John Clark

John got his start in the wine industry in 1985 when he was hired as a cellar worker at Corbett Canyon Vineyards in the Edna Valley. Within two years, he was promoted to winemaker and was eventually named vice-president of winemaking. Today John’s role at the Wine Group, Corbett Canyon’s parent company, has shifted to that of Vice President of Premium Wines. He oversees the Wine Group’s premium wine facilities and brands. Additionally, John is the winemaker for the family winery, Brophy-Clark Cellars, which produces small lots of wine from the Central Coast’s premium vineyards.

Don O’Neill

Don O’Neill has been in the wine business in Santa Barbara County for 18 years. He started his wine career working part-time as a tour and tasting guide at Zaca Mesa Winery and eventually became retail sales manager. Two years ago, Don turned his knowledge and passion for Santa Barbara County wines toward a business of his own. Along with his wife and step-sons, Don owns Wine Country, a tasting room and wine shop in Los Olivos that features many small wineries that do not have their own tasting room. At Wine Country, Don shares his passion for wine with visitors newly introduced to the wines of Santa Barbara County as well as seasoned collectors of hard-to-find wines.

Wes Hagen

Wes Hagen has been with Clos Pepe Vineyards and Estate Wines since the vineyard's founding in 1996. He worked for Babcock, studied through the University of California: Davis extension program and made home wine through the 1990's, and launched the Clos Pepe Estate label with his family in 2000. Wes won the CCWGA's Grower of the Year Award in 2001-2002, has received 90+ scores for the Clos Pepe Estate wines in the Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator, and grew the highest scoring Pinot Noir grapes in California (by WS scores) for the 2001 and 2002 vintages. When not making or drinking wine, Wes is an avid African percussionist and closet gaming geek.

Dave Robinson

Dave began his love affair with wine as a student at Bristol University in England, when he spent most summer vacations touring wine regions in France, Germany, Italy, Greece and Spain. As he honed his palate, he became the president of the Wine Society at Southampton University. After working in high tech in England and Japan, he landed in California’s Silicon Valley with a transfer soon thereafter to Portland, Oregon where he found that this new world makes some good wine! After a transfer to Los Angeles, Dave and his wife made many a weekend trip to Santa Barbara County to discover the wines, people and regions. Abandoning their corporate careers, they decided to jump into the local wine community full time in 2001. Dave is a partner in Vintegrated Solutions, a company that provides marketing and logistics support to Santa Barbara County wineries.

Steve Russell

Before embarking on an academic career in cancer research, Steve was a California winemaker (B.S. Enology, 1960, University of California - Davis). He was the first formally trained enologist at Gallo until he decided to return to school, where he earned a DVM degree and then a PhD in Comparative Pathology. After being on the faculties of Scripps Research Institute, University of North Carolina, University of Florida and the University of Kansas, he entered emeritus status at the end of 1999 and returned to California. He and his wife, Mary, have planted a small vineyard, Quinta Santa Rosa, in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation that is dedicated to Pinot Noir. Their new label, Prodigal Wines, is scheduled for release later this year.

Doug Scott

After graduating from Fresno State with a degree in Enology, Doug started working for Central Coast Wine Services, a custom-crush facility in Santa Maria where he was soon promoted to Assistant Winemaker. In 2000, Mr. Scott became the Winemaker at Koehler Winery in Los Olivos and then tried his hand at 'corporate' winemaking by becoming the Associate Winemaker at Cambria Winery in Santa Maria and then Sunstone Vineyard and Winery. Today, Doug is the winemaker at Margerum Wine Company and the consulting Winemaker for Wild Heart Winery, both in Los Olivos.

Cliff Stepp

Cliff has been a home winemaker since 1977. His work in marketing and advertising brought him into contact with San Luis Obispo’s fledgling wine industry in the early eighties. During the creation of a “touring and tasting map” of SLO County, a group of six Paso Robles wineries asked him for help in designing a cohesive marketing program financed with their pooled resources. Soon after the first print and TV campaign launched the group grew to 24 wineries. This was the beginning of our area’s first wine industry trade association, the Paso Robles Vintners & Growers Association (now the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance). Cliff is currently the resident Marketing Genius at S. Lombardi & Associates and heads up their Wine Marketing Services Division.

Alicia Summers

A member of the Wine Educators Society, Alicia plans to continue her pursuit of a Masters in that program as well as an additional degree in Enology and Viticulture. When not studying, Alicia works as the Sales and Marketing Manager at Casa Cassara winery, where she also participates in tasting, evaluation and blending trials. She previously served as the Manager of Bridlewood’s Tasting Room.

Alicia’s judging experience includes both the Central Coast Home Winemakers Association and the Santa Barbara County Fair Amateur Wine Competition. She looks forward to applying her palate and judging skills to the commercial wines judged at this event

Jim Yerkes

Jim Yerkes has been making wine for over 30 years. He first became involved with winemaking in 1974 while on vacation in Europe, where on a lark, he took a job with a small winery in France, and the romance began. Back in California, Jim served as Winemaker for Glen Ellen Winery in Sonoma, Head Winemaker at Round Hill Cellars in St. Helena and General Manager and Winemaker for Central Coast Wine Services custom crush facility. Jim now is a consulting winemaker to a variety of clients all over the state of California and provides expertise on winery design, equipment and grape selection and all phases of production management through winemaking and bottling for both large and small producers. Although his services carry him all over the state, Jim finds the making of Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley among the most satisfying.