August 7-10, 2025

Experts & Enthusiasts

THANK YOU TO OUR WINE CLASSIC experts & enthusiasts

When you come up for the Vail Wine Classic, you’ll learn from the best of the best in the wine industry. See how passion for wine, food and the great outdoors blend together to create the most memorable experience. You won’t just sip, sniff, and swirl with our experts, you’ll ride down a mountain or hike up a trail with them! Go on your leaf peeping mountain adventure and pair it with a wine weekend getaway. Engage with winemakers, vineyard owners, and Master Sommeliers in their element for so much more than a lecture.

Kylie Bearse

Founder, Approachable Outdoors

Kellie Martin - Founder & Chief Sommelier, SommSchool

Sommelier

JORGE MONROY

Sr. Director – Central Region, DAOU Vineyards

Chris Rowe

Old Bridge Cellars

Madeleine Parker

Pinea Wines

Thomas Arthur

J. Lohr Vineyards

Chappy Cottrell

Stringer Cellars, Sommelier

Lauren Goeing

Cline Family Cellars

Hugo Del Pozzo

Co-Founder, Pinea Wines

Julian Smith

Executive Chef, Chasing Rabbits

KEVIN ERVING

Executive Chef, Lounge at Lenora at Sebastian Vail

David Reuss

Sommelier, Jackson Family Wines

Joshua Marshall

Executive Chef, Ludgwig's Restaurant at the Sonnenalp Vail

Stu turner

Executive Chef, Manor Vail

GRANT JENNINGS

Piatelli Vineyards, Sommelier

Elton Slone

Robert Craig Winery, President & CEO

Jason Brumm

Executive Chef, The Slope Room at Gravity Haus

Valerie Shilgalis

Rocky Mountain Region Manager, Copper Cane Wines & Spirits

Joshua Marshall

Executive Chef, Ludwig's Restaurant at The Sonnenalp Vail

Christopher Lauro

Executive Chef, Deca + Bol

ERIC FRIEDMAN

Executive Sous Chef, Gessner Steakhouse, Grand Hyatt Vail

CASEY STRINGER

Founder, Stringer Cellars

JESSE MAXWELL

Executive Sous Chef, Sonnenalp Hotel

Dan Foster

Certified Sommelier, President and Managing Partner of 7Cellars

David Phillips

Co-owner, Michael David Winery

Pascal Coudouy

Executive Chef, Grand Hyatt Vail

Josh Marshall

Executive Chef, Ludwig's Restaurant at the Sonnenalp Hotel Vail

Chelsie Jewell

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Jeremy Reimann

Foley Family Wines, Sommelier