Angelini Brothers
Angelini Wines, Ltd.
|
Angelini Wine, Ltd., is an importer and distributor of Italian wine based in Centerbrook, Connecticut. The Angelini brothers spent their childhood years in the farming village of San Lorenzo in Campo, within the Marche region of Italy. The family farm encompasses 200 acres of land with 5 specialized acres devoted to vineyards of Sangiovese, Vernaccia & Merlot. Relocating to New London, Connecticut in 1972, they spent the next thirteen years living and studying in the United States. They decided to abandon their engineering careers in 1986 and joined by their long time friend, Ron Plebiscito, created Angelini Wine Ltd. Angelini Wine Ltd. currently employs eighteen people of which nine are salespeople in Connecticut. The company focus has always been to provide the American consumer with authentic, good quality Italian wine from a range of very small to midsize wineries. The three partners make frequent trips to Italy where they meet with each producer and visit the vineyards and wine cellars. The personal relationship with the producers is of utmost importance to the company. Each wine is carefully selected after many tastings, which ensures the best wine for the best value.
Our goal is to work with a small selection of distributors and form solid, long term relationships. This sometimes takes longer to accomplish, but we are still young and dynamic and have our whole life ahead of us to enjoy.
|
|
Judy Blake
Peter Paul Wines
|
Jude Blake had the good fortune to grow up in a family where good wine and conversation about it regularly graced the family dinner table. Premier cru Bordeaux was her father's wine of choice in the 60's, but in the 70's, Napa Valley's finest bottles found their way to the home table in St. Louis, Missouri.
In the early 80's, when Jude struck out on her own, she carried on the tradition started by her father. Fine wine and conversation graced her tables in Minneapolis, Chicago, Zurich, Switzerland, Northern California, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where she now lives. As her knowledge and passion for wine grew, so did her personal wine cellar. She can tell great stories about moving her wine collection across the Atlantic and back. And she has never wavered on her desire to learn about and enjoy great wine from around the world.
Jude now pursues her wine passion as the Marketing and Events Executive for Peter Paul Wines. Proceeds from the sale of Peter Paul Wines are donated to local organizations and worthwhile causes that make life better for kids, families and the community.
As a former corporate marketing executive, who worked for General Mills, Pepsi Cola and several players in the telecom industry, Jude is active as a Trustee of the University System of New Hampshire and serves on a multitude of committees and boards.. She is the guest lecturer on California Wine in the Beverage Management Course UNH, where she graduated with a BS in Business in 1977. She also holds an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Beyond her role in serving the University, Jude also pursues many other philanthropic endeavors, often associated with wine.
|
Jim Collins
Frei Brothers Reserve Vineyards
|
When you spend a lifetime working with the land, as Jim Collins has, you learn how important a sense of place is to a wine. As the man in charge of Frei Brothers Reserve's vineyards, Jim's passion for Sonoma County's diverse growing regions make our wines distinctive.
As a native Californian, living and ranching in the coastal hills, Jim developed a special sense of California's climate, landscape and capacity to produce world-class wines. Today, he stays close to the land, keeping a watchful eye over our grapes and working closely with our winemakers to bring the terroir of each vineyard into every bottle of Frei Brothers Reserve.
"I was raised in a family where farming and ranching were in our blood, going all the way back through the generations to Ireland," says Jim. "Being out in the vineyard every day, in the same place that Andrew Frei was growing grapes back in 1890, is truly an honor."
Jim embodies our passion for the land, enabling us to craft wines that truly reveal the best of what each varietal has to offer.
|
|
Benjamin Knack
Bedford Village Inn
|
Executive Chef, Benjamin Knack studied at New York Institute of Technology and started his career in Phoenix, Arizona at the renowned Christopher's; a four star restaurant rated as the top 20 in America. Most recently, Benjamin presided over the kitchen at The Lanam Club in Andover, MA, and has held similar positions at Sel de la Terre, L'Espalier and Beacon Hill Bistro all in Boston. "Food is more than something to eat. It brings family and friends together. It creates experiences that are memorable for a lifetime," says Knack, "I'm a very technical chef; I don't do things that are floating on your plate." These attributes landed Benjamin on the TV episode of Hell's Kitchen season 7. Of Knacks decision to compete; "I worked in physical kitchens with a bunch of French and Italian chefs who would scream, yell and throw things, so when I heard about Hell's Kitchen I said, 'I can handle that!'"
"I am pleased to join the prestigious Bedford Village Inn and look forward to imparting my culinary philosophy and skills I acquired at similar properties throughout the country to create a memorable dining experience for all our guests at the BVI. I am also anxious to create a unique children's cooking series at the Inn involving recipes I will be using in my book series."
Knack currently resides in Medford, Massachusetts with his wife and two young daughters.
|
|
Simon Lambert
Four Restaurant
|
Chef Simon's cooking style is as unique as his background. His interest in food began at home watching his Belgian mother cook everything from scratch. He spent the summers of his youth in Quebec where he was influenced by the local cuisine. After college Simon began working in restaurants where he gained experience with different kinds of cuisine including French, Asian, Italian and contemporary American. He blends all of these influences with his own imagination and individuality to create the menu at Four.
|
Peter & Diana Merriam
Merriam Vineyards
|
Peter Merriam brings his love for living on the edge and a finely tuned sense of focus to his vineyards and winery, with passions that span from the extreme in adrenaline to the extreme in patience. An avid skier, Peter has broadened his skill to include heli-skiing — off-trail, downhill skiing accessed only by helicopter, a variation that would allow him to experience the wild, natural environs that have inspired him throughout his life. In the most extreme example of Peter's passion for the edge, he dropped 12,000 feet on Alaska's Chugach Mountain Range. At the other extreme, Peter is an accomplished fly fisherman, participating in an ancient method based on quiet patience and focus. Peter sometimes fishes for eight-hour stretches, catching only two fish within that time. "I focus on the details at a very slow speed," says Peter. Now, as a vintner, Peter is finding that the discipline, determination and singular focus that he has developed through skiing and fishing are the skills that serve him best in the vineyard. Working in the vineyards is another expression of Peter's love for nature. A natural conservationist, Peter has always been an outdoor person. It was the beauty of Sonoma County that compelled him to plant vineyards and build a winery in Russian River Valley.
|
 Ryan Phillips
La Bella Vita Ristorante
|
Chef Ryan Phillips subscribes to the classic culinary theory of using the freshest local and sustainable products to create Italian influenced dishes. Ryan has a unique cooking style; his focus is taking classic recipes and revamping them into more modern presentations. His style is a mix of rustic to contemporary, adhering to classic cooking techniques. It is his subtle, creative and harmonious way with food that sets him apart.
Chef Phillips discovered his passion for food at the age of 14, working in local restaurants and hotels. He attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Culinary Arts Program. Upon graduation, Ryan was offered the position of Chef de Cuisine with Ocean Properties Ltd. and for the next 12 years he rose through the ranks to the level of Regional Executive Chef. As the Regional Chef, Phillips oversees menu development, day-to-day kitchen operations, food quality and staff training. In 2008, Chef Ryan was offered the opportunity to oversee culinary operations for Ocean Properties’ Italian concept restaurants “La Bella Vita” located at three of Ocean Properties premier luxury resorts in the Northeast. The Harborside Hotel and Marina in Bar Harbor, ME., The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, NY and the newest edition, The Samoset Resort and Spa in Rockport, ME.
Chef Ryan credits his success to Ocean Properties and its great chefs he’s had the opportunity to work with. He enjoys traveling and experiencing cuisine from all over the world. When he’s not in the kitchen, he’s apt to be found surfing the rugged Maine coast.
|
|
Jerry Prial
Gerard Wine Company
|
Jerry Prial founded the GERARD WINE COMPANY after 30 years in the brewing industry. "I have a tremendous appreciation for beer, and I always will. However, I truly believe that my absolute passion lies with wine".
In early 2009 I had the opportunity to follow that passion. So, with the added quest for adventure, I hopped a plane and off to Chile I went, in search of great wine at a price we all can afford. The wine I found is called "Debauchery". Extreme indulgence in the senses, because adventures and good times is what we are all about.
|
|
Shauna Troy
J. Lohr Vineyards
|
|
|
Randy Ullom
Kendall Jackson
|
Randy Ullom is well aware of the responsibility he has as Winemaster for Kendall-Jackson. "It's a challenging job," he says. "Fifteen years ago, I only dreamed I'd someday be the head winemaker for one of America's most successful wineries."
A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ullom became interested in wine during a three-year stay in Chile, while on sabbatical from college in the early 1970s. His stay inspired a cross-country trek through Chile's vast wine-growing regions. It was an education in various climates and soils that has proved invaluable throughout Ullom's winemaking career. On his return to the United States, Ullom entered Ohio State University to study Viticulture and Enology. He received his degree in 1975.
After six years as a vineyard manager and winemaker in Ohio and upstate New York, Ullom moved to California to become associate winemaker at De Loach Vineyards in Sonoma County. He was promoted to winemaker and vice president in 1991, and contributed to the winery's meteoric growth from 10,000 to 120,000 cases. Ullom also spearheaded the development of De Loach's reserve wines and vineyard-designated Zinfandels. The wines he produced during his tenure were consistent gold medal winners at wine competitions.
In 1993, Ullom was hired by Jess Jackson to be the winemaker at Camelot Vineyards. That same year, Jackson gave him the additional responsibility of heading up a new Chilean operation as founding winemaker and general manager of Viña Calina. In 1996, Ullom helped Jackson establish wine production in Argentina with the Tapiz label. Ullom now has the distinction of being one of the few winemakers in the world to work two harvests a year … in two different hemispheres.
In March of 1997, Ullom was handed his most prestigious assignment yet – Winemaster for Kendall-Jackson Winery. In 2006, he also became the company's Chief Operating Officer. Ullom's unusual title "Winemaster" reflects his intimate involvement in the intricacies of the viticultural and winemaking programs of Kendall-Jackson. Ullom's impressive organizational and leadership skills, combined with exceptional winemaking talent, influence every wine Kendall-Jackson crafts, from grape to glass.
"Sometimes," he says, "I look at all of the vineyards we own, and all of the individual lots of wines that we make, and the thousands of barrels we have sitting in our cellar and I think, You gotta be kidding me. Despite the scale of our winemaking programs, I do what any decent winemaker does: I just take off my coat, dig in my heels and take it one barrel at a time."
|
|
Geoff Whitman
Medusa & Spellbound Wines
|
Geoff Whitman is managing partner and assistant winemaker for Medusa & Spellbound Wines.
Geoff's passion for wine began while in college in Boston, working in the restaurant industry. Later, upon moving to California, he worked in production at several Santa Barbara wineries, including Au Bon Climat. In 1998, Geoff joined the distribution side of the fine wines at Southern Wine & Spirits, working the on premise accounts in Beverly Hills and Hollywood. In early 2001, Whitman joined Robert Mondavi Winery, where he held several key sales management positions in Los Angeles and the Southwest, eventually calling on Key On Premise National Accounts until joining his friend Rob Mondavi at Medusa and Spellbound Wines in late 2006.
In late 2009, Geoff was also appointed General Manager for Michael Mondavi Family Wines.
"I've had the pleasure of working with Geoff for almost ten years, and I'm very proud to have him manage our family wines, " said Michael Mondavi, founder of Folio Fine Wine Partners. "Geoff has a passion for fine wines and a great gift of being able to communicate that passion while educating the trade and consumers."
Geoff lives in the Napa Valley with his wife Jemina and their son Gryphon.
|
Affording guests the opportunity to meet renowned national and international luminaries in the culinary and wine worlds this smartly planned seven-week event caters to connoisseurs and novices alike. Grand vintner’s dinners, flight nights, rare vintage tastings, celebrity chefs and winemakers, classes, Bubbles and Jazz Sunday brunches, and educational seminars with notable oenophiles will offer something for everyone. Now in its 6th year, the festival has grown by leaps and bounds, offering wine enthusiasts and gourmands the ultimate experience in entertainment and education alongside the beauty of a luxurious historic grand hotel. On the picturesque Great Island of New Castle, New Hampshire, just 1 hour north of Boston and 1 hour south of Portland, the location couldn’t be more perfect. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy some of the most exquisite wining and dining in all New England.
Luminaries from around the globe and locally travel to participate in our six week celebration. We will be host to some of the most acclaimed professionals in wine and food. We invite you to learn more about each one of our luminaries and the skill set and craft they bring our renowned events.
