HEIDI BARRETT
Heidi Barrett is a well-known professional winemaker in the Napa Valley. She has a B.S. degree in Fermentation Science from UC Davis and has worked in the wine industry for over thirty years. She is winemaker/owner of La Sirena and Amuse Bouche. Her other clients are Barbour, Paradigm, Revana, Lamborn, Kenzo, and Fantesca. Heidi was also winemaker for the famous ‘Screaming Eagle’ as well as ‘Grace Family’, ‘Dalla Valle’, ‘Jones’, and ‘Showket’.
ZAR BROOKS
Zar Brooks of Paper Eagle Wines entirely credits his winemaker and wife, Elena, and their unwitting publicist, Ms Rebecca Hopkins, for everything and, of course, everyone’s mentor Oberon Kant AO BSE.
LORI CRANTFORD
Lori Crantford is an Emmy-award winning writer living in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has two cats and a psychotic cockatiel; she borrowed a neighbour’s dog and a fair amount of their wine for this story’s inspiration.
KRIS CURRAN
Kris Curran grew up in Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. After completing a degree in Animal Science at Cal Pony, she pursued a winemaking degree at Fresno State University. Kris has made award-winning wines at Cambria Winery, Koehler Winery, Sea Smoke Cellars and Foley Estate. Kris’ own label was started in 1997. www.winecountry.com
BRIAN DOYLE
Brian Doyle is the editor of Portland Magazine at the University of Portland in Oregon. He is the author of nine books of essays and poems, most recently Thirsty for the Joy: Australian & American Voices (One Day Hill, Melbourne, onedayhill.com.au)
ERIC DUNHAM
Eric Dunham is the Director of Wine at Dunham Cellars, Walla Walla, WA.
MAT GARRETSON
In the last 28 years, Mat Garretson has held virtually every position possible in the wine industry, from retailer to importer to winery owner, from sales director to general manager to winemaker. He is generally credited for being one of the driving forces behind the Rhone wine movement in the U.S., having founded Hospice du Rhone (hospicedurhone.org), the world’s preeminent organization for the promotion of these wines. It was only natural that Mat’s love for all things Rhone would lead to the starting of his own Rhone-inspired winery, Garretson Wine Company. When not converting the world to Rhone wines, Mat enjoys golf, flying, the University of Georgia Bulldogs and sleep.
HANK KELLEY
Hank Kelley is an Australian Shepherd and Vice President of Canine Information Systems at Elvenglade Vineyardsin Oregon. He is named after Hank Williams with whom he shares a birthday. Hank’s very favourite breakfast (or lunch or dinner, for that matter) if he can’t have human food, is a nice dead gopher. He chases (probably attempting to herd) anything that moves, but prefers tennis balls or four-wheelers. When the crew arrives in the vineyard, he multi-tasks as their official food taster. To make sure they don’t eat anything that would impinge on their productivity.
ADAM LECHMERE
Adam Lechmere is editor at large of Decanter magazine. He lives in London with his wife and three daughters, and spends a good deal of time in wine country from Bordeaux to Barossa via California and Burgundy. He has a taste for great Bordeaux and great Pinot, and will go many miles for the perfect bottle of Gruner Veltliner.
ELIN McCOY
Elin McCoy is wine columnist for Bloomberg News and the author of The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr., and the Reign of American Taste. When not tracking canines on the vine in wine country, she resides in Connecticut.
CRAIG McGILL
Craig is a gifted artist and one of the founding principals of Giant Dog publishing. He photographs exclusively for the Wine Dogs series of books and calendars. www.theartofcraigmcgill.com
LARRY OATES
Larry and Joyce Oates oversee the antics of Aurora at Sleeping Dog Wines in the Yakima Valley of Washington State. Larry adopted the mantle of “alpha vintner” in 2002 after long practice as a hobby winemaker and the desire to see a tangible product after years of working in the environmental field.
SHANNON O’NEILL
Shannon and Maureen O’Neill are UC Davis Graduates who have been growing grapes in Paso Robles since 1982. Shannon received a degree in Fermentation Science and has been making wine since 1984. Maureen worked in the silicon valley until 2002 when they both decided to move to Paso Robles and build a tasting room. Come visit them and try some of their big, extracted, hand-crafted red wines.
ROBERT M. PARKER JR
Robert was born in Baltimore, Maryland and initially pursued a career in law. His interest in wine began in 1967 and it wasn’t long before Robert had started to carve out a spectacular career in wine writing that now spans over 28 years. He is the founder of The Wine Advocate and is the contributing editor for Food and Wine Magazine. He also periodically contributes to other magazines including The Field and France’s L’Express. He is the author of many best-selling and awarded wine books including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide and The Wines of the Rhone Valley and Provence. Robert’s bulldog George won the coveted “Palme Dog” prize at the Cannes film festival for best canine performance in a film for his cameo in the documentary Mondovino. www.thewineadvocate.com
JOHN POTTER
John Potter is a writer and semi-retired dog trainer. He blogs about wine, dogs and other (somewhat) related topics at brimtothedregs.com
JENNIFER ROSEN
Jennifer Rosen is the author of Waiter, There’s a Horse in My Wine, The Cork Jester’s Guide to Wine and a new game, Cork Jester’s Wine Teasers. She writes a weekly wine column for the Rocky Mountain News and articles for magazines and papers around the world. Jennifer speaks French and Italian, mangles German, Spanish and Arabic, and works off the job perks with belly dance, tightrope and trapeze. www.corkjester.com
SUSAN SOKOL BLOSSER
Oregon wine industry pioneer, co-founder of Sokol Blosser Winery, and author, Susan Sokol Blosser has retired to devote more time to her puppy, her grandchildren, and her garden.
GAREN STAGLIN
Garen and Shari Staglin purchased their 64-acre ranch (Staglin Family Vineyard) in heart of the Rutherford Bench, in Napa Valley in December 1985 with their children, Brandon and Shannon. Their property has been proclaimed by wine critic, Robert Parker, as the premier vineyard in the historic Rutherford appellation of Napa Valley. The family is serious about biodiversity, organic farming and Jack Russell terriers.
ZOE WILLIAMS
Zoe Williams is a columnist for The Guardian, along with sundry other English publications and the odd in-flight magazine. She has a staffie-ridgeback cross called Spot; as yet, no vineyard.
