idea came to light that there is a correlation between what customers buy at a restaurant and at a grocery store in the same marketing area. Weeks later, with the support of senior management, the birth of the ‘Fine Wine Program’ took place in Santa Monica Ca.

Phil was promoted to store manager of the Belmont Shore Vons in 1991 and moved the Fine Wine Program to the Belmont Shore.  The program included everyday low pricing, expanded wine selection, local specialty foods, community events, in-store chef demonstrations, bottle signings, winemaker dinners at local restaurants, full-service staff, a newsletter and home delivery service.

From 1994 to 2002, Phil moved to the Vons Division office in Arcadia, and was promoted to Fine Wine Sales Manager.  His job was to rollout the Fine Wine Program to fifty Southern California stores, duplicating what he had accomplished in his store.

In 2002 Phil was promoted to National Category Director of Wine and relocated to Pleasanton.  Phil took his experiences from the Southern California program and applied it to twenty-one states across the country, leading a team of people to become the largest wine retailer in the United States.  In 2007, Phil was promoted to Vice President, General Manager for Alcohol and Tobacco and applied his Neighborhood Marketing approach to Beer, and Spirits.

In 2010 Phil left Alcohol and was promoted to VP of Merchandising/Operations for Non-Perishables for the company. His responsibilities included overseeing the merchandising/marketing and the execution at retail. He also led the companies clustering initiatives, and our Premium store project.

In 2014 Phil was appointed as the company’s leader for Perishables and Non-Perishables of our LOCALIZATION initiative and Neighborhood Marketing efforts.

In 2015 Phil returned to his roots in SOCAL as the LQ. Sales Manager for the newly combined Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions Division of the Albertsons companies. In 2017 Phil took on the additional responsibilities of VP of Marketing/Merchandising of Pavilions. In 2019 went back to full time in alcohol as the Director of Liquor for AVP

Phil supports a wide variety of organizations serving local communities, including City of Hope, the Christermon Scholarship Foundation and most recently the Susan G Komen Foundation in their fight to end breast cancer. Phil is also the #1 fundraiser in the USA for the Susan G Komen walk 3 years running. Phil has a passion for fitness and loves Food, & Wine, – hence the workouts!

Anthony Mueller – Accomplished Sommelier, Wine Presenter and Educator

Anthony Mueller is a highly accomplished sommelier, wine presenter and educator who has judged major wine competitions in California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and abroad in Australia & South Africa. He also has lectured at wine events and hosted masterclasses across the USA, Asia and Europe. With over 20 years of experience in the food and wine industry, his career has led him to work in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the US, including the three-Michelin star The French Laundry in Yountville, California, Tribute in Michigan and Tarbell’s in Arizona. He holds several esteemed wine certifications, including the Advanced Sommelier certificate from the Court of Master Sommeliers, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 3 Award in Wines, the Certified Specialist of Wine certificate from the Society of Wine Educators, and holds the titles of Certified Sherry Wine Specialist and Certified Sake Advisor. Mueller began the Master of Wine study program in 2020 and will sit the Master Sommelier Theory Exam next year in 2026.

Originally from Scottsdale, Arizona, Mueller has a technical background in math & science. Compounded by his love of wine, he naturally found a position as a member of the Wine Archivist team for Delectable.com before relocating to the Napa Valley to join the service team at The French Laundry in 2014. By 2016, he was recognized as the ‘Sommelier of the Month’ by Food & Beverage magazine. He joined Robert Parker Wine Advocate in 2018, where he reviewed the wines of Washington State and South Africa for more than half a decade before launching his own brand, AnthonyMueller.com, in 2025.

He is excited to share his passion for wines and present them to a wide array of consumers while promoting diversity and inclusion, without snobbery or elitism. When not drinking Sherry, Mueller enjoys riding his motorcycle and exploring the beauty of Napa Valley. Like Anthony Bourdain, Mueller is an avid traveler, who has no trouble making new friends in new places and loves to follow his nose to discover new restaurants in new cities. Although he has never attended culinary school, Mueller enjoys cooking elaborate meals in his small kitchen at home, preparing dishes made with ingredients grown from his home garden.

Cindy Rynning – Freelance Writer, Wine, Food, Travel

Cindy Rynning has been writing about wine, food and travel on her award-winning wine blog, Grape Experiences, since 2011.  She passed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Advanced/Level 3 program with Merit in 2012. Cindy engages in national and international wine travels, hosts virtual tastings, attends global trade tastings and media events, meets and interviews winemakers and others who share their stories, and writes about tastings, food and wine pairings, wine travel, and more.

She has judged the Central Coast Wine Competition in 2022, 2023 and 2024 held in Paso Robles, California and is a member of the judges panel at Chicago-based Beverage Tasting Institute.

In 2023, Cindy was accepted into membership in the prestigious Circle of Wine Writers, the world’s leading international association of wine and spirits authors, writers, journalists, bloggers, broadcasters, photographers and educators.

She has written for a variety of print and digital publications including Crave Local, Wine Tourist Magazine, Wine Traveler, University of Richmond Alumni Magazine, Wine Enthusiast, SommTV Online Magazine and The Tasting Panel Magazine. She s co-founder of the YouTube channel, Crush On This.

In 2024 Cindy started as a Contributing Editor with the Slow Wine Guide and is continuing in that role.

In November 2023, Cindy, also a content creator, published an online course on Teachable, “Discover the Essentials of Wine (and choose it like a pro!).”

Cindy received the Drizly Blogger Award as Best Wine Blog – 2017 and her site was one of the Top 100 Most Influential Wine Blogs in the world in 2015 and the Lux International Magazine Best Wine Blog – US in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Two of her articles were finalists in the Millesima Wine Blog Awards – Wine Travel category in 2017 and 2018.

From 2019-2023, Cindy has been featured multiple times on Good Day Chicago Fox 32, WGN-TV Channel 9, The Jam on Chicago’s WCIU TV, Good Day Sacramento (The CW31), The Rhode Show WPRI Channel 12, Colorado’s Best Fox 31 Denver, Good Day Philadelphia Fox 29, NBC Miami Six in the Mix and Yahoo Finance.

Grape Experiences is included in Feedspot’s 100 Best Wine Blogs and Cindy is ranked #38 in the Top 101 Wine Writers of 2020 by Corking Wines.

Sandra Taylor – Beverly Hills Sommelier

After being in the entertainment business, in front of the camera for over 20 years, Sandra Taylor is a world-class storyteller who brings a very unique quality to being a personal Sommelier.
Sandra’s ability to bring the wines to life and take you on a journey to their origins is her specialty. Her experience of travel to the world’s most coveted and important wine regions have given her first-hand knowledge, experience, and attention detail. She is apart of multiple exclusive wine groups. She is currently the wine consultant for Jean-Georges in Beverly Hills and the exclusive Sommelier and buyer for the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. It was in Vegas that Sandra was inspired to combine her two worlds of the entertainment business and the wine world to create a first ever Sommelier position at an NFL stadium and feature a Premium wine list to offer the exclusive suite holders at Allegiant Stadium.
Sandi has completed wine programs at UCLA and The North American Sommelier Association where she earned her Certified Status and was awarded the prestigious Silver-Pin. https://www.beverlyhillssommelier.com/

Wilfred Wong – Wine Critic, Wine Writer, Professional Wine Judge

Wilfred Wong is a wine critic, writer, and photographer with five decades of experience in the wine industry. A respected wine judge, he has evaluated wines across the globe, including France, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Among his favorite U.S. competitions is the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and the Central Coast Wine Competition where his expertise and keen palate are highly valued.
As the former Cellar Master at BevMo, Wilfred played a pivotal role in creating the company’s wine rating system, a groundbreaking approach that helped guide consumers in selecting wines. Tasting nearly 3,000 wines a year, his scores and concise tasting notes became an influential tool in retail wine buying, earning him a reputation as one of the most trusted palates in the business.
Based in San Francisco, Wilfred’s extensive career has made him a go-to authority in the industry, offering insight through his writing, reviews, and photography. His deep knowledge, sharp judgment, and dedication to wine continue to shape how consumers and professionals alike understand and appreciate wine. Wilfred and his wife Alice unfortunately lost their 9 year old dog Kaili March 17 which left them with broken hearts but with every door that closes a new one opens and they welcomed a new puppy, Riley just recently.