TOM CAESTECKER, JR. Chicago Editor TheTastingPanel Magazine

Tom Caestecker, Jr., The Tasting Panel’s Chicago Editor, has been active in the Wine & Spirits Industry for more than eight years – in Sales & Marketing, Public Relations and Copywriting. He has written more than 300 articles and Op-Ed pieces for Chicago Tribune, Examiner.com and trade publications. Tom holds a Master of Arts in U.S. History from DePaul University, and has an Integrated Marketing Certificate from the University of Chicago.

GIL LEMPERT-SCHWARTZ Chairman The Wine Institute of Las Vegas

Gil Lempert-Schwartz, who brings a wealth of wine knowledge to Southern Nevada, founded The Wine Institute of Las Vegas (TWILV) in early 1999 to serve as the premier wine education institution and consulting business in Las Vegas .

Gil is originally from Denmark, spent over 10 years living and working in Hong Kong and has 15+ years of Senior Management experience in the beverage industry. He has also spent over 20 years refining his knowledge and wine tasting skills, specializing in Bordeaux, through partnering in the leadership of one of the most active chapters of the Commanderie de Bordeaux in the world. Traveling to the major wine regions of the world several times a year, he has in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience with the making of wine, tasting and selling. Honored by the most prestigious wine societies in France and an officer of the foremost gastronomical society and its wine branch, he is the youngest person ever to hold these distinctions simultaneously. He is the Wine Columnist for the Las Vegas Review Journal and writes a weekly column on wine, which gives the readers insight and knowledge of great value wines available in the local retail market. He is also a Wine Columnist for Las Vegas Home & Design, where he covers wine & spirits and the lifestyle that goes along with it. Gil also writes articles on wine, Bordeaux and other related topics as a free lance writer based in Las Vegas.

WINE TASTING COMPETITION JUDGES

TIM MCDONALD Wine Consultant Wine Spoken Here, Napa Valley

Based in Napa Valley, Tim McDonald founded a full service marketing communications consulting company in 2006, Wine Spoken Here. As a 30 year wine industry veteran, Tim held positions with: E & J Gallo as Marketing Director Fine Wine Communications, Peak Wines as V.P. of Marketing & Communications, Director of Trade Relations with Trinchero Family Estates, Heublein Wines as Director of Trade & Public Relations and sales assignments with 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 100 Wine Competitions here in North America and was recently named Director of Judging for The San Francisco International Wine Competition, where he has been a judge for over 12 years. Tim has spoken frequently on assembled panels at Universities & many wine industry events.

MICHAEL MUSER General Manager & Partner Grace

The son of a professional baseball player, Michael Muser grew up loving the game, but had his sights set on a different sport, that of professional cycling. Born in Chicago, Muser moved at a young age to California, where he was introduced to the sport and began racing competitively as a teenager. Muser will tell you those were the best years of his life, but the realization came that a career as a cyclist wasn’t in the cards. However, as he was racing in Northern California – this country’s greatest wine region – he also worked in the vineyards, and after working his first harvest, he had found his new and lifelong passion.

While studying history and theatre arts at California State University Chico, Muser worked in area restaurants to support himself and took the opportunity to learn more about wine. Upon graduation (1999), he studied with the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), the only formal credentialed wine program in the United States. Muser decided to take a hands-on approach to his studies and left the classroom to spend time traveling throughout Europe; he worked harvest in Burgundy and Champagne, learning first-hand hand the winemaking process before coming to Chicago to finish his last two years of training with the ISG. In Chicago, Muser accepted a position as Sommelier and Wine Director for three of Lettuce Entertain You, Enterprises restaurants, overseeing their wine lists in the Chicago, Las Vegas, and Maryland properties.

After three years with LEYE, Muser joined The Peninsula Chicago (2006), serving as Wine Director and Sommelier and building the beverage lists for the hotel’s three restaurants, its bar and for all catering functions and private events. He developed award winning wine lists and in 2011, Muser was nominated “Best Sommelier” by the Jean Banchet Awards for his work at Avenues, the Michelin two-star restaurant at The Peninsula; the following year, he was honored with the award. Under Muser’s direction, Avenues was also a three-time nominee for Outstanding Wine Service from the James Beard Foundation Awards. At Avenues, Muser met chef Curtis Duffy, and in 2011 the two began plans to open Grace. Muser’s style is grounded and one

rooted in the winemaking process. He cites influence from award-winning sommeliers Alpana Singh, Bob Bansberg, and Wayne Gotts, his mentor and instructor at ISG.

At Grace, expect to see a list that caters to Duffy’s cuisine, echoing his penchant for purity of ingredients. It will be focused on the Loire and Rhone Valleys of France, regions known for wildly expressive wines that are at the same time clean, pure, and honest. Muser lives in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. In his free time, he’s exploring the world, on the hunt for that next great bottle of wine.

GREGORY NASSER Vice President Ozumo Concepts International

Gregory Nasser was raised in the kitchen by a traditional Lebanese grandma who taught him the specifics of flavor profiles. She passed at the age of 95 when Gregory was 15 years old, but she taught him that the reason to enjoy an espresso with baklava in the afternoon was to enjoy the moments with your family and friends. This has stuck with him for life.

Gregory was professionally trained at the aged of 16 by a Chilean Spanish Chef who he was recommended to by a family friend. Gregory then went on to cook for a catering company until he went off to the University Of Colorado, where he studied Business Management. While in college, Gregory went to Bartending school and fell in love with the flavors of the bar and the amazing pairing abilities beverages have within your meal.

When Gregory returned to San Francisco, he became the Manager of Food and Beverage for the San Francisco Giants. In 2005, he opened a restaurant in Palo Alto, California called Mango Café- a Caribbean restaurant with a great following. There Gregory earned his intuitive MBA in business. Gregory sold the restaurant before the recession in March of 2008 and went on to work for the Grand Café in the Hotel Monaco San Francisco as the AGM of Food and Beverage. Gregory joined Ozumo Concepts as General Manager in March of 2012 and worked his way up to Vice President of the company overseeing 5 restaurants: Ozumo San Francisco, Ozumo Oakland, Usushi, Sonoma Wine Garden, 41 Ocean Restaurant & Members Club.

JUNE RODIL Director of Operations q u i and East Side King

June Rodil is the Director of Operations of Top Chef and James Beard Award winner, Paul Qui’s flagship restaurant, Qui, and the casual dining concept of trailers, brick and mortars, and catering outlets, East Side King. June comes from a wine background and has had the pleasure and honor of being the Beverage Director for the acclaimed Uchi Restaurant Group as well as Congress Austin. She relishes the perfect pairing and believes that this can be accomplished when a chef and sommelier have mutual respect for each other and have the same goal: happy guests.

June’s accolades include: Texas Best Sommelier 2009, Wine & Spirits Magazine Best New Sommelier 2011, Star Chef’s Rising Star Sommelier 2012, and was most recently named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Sommeliers of the Year 2014. She is an Advanced Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and remains diligent in her studies as she prepares for the last level of examination.

ALOYS SCHEER Restaurant Operations Manager Finch and Fork Restaurant

After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Denver, CO in 2005, Aloys Scheer started his career with the Four Seasons George V as an MIT working in their Gastronomy Restaurant Le V. He then went on to work at the Four Seasons Los Angeles Beverly Hills as a food and beverage manager, where he stayed till 2008. From 2008 to 2010, Aloys worked for the Palm Restaurant as Wine Director and oversaw both wine programs for the West Hollywood and downtown LA locations. During this time, he also achieved his Level II Sommelier Certification from the International Sommelier Guild. From there, Aloys moved on to the Miramar Hotel Santa Monica where he was the Outlets Director and subsequently accepted the position as the General Manager of One Pico at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. Aloys is currently the Operations Manager at the Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara.

VANESSA TREVIÑO BOYD Beverage Director 60 Degrees Mastercrafted

Vanessa Treviño Boyd “cut her wine teeth” in Chicago and in 2000 moved to New York where she managed wine lists for Japanese and French restaurants—in particular Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis with an 1800-selection list, four Sommeliers, three NY Times stars and two Michelin stars. Her work has been recognized in Food Arts, Santé, The New York Times, The Houston Chronicle, Houston Press and Wine & Spirits where she was a member of the import tasting panel for eight years. In April, 2012 she was awarded ‘Best New Sommelier’ by Food & Wine magazine, in October of that year was named ‘Houston’s Best Sommelier’ by Houston Press, and in 2013 was awarded ‘Best Wine List’ again by Houston Press for her work at Philippe Restaurant & Phil’s Wine Lounge. Vanessa has been a Guest Sommelier at Wine Spectator’s New York Wine Experience, Pebble Beach Food & Wine, Aspen Food & Wine, the International Pinot Noir Celebration and most proudly at America’s celebration of the wines of Burgundy, La Paulée. Vanessa holds an Advanced Certificate with the American Sommelier Association and is the Beverage Director at 60 Degrees Mastercrafted in Houston, Texas.

KEVIN M. VOGT MS Wine & Spirits Director Emeril’s Restaurants, Las VegasMaster Sommelier Kevin M. Vogt is Wine Director for Chef Emeril Lagasse in Las Vegas and has been working this organization since 1996. In 1999, Mr. Vogt successfully passed the Master Sommelier Exam. Since 2000, Kevin has been a judge for Anthony Dias Blue’s San Francisco International Wine Competition, and a judge for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. He is a wine educator and public speaker and has taught college level wine courses and lectured aboard Crystal Cruise Lines for their food and wine festival events. In 2004, Delmonico Steakhouse became the 88th restaurant in the world to achieve the Wine Spectator’s Grand Award. Kevin graduated from UNLV with a degree in Hotel Administration in 1993.