April Atkins: Holding the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 in Wine with Distinction, April began studying wine during a European trip in 2001 when she stayed at vineyards and learned about grape growing and winemaking. Since then, April has traveled the globe for wine-related excursions, training, and events. She recently completed the Champagne MOOC from the Comité Champagne and is currently studying Italian wines. She is the owner of a boutique wine consulting company, Vino Vinho Wine. April plans to begin working toward the AWS wine judge certification.
Dave Barber Wine educator and judge, Dave Barber Dave is a Certified Wine Judge from the AWS Wine Judge Training Program. He also instructs, mentors students, and administers the final examination to participants in the program. The AWS recognized Dave as its ‘Outstanding Member’ in 2011. On the Board of the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association, Dave has chaired its annual Wine Competition (averaging over five hundred entries annually) for more than 15 years. Dave has presented innumerable wine seminars on various topics and has judged in many wine competitions and has written many articles in various wine magazines. He currently works with several Virginia wineries in their tasting rooms and at various festivals. Dave is qualified to judge all species of grape wine as well as meads, ciders, and spirits. He has judged in many competitions, including, AWS Commercial and Amateur Competitions, North Carolina State Fair, Virginia State Fair, the Big E (Massachusetts), Finger Lakes International Competition, Winemaker Magazine Competition, Wines of the South, among others. Dave has visited numerous wine areas on three continents and has been inducted into several wine brotherhoods in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Serbia, Switzerland, and Hungary. He is a Master Knight within the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine of America.
Melissa Bartlett, hailing from Haymarket, VA, is an independent wine consultant and educator with over two decades of industry experience, notably at Virginia’s Pearmund Cellars where she served as a winery manager and sommelier. Melissa’s multifaceted background encompasses the entire wine production cycle, from vineyard management to bottling and sales. A dedicated and active member of the American Wine Society, she has held various leadership roles including Chapter Chair, conference presenter, and educator for the National Tasting Project. Certified both through the AWS Wine Judge Certification Program and as a Sommelier by the International Wine Guild, Melissa is a seasoned wine judge. She has lent her expertise to multiple national competitions, such as the AWS Commercial and Amateur Wine Competitions, Indy International, and the Georgia Trustees Wine & Spirits Competition, further solidifying her standing as a comprehensive wine professional.
Jonathan Galaif is a Certified Specialist of Wine and has completed Level 1 Court of Master Sommeliers. He has developed and run the Reserve Wine membership club for the past five years, and this year launched the Angel’s Cut whiskey+ club. Jonathan’s knowledge and experience in wine and spirits includes coordinating and implementing wine and whiskey tastings, chef-paired dinners, and other wine and spirits educational events. Jonathan designs and installs custom wine cellars for Southeast Leisure, LLC.
Emily Garrison is a longtime member of the Athens, GA, wine professional community. She has worked in every aspect of the wine business, from aiding wine collectors planning to build cellars to assisting the casual shopper eager to enjoy something special for the weekend. She helps restaurants to build wine lists and pair wine to menus; writing blogs and magazine columns; interning at wineries; and offering classes at the store she operates, Shiraz. Emily often blends her own wine and enjoys working with chefs to create a better experience for their patrons. In addition, she designs and executes wine dinners.
Diane Griffiths Arriving at College Station in 1984 she took a wine appreciation class at Messina Hof Winery. While working for Texas A & M University, where she obtained a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, she continued to visit the winery, attend seminars there, and assist a chef at the local Hilton Hotel in selecting wines for the hotel restaurant’s wine list. After moving to Georgia in 1996, Diane began to work with the wineries in the mountains, assisting with the harvest at numerous wineries, pruning and netting vines, blending wines, and pouring wines at events. She has begun the judging training program with the American Wine Society.
Carole Hacket: With a background in healthcare, she earned an undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry, both valuable in her wine studies. Carole is a certified wine judge with the American Wine Society and works with participants in the AWS Wine Judge Certification Program currently as its Education Coordinator. Carole has completed Level 2 of the WSET program with Merit. She is a member of the Society of Wine Educators. Carole serves as the Regional Vice President for Eastern Kentucky for the American Wine Society as well as Chapter Chair of the local chapter in Frankfort KY. Her eight years of judging experience have taken her through much of the USA judging at county fairs, regional festival events, state fair amateur competitions and international competitions.
Sharyn Kervyn: A lifelong wine professional, (de Volkaersbeke). She opened the Getty Center Museum in Los Angeles in 1997 and served as its Catering Director, developing the standards of service still in use today. In Beverly Hills, CA, she restructured a dining venue for Barneys New York and created elaborate on- and off-premises events for Hollywood Elite. At every location, she was also the wine director, training the staff and overseeing the wine lists, and has consistently earned “Best of” Wine Spectator Awards (2 glasses) for her lists at The Capital Grille locations, where she worked as wine director for more than a decade. Sharyn was the American Wine Society’s National Tasting Project Chair from 2016-2021 and a Regional Vice-President 2017-2019, and currently serves on the National Wine Education Committee. A member of the Dionysian Wine Society, she holds the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), is a WSET Level 3 graduate and finished the Diploma Program for WSET (level 4) in 2021. Sharyn is a Certified Judge for The American Wine Society (CWJ) and a sommelier through the Guild of Sommeliers.
Scott Ragland has worked in many aspects of the beverage alcohol business in Atlanta, from retail to distribution, and has attained the CSS (Certified Specialist of Spirits, Society of Wine Educators).
Candace Roberson has worked as a bartender and staff educator at Stem Wine Bar and Seed Kitchen and Bar in Marietta. She has been in the industry more than 10 years and has achieved WSET 2, CRT, and CSS (Certified Specialist of Spirits, Society of Wine Educators). She now is the assistant general manager at Stem’s sibling restaurant, Seed.
Beverly Taylor wrote a weekly wine column for The Birmingham News beginning in 1990. By the early 2000s, she also wrote wine articles for The Atlanta Wine Report and reviewed restaurants for Gayot.com, while producing a wine blog for AL.com. She has judged craft brews, ciders and spirits in competitions. She has visited wineries in France while attending multiple Vin Expo trade shows in Bordeaux and has attended the show’s New York and Chicago editions. Her wine travels have taken throughout Europe (Germany, Spain, and Italy especially) as well as California, Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia, Long Island, NY, and the Midwest. She has attended both the Napa Valley and Sonoma wine auctions, and twice participated in the Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Workshop, picking grapes, and working with the chefs in preparing food. In addition, she has attended Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans for spirits. She has judged wines in competitions ranging from various Atlanta competitions to the Northwest Wine Summit in Oregon to competitions in Italy. Beverly’s palate is well attuned to the grapes of the American South.
Daniel Turro studied culinary at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and began his wine studies as part of that education. During his required externship at San Domenico, a fine dining Italian restaurant on Central Park South in Manhattan, he worked on a stage at La Taberna Vulgi, a privately owned restaurant in the town of Santo Stefano del Sole in the province of Avellino (Campania). During his stage, he often accompanied the chef on day trips, including to Naples and Amalfi. Returning to the United States, Daniel worked for a company that sold exclusively Italian wines before working as a corporate chef with Rational USA and then worked with equipment manufacturers. Daniel has conducted numerous wine dinners as a private chef and was the chef for the Atlanta Wine Club until its dissolution. He also conducted numerous wine dinners with Domaine Distributors in Atlanta. Attending VinItaly in Verona in 2013, Daniel served on Domaine’s tasting panel seeking new wines for import. He has visited wineries in Europe and throughout America, including 35 Georgia wineries and some distilleries.
Dirk Ebener has worked in the global trade show and conference industry in 22 countries for over 28 years. His responsibilities include food and beverage management and selections at managed events. He is the founder of the Whisky Club of Big Canoe and owner of the global website TheScotchWorld.com. He completed his Certificate of Scotch Whisky from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy in 2022 and organizes monthly whisky tastings, including whiskies from Australia, Ireland, and Japan. He is also a monthly contributor at Smoke Signals News.
Susan Whisenhunt, PhD: Susan has been interested in wine for nearly 40 years. Her interest started while working for a wine manager in a large liquor and wine store during college. Her first book about wine was Windows on the World by Kevin Zraly. Once she finished her Bachelor’s degree, her working life changed to follow a career path that did not include wine, yet her love of wine, winemakers, etc. did not fade. She often planned vacations around visiting a wine region where she could visit wineries. She informally studied wine by reading books, attending wine pairing dinners and presentations by winemakers, and taking continuing education courses offered by local institutions as often as possible. When she moved to Asheville, a friend encouraged her to join the American Wine Society Certified Wine Judge program. She has been judging for the last 10 years in competitions that include Vinifera, Hybrid, Native, and Muscadine grapes as well as Cider and Mead. In addition to her Wine Judge certification, she will be pursuing her Wine and Spirits Education Trust certifications. Susan and her husband have a small French varietal apple farm in Eastern Tennessee and produce ciders for friends and family to enjoy. The current plan for the farm is to plant a terrace or two of grapes to expand into making wine as well as cider.
Nance Donaldson has been in the business of wine education since founding her company, It’s About Wine, LLC in 2011. Her knowledge and passion for wine began with a trip to Australia where she practiced the fine art of blind tasting while discovering the emerging vineyards of Victoria and South Australia. Back in the states, Nance creates unforgettable tasting experiences for her private in-home clients, corporate event tastings and fund-raising events. She is the past Chair of the Wine Committee at The Buckhead Club in Atlanta and serves as the club’s special event sommelier. She is an independent wine instructor and consultant at several private clubs and wine shops throughout metro Atlanta.
Brutz English got into beekeeping in 2009. He is the owner of Liberty Hill Honey Company LLC. He holds a Seasonal Honey Producer license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Brutz earned his Welsh Honey Judge certification 2012, and his Senior Welsh Honey Judge Certification in 2017. In 2017, he was honored by the Georgia Beekeeper Association as Georgia Beekeeper of the Year. In 2018 he was appointed Director of the Welsh Honey Judge Training & Certification Program at the Young Harris-UGA Beekeeping Institute. Brutz is a founding member and the current President of the American Honey Show Training Council. He travels across the United States, and internationally, promoting and judging honey shows. He has judged more than fifty (50) state, national, and international level honey shows, including Eastern Apicultural Society, Heartland Apicultural Society, Hive Life Conference, the Institute of Northern Ireland Beekeepers Honey Show, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Honey Show, and the Great Yorkshire Honey Show.
Therise Collier is a distinguished amateur wine maker with 18 years of experience, having won numerous medals throughout her career. She cultivates a variety of grape varietals such as Vidal Blanc, Blanc du Bois, Norton, Merlot, Crimson Cabernet, and Lenoir at her four-acre vineyard, Creekside at Colliers End. Alongside her regular wines, she has created fortified wines and a notable Norton Rose in 2018. A member of the American Wine Society and Alabama Winemakers and Grape Growers Association for 16 years, she is also enrolled in the WSET 3 Program. Therise has judged in various competitions, including the Iowa State Fair, International Winemaker Magazine Wine Competition, and Northeast Gold Wine Competition. Her passion for artisan wine-making has taken her on extensive travels to wine-centric countries such as Australia, France, Italy, and Argentina, even living in Montenegro for a year to enhance her knowledge and expertise in global wine-making techniques and styles.
Quintin Gregor has over 30 years of international experience as a Judge in Wine and Spirits competitions. With over twelve years’ experience as a former wine and spirits maker, he has firsthand knowledge and appreciation of the challenges of production and the skills required. He is well versed in a wide variety of wine styles from around the world.
Jim Favret is a retired wine professional boasting an impressive 48-year career that has spanned various roles—from warehouse worker at Heidelberg Distributing in Ohio to Operations Manager at Vintage Wine Distributing in Cincinnati. His diverse experience includes stints as a wine steward for Big Star grocery store, Wine Portfolio Manager at Savannah Distributing in Georgia, and owning his own brokerage, Stellar Selections, LLC, representing 18 wineries across 5 states. Jim has also made significant contributions to wine wholesale, working with major distributors such as National Distributing Co and Empire Distributing. He spent 20 years representing Italian wineries, first with Winebow and then with Empson USA, even leading wine tours through Central Italy. His versatile background has given him a comprehensive understanding of the wine business, from sourcing and pricing to distribution and sales.
Walter Rachele is a seasoned wine enthusiast with deep-rooted involvement in various wine organizations and educational programs. A founding member of the Nation’s Capital Chapter of the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine since 1988 and a long-standing member of the American Wine Society since 1984, he serves as a board member of the AWS Educational Foundation and was a former Treasurer for AWS. Walt graduated from the Wine Judge Certification Program and continues to instruct future judges. Elected to the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association’s Board of Directors in 2016, he has judged numerous competitions, including the MD, NJ, and PA Governor’s Cups and the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Academically distinguished in wine studies, he completed WSET2 with Distinction and Wines of Portugal Level 3-Advanced. His expertise is continually enriched through extensive travel to 43 states and multiple countries, including Spain, Portugal, and South Africa. Walt currently resides in Loudoun County, Virginia, a region home to over 45 wineries.
Christy Dart is a seasoned professional in the wine and beverage industry with over two decades of experience across multiple roles. She began her career as the Manager of High Energy Bar in Dallas, Texas, for 10 years before transitioning into the role of Wine Buyer at both Beverage Warehouse in Roswell, Georgia, for 6 years and Whole Foods Market in Johns Creek, Georgia, for 5 years. Christy also spent 2 years as a wine distributor for Gusto Brands in Atlanta. Double-certified with the International Sommelier Guild through the Art Institute of Atlanta, she has been a member of the Sommelier Guild of Atlanta for 11 years and the American Wine Society’s North Fulton Chapter. Currently, she is in her second year of the Wine Judging Certification Program, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to professional development in the wine industry.
Bill Fish is a multi-certified wine connoisseur and judge with a WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, AWS Certified Wine Judge credentials, and additional specializations in Sherry and Sake. A member of The American Wine Society and the French Broad Vignerons, he is also the co-author of the book “Competition Wine Judging.” Bill has served as the Chief Judge for the Asheville Wine and Food Festival and CiderFest NC, and regularly judges at competitions like the Mid-Atlantic Southeastern Wine Competition and the North Carolina State Fair Wine Competition. With extensive travel experience, including five years in Europe, he has gained a deep understanding of global wine culture, especially the vineyards in Germany, France, and Italy. After a 38-year career with General Motors, he currently works as an automotive industry consultant and resides with his wife Jamie in Flat Rock, NC.
Debbie Jones has been deeply involved in the world of wine since 2001, transitioning from an eager student in wine courses to an educator and consultant in the industry. Earning her CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine) credential in 2009, Debbie has built an expansive career that includes roles in wine sales, education, and event planning. From 2012 to 2019, she worked in retail wine sales as a consultant, elevating customer experiences through her knowledge. She remains an active volunteer at various wine events and has served as a judge at several competitions, including the Georgia Trustees Wine & Spirits Competition and the VinoChallenge International Wine Competition. Debbie plans to further her education by pursuing the FWS (French Wine Scholar) credential in the coming year, underscoring her commitment to promoting wine and food education.
Dennis Sullivan is a highly accredited wine expert holding several prestigious certifications including Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators, French Wine Scholar from the Wine Scholar Guild, and Certified Sherry Wine Specialist from The House of Lustau and the Wine Scholar Guild. His leadership roles in the wine community are notable; he is the former Vice President of the Sommelier Guild of Atlanta and a founding member of the Metropolitan Atlanta Scotch Club. With a palate experienced in over 300 wine varietals, he is a Tripel member of the Wine Century Club. Dennis brings his expertise to the judging table at prominent competitions such as the Northwest Wine Summit and the Atlanta International Wine Challenge, further affirming his comprehensive knowledge and influence in the wine industry.