It’s no wonder that Rich Frank, one of Hollywood’s most creative, vibrant and ingenious players owns one of Napa Valley’s most unique wineries, Frank Family Vineyards. In the late 80s, Rich, a long-time Disney executive, couldn’t find the time to get away for long vacations. Soon he started coming to Napa on the weekends, realizing it was only a short plane flight away from Los Angeles, and in 1990, he purchased a home in the eastern hills of Napa in Rutherford.
Over dinner one night at one of his favorite restaurants in Napa, Tra Vigne, Rich commented to the owner that he really loved the bottle of wine he was drinking. The owner told Rich who had made it, and the next day, Rich met Koerner Rombauer at his house. And so began a lasting friendship and business partnership between Rich Frank and Koerner Rombauer.  As Rich and Koerner became friends and Koerner taught Rich more about the world of wine, Rich told Koerner he wanted to get into the wine business, to which Rombauer immediately shot him down and told him to keep his day job in Hollywood. Two years later, in 1992, Rich received a midnight phone call at his home in Los Angeles from Koerner, telling him that the Kornell Champagne Cellars on the site of historic Larkmead Winery was for sale and if there was ever a time to get into the wine business it was now. Remembering his earlier conversation with Koerner about staying out of the wine business, Rich wisely told Koerner to offer half the asking price, and less than 24 hours later, the showbiz man and the renowned Napa winery owner were co-owners of the Calistoga winery now known as Frank Family Vineyards. In 2007, Rich and Connie Frank purchased Koerner’s partnership share and assumed total control of Frank Family Vineyards.
Rich’s passion for the Napa Valley and Frank Family Vineyards underscores a wildly successful long-term career in Hollywood. Rich was Chairman of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications and headed Disney’s syndication arm Buena Vista. He was the President of Walt Disney Studios for nearly a decade and oversaw the development of The Disney Channel. Prior to his tenure at Disney, Frank was President of the Paramount Television Group, President of Chris Craft Television and one of the founders of the USA Network and served on their board. Under Frank’s leadership, television and movie properties such as "Cheers," "Taxi," "Family Ties," "Shogun," "Winds of War," "Entertainment Tonight," "Golden Girls," "Home Improvement," "Ellen," "Regis and Kathy Lee," "Dead Poet’s Society," "Good Morning Vietnam," "Pretty Woman," "Father of the Bride," "Aladdin" and "The Lion King"  achieved phenomenal success.
Rich was President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for an unprecedented six years, a board member of the MPAA for eight, and is

Outrageous and irreverent but always thought-provoking, Kinky Friedman wrote and performed satirical country songs during the 1970s and has been hailed as the Frank Zappa of country music.  The son of University of Texas professor, S. Thomas Friedman; Kinky studied psychology at Texas and founded his first band while there.  King Arthur & the Carrots, a group that poked fun at surf music, recorded only one single in 1966. (The group included a friend, who would metamorphose, into Little Jewford in his next band.)  After graduation, Friedman served three years in the Peace Corps; he was stationed in Borneo, where he was an agricultural extension worker. By 1971 he had founded his band, Kinky Friedman & the Texas Jewboys.  During the life of the band, in keeping with the group's satirical songs, some members had colorful or politically incorrect names: Little Jewford, Wichita Culpepper, Rainbow Colors, Sky Cap, Panama Red, and Snakebite Jacobs.  Friedman got his break in 1973 thanks to Commander Cody, who contacted Vanguard Music on behalf of the acerbic young performer.  That was the year he and his group made their debut album, Sold American, featuring John Hartford and Tompall Glaser.  The title track, a bitter tale of a forgotten country singer dying an alcoholic death, barely made it onto the charts, but Friedman did attract enough attention to be invited to the Grand Ole Opry.  In 1974, he recorded a self titled album for ABC Records, produced by Los Angeles pop helmsman, Steve Barri.  Although Barri and Friedman were an uncomfortable pairing, the album delighted his growing hard core fans with satirical pieces such as his response to anti-Semitism, "They Ain't Making Jews like Jesus Anymore" and a tune inspired by his days in the Peace Corps “Wild Man From Borneo.”  Along with the satires Friedman offered quieter sketches of American hard luck such as "Rapid City, South Dakota." During the mid-'70s, Friedman and his band toured with Bob Dylan & the Rolling Thunder Revue.  In 1976 he cut his third album, Lasso From El Paso, featuring Dylan and Eric Clapton.  The Texas Jewboys disbanded three years later, and Friedman moved to New York, where he often appeared solo at the Lone Star Cafe.  Moving onward from music, Friedman turned primarily toward writing, although he made occasional nightclub appearances.  He has written for Rolling Stone; was a featured columnist for Texas Monthly magazine and, most famously, is the writer of 19 unique and outrageous mystery novels such as Greenwich Killing Time and A Case of Lone Star. Equal parts whimsy and metaphysics, the books blur fiction and reality. They feature a Jewish country singer turned Greenwich Village private eye named Kinky Friedman, who sometimes returns to his native Texas; other characters are drawn from Friedman's circle of friends in both New York and Texas.  He is the also the author of 8 other books, the styles ranging from novel to non fiction travel log.  Since the ‘90’s Kinky’s on going ‘pet project’ is Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch (he is the founder) where he lends his time and support to taking in and caring for stray, abused, homeless or aging animals.  In 1999 friends, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett and others covered Friedman's music on the tribute album Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman.  In 2003 Vanguard released a 30th anniversary edition of Sold American (which included bonus tracks).  In 2005, Sphincter Records issued the historically noteworthy CD, Mayhem Aforethought, a previously unreleased radio broadcast from 1973; it’s an entire stage show with Kinky and the original Jewboy band members.  Most significantly, in February 2005, fed up with ‘Texas politics as usual’, Friedman announced his candidacy for Texas Governor and launched a serious, albeit colorful, campaign.  He and his supporters ran a successful petition drive and gathered more than 3 ½ times the amount of signatures needed to place his name on the 2006 ballot as an independent candidate.    Although the final outcome was not in his favor, he revived the independent spirit of Texas and inspired nontraditional voters to become part of the political process.  His newest venture is a premium cigar company – Kinky Friedman Cigars.  Five different cigars with Honduran & Nicaraguan tobaccos and beautiful hand rolled Cuban wrappers grown in Honduras debuted in August 2007 to rave reviews from seasoned cigar smokers across the globe.

Doug Frost is a Kansas City author who writes and lectures about wine, beer and spirits. In 1991 he passed the rigorous Master Sommelier examination and two years later became America’s eighth Master of Wine.  He was the second person in history to complete both exams and sixteen years later he is still one of only three people in the world to have achieved both these remarkable distinctions. According to USA Today, "Frost likely knows as much as anyone in the world about how to make, market, serve and identify wines."  Mr. Frost's love of wine began in the late 1970's as a waiter and wine steward, although he dates his first interest to a glass of Louis Martini 1968 Special Select Pinot Noir when he was fifteen years old. Frost was a fine wine wholesaler in the Kansas City area for fourteen years and, in that capacity, represented most of the best wineries and estates from America and the world. His first book, Uncorking Wine, was released in the summer of 1996, and is still a staple for many restaurant and retail companies and their staff and management. Frost’s most recent book, On Wine, published by Rizzoli International, was released in the fall of 2001. The Washington Post calls it “fabulous, witty, engaging and wise… conveys more accumulated wine wisdom than most books 10 times as thick.”  Frost’s most recent book, Far From Ordinary: The Spanish Wine Guide, was released in October 2005; the second edition was released in early 2008. Frost is also a contributor to the Oxford Companion of Wine, The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and The Wine Report, an annual report edited by Tom Stevenson. He writes about wine and spirits for many publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Underground Wine Journal, Drinks International, Practical Winery & Vineyard, Wines & Vines, Wines & Spirits, Cheers Magazine, Sante Magazine, and Epicurious.com and is the beverage columnist for the James Beard award-winning food section of the Kansas City Star, as well as Hemispheres Magazine, Missouri Life and Fine Cooking.  Frost is the host of Check Please!, a weekly public TV show filmed in Kansas City. Mr. Frost is also the wine and spirits consultant for United Airlines worldwide, helping to select tens of thousands of cases of wines and spirits each year for service aboard the world’s most important worldwide carrier. He is the founder and director of the Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition, a nine-year-old national competition, and is Head Judge and founder of the Mid-American Wine Competition, in its third year.  As a founding partner of a new spirits and cocktail educational organization, BAR (Beverage Alcohol Resource), Frost has created a fantastic resource with his partners: Dale DeGroff, Steve Olson, Paul Pacult and David Wondrich. BAR opened for business in June 2006; Cheers Magazine selected BAR and its founders as Innovators of the Year for 2007.  He consults with many retailers, restaurateurs, wineries and distillers in the realms of marketing, merchandising, sales, education and sensory perception. Mr. Frost lives with his wife and two children in Kansas City, where he spends his spare time listening to his massive punk rock and weird music collection.

Raymond Haak started raising grapes in 1975 with just two grapevines, a gift from his wife, Gladys. His vineyard, which started as an experiment next to their house, began thriving. After 30 years of grape-growing and winemaking studies the couple establish Haak Vineyards & Winery. This Mediterranean-style winery, which has produced award winners beginning with its first released wines, now consists of over 11,000 square fee, including the 1,800-square-foot wine cellar, which houses barrels for aging and fermenting wines.

A passionate Wine Educator since 1983, Jorge has worked in a variety of roles in the fine wine industry. Initially beginning his career as an independent wine consultant, Jorge’s “Palate For Hire” business attracted the attention of a number of clients including importers, distributors, retailers, and restaurateurs alike. His previous employers include Monsieur Touton Selection, R.H. Phillips, Kendall Jackson’s Artisans and Estates, Seagram Chateau and Estate Wines Company, and Diageo. In the mid 1990s, Jorge also wrote and recorded a series of fine wine radio spots that were broadcast weekly in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.  Jorge is currently employed by WJ Deutsch and Sons, where he is the Director of Corporate Education and Training. He travels extensively both domestically and internationally conducting Educational Seminars for all aspects of the beverage alcohol industry and the public at large. When not on the road, Jorge makes his home in Connecticut with his wife Ellen and his 2 sons.

Mark Hyman’s challenge as President and C.O.O. is significant, for, despite the indisputable quality of the wines, many people outside of the boundaries of Texas remain unaware of the achievements of Texas’ premium wine industry. Still, for a professional with his skills, experience, and energy, the challenge of making a quality product accessible to Texas and the world represents just about the most enjoyable job around.  Since joining the team at Llano Estacado in 1994, sales of the winery’s premium wines have grown and the reputation of the winery has continued to soar. One important reason for this is Mark’s proselytizing. Mark’s role with Llano Estacado is to help direct all marketing strategies, work with the winery’s impressive lineup of wholesale distributors, and brokers, while supervising the winery in every aspect of its operation. Mark works closely with Winemaker Greg Bruni in assuring that Llano Estacado’s goals are achieved.  "Llano Estacado has the finest winery management team in the state, and this is largely the reason we have maintained and even extended our position as the State’s top premium winery," says Hyman. "I feel like I am at the right place at the right time for many reasons. My previous experience in sales and brand management meshes perfectly with Llano’s expansion of its markets."  Mark began his career in the wine industry with The Seagram Wine Company, successfully working his way through a variety of marketing and sales positions. He then joined Vintners International Company as its Texas State Manager of Sales. In 1989 Mark accepted the position of Area Manager for the Heublein Fine Wine Group, where he was responsible for the growth of the company’s Napa Valley brands for Texas and surrounding states. Mark joined Llano in 1994 as the Vice President Sales & Marketing, was appointed Executive Vice President in August 2000, and president/C.O.O. in January 2001.  Mark believes his future at Llano Estacado is one that will see the winery expand production and sales, and continue its mission to promote the wines of Texas inside and outside the state. Mark’s role in these developments will be critical. His position at Llano Estacado and his knowledge and experience make him a key figure in the Texas wine industry. He carries out that role regularly at various industry meetings and events where he proudly represents the State’s largest premium winery. Yet, he still sees his most important role as his relationship with customers.  "I’m continuously pulled in many directions. It is critical to know what is going on in the ever-changing marketplace," insists Mark.  With a long string of awards and growing critical recognition, Mark Hyman is playing a key role in making Llano Estacado turn heads from coast to coast.

Russ Kane is a wine writer with articles and tasting notes that have appeared in local and regional publications He has organized and moderated winemaker panels at major festivals including “Hot Weather, Cool Wines” at the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, and “Mediterranean Cowboys” at the Grand Wine and Food Affair.
Russ has been a Houston entrepreneur for over 20 years. He has traveled extensively and has an active interest in regional cuisines, wine education, and wine and food pairing. Both Russ Kane and his wife, Delia Cuellar, come from families with restaurant ties and understand the qualities of wine and food in a context of family, friends and acquaintances.
He has served as a judge in numerous wine competitions including the Houston Rodeo Wine Competition and the Lone Star Wine Competition. Russ was the founder and organizer of the annual Texas’ Best Wine Competition held by the Wine Society of Texas (2000 – 2005). He has also developed wine training lectures and seminars to promote a knowledgeable and responsible wine culture in Texas.
In 1998, Russ Kane started the Houston Chapter of the Wine Society of Texas, a 501c3 non-profit, educational organization. He has served as its President, on its Board of Directors, and as its Executive Director.  He helped to build the organization to include approximately 400 members statewide with many local chapters. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association (TWGGA). In 2002, Dr. Kane received his first level certificate from the Guild of Master Sommeliers.

Martin Korson is a graduate of New York’s Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. The recipient of a Wine Spectator scholarship, Korson predictably went on to graduate first in his class, receiving top honors for his successful studies in the food service and hospitality industry.  With such an auspicious beginning, it’s no wonder Korson’s career has flourished.  As beer and wine manager for the European fresh food store Central Market (centralmarket.com), a division of HEB and the largest privately held grocery in the U.S., he’s earned the title “Resident Wino” at the shop. Responsible for the almost 4,000 wines that adorn Central Market’s shelves, Korson routinely travels from the California countryside to the hills and vineyards of more than 20 countries, including France and Italy, in search of incredible wines at outrageous values. He’s also responsible for the 360 beer varieties the store carries, from American microbrews to hard-to-find imports. The facility also houses a cooking school where Korson is the primary wine and beer instructor for training new associates and also teaches student-customers how to become wine aficionados.  Before Central Market Martin was the first Wine Director or “Wine Guy” for Brennan’s of Houston restaurant.  While running that wine program of over 400 wines with an 8,000 bottle wine collection me one numerous awards for the wine program in cluding Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best Place to Take a Wine Snob”  Korson is one of only a few advanced certificated sommeliers in Texas and a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers. Originally established in the UK, with an American chapter formed in the U.S. in the late 1970s, the court is a prestigious group of wine experts known throughout the world for their knowledge and service of wine, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages. He’s also a member of the Society of Wine Educators, a professional organization dedicated to advancing wine education through specialized development and certification, and Slow Food, an group devoted to preserving traditional foodways and educating people about food as a center of community.

Central Market's Cooking School Director Peg Lee can hardly remember a time when she was not interested in food.  Her mother, in fact, gave her first cookbook when she was six years old.  "My mother was never interested in cooking, and I realized at an early age the difference between good and bad food," says the articulate cooking icon.  Born in Ipswich, Massachusetts to a family of Scots, Lee quickly tired of the bland, traditional fare of New England with its chowders, cod cakes and boiled dinners and set out to teach herself to cook.  With the aid of Fanny Farmer and The Tollhouse Cookbook, Lee was soon whipping up her favorite dishes.  Ever interested in the unusual and adventurous, at the tender age of 19 Lee set off for Europe on a Greek freighter with Panamanian registry.  Eventually abandoning her staid college chums to strike out on her own, Lee bicycled from Belgium to France and inadvertently found herself in the midst of the fast lane Tour de France bicycle race.  In Naples, Lee linked up with a friend she met on the boat and together they toured the Middle East, Cairo, Egypt, Istanbul, Turkey, Athens, Greece and Beirut….eating each cuisine  A consummate gourmand, Lee's husband inspired her to learn to cook all the wonderful food they encountered on their many travels.  Lee runs Houston's premiere cooking school at Central Market, booking renowned chefs, along with local favorites. According to Lee, "Food is a universal language and one of life's most affordable pleasures.  Some people come to class to learn the basics, others just to watch and enjoy.  We welcome everyone."  With her extensive knowledge of the foods and wines of the world, Lee has taught many classes.  Lee was the first in Houston to lead students in the fine art of French cuisine at the Houston Community College. The class was much more than French. They called it Gourmet Cooking with an international fare - Italian, Mexican, North African to name a few.  Lee makes sure the Central Market cooking school offers Houstonians the perfect setting in which to explore the pleasures of the table.  "When students are inspired by one class, they invariably generate enthusiasm and ideas for new ones which we try to implement."

Charlie Meeker was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he learned about great wine from his father.  After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Charlie moved to Los Angeles, and ever since, he’s been a distracted man.  Even though he and his wife Molly bought their first vineyard in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley in 1977, and opened their winery in 1984, Charlie wasn’t able to be a fill time winemaker in Sonoma County until 1999.  Oh sure, he made the wine from 1984 to 1999, but he had to live in L.A. and keep his day job – first as an entertainment attorney, then as a film producer, and ultimately president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in order to finance his winery habit.  That all changed in 1999 when the family moved lock, stock and barrel to Dry Creek Road, which will soon be the home of a new Meeker winery.  Charlie is now co-winemaker with Matt Blankenheim, and they specialize in big reds; including Winemaker’s Handprint Merlot, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Barberian, “Great Cabs” Cabernet Sauvignon and a Bordeaux blend called Four Kings.  The Meeker winery tasting room is located in the historic Bank of Geyserville building in Geyserville, California, on the western edge of Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley appellation.

As the daughter of American ex-pats, Kate spent her formative years in England.  “I was exposed to wine at a ‘tender age’,” she says.  “I was raised in the United Kingdom and traveled extensively throughout Europe as I was growing up.  My parents often served wine with family meals.”  Always a lover of wine, Michaud decided to pursue a degree in Art History from the University of Oregon.  Being in Oregon also allowed Kate access to the mountains where she could ski and snowboard to her heart’s delight.  After graduation, she realized that she enjoyed the physical challenges of sports and wanted a job where she could prove she was more than just a pretty face.  Kate bravely sallied forth into winemaking as a cellar worker at Bonny Doon Vineyards, Santa Cruz.  While there, she enrolled in the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate program.  After a one year stint at Bonny Doon, Kate worked the harvest in Western Australian before returning to California’s Central Coast where she held the position of Assistant Enologist at David Bruce Winery.  Her next winemaking venture took her to the great Pacific Northwest, to Canoe Ridge Vineyard, where she first realized the awesome potential of Washington State wines.  In 2005, Kate went on sabbatical, with one young child and another well on the way, to work the harvest in New Zealand.  Here she further refined her winemaking skills especially with cold fermentations which preserve a wine’s bright fruit characteristics. Once she returned from New Zealand, Kate took the final course and completed the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate program in 2005.  She headed back to Canoe Ridge until summer of 2007 when she joined the winemaking team at Covey Run.  Never one to take life easy, Kate is an avid snowboarder who likes it steep and deep.  In addition, she enjoys hiking, travel and spending time with her husband and two young children.

Considered one of the leading wine experts in the nation and an authority worldwide, Moody’s natural talent for wine showed itself in early adulthood. Not long after, he was publishing Moody’s Wine Review in print, as well contributing to respected publications such as the International Wine Review and Revue du Vin de France. Today, Moody’s leadership qualities and charitable activities, as well as his speaking and journalistic skills have been nationally and internationally acclaimed for nearly two decades. Yet, what really sets Moody apart is his unpretentious approach to wine. “I just have an interest in wines and a passion to learn about them. It’s exciting. And the best part is sharing what I learn.”   Though reluctant to sound his own horn, Moody’s expertise has been noted by The Washington Post, The Houston Chronicle, Food and Wine and Texas Monthly. He has guided many in creating prestigious personal cellars, as well as enviable restaurant collections. Denman has been an EMCEE, co-auctioneer, panel moderator, and honored guest too many times to mention. Denman is the founder of www.denmanswineblog.com.  However, most of all, he is a man who loves and deeply appreciates wine.

Dan Redman is owner of Mosaic Wine Group, a wine brokerage company representing wineries from across the globe, with a focus on producers who utilize biodynamic, organic and sustainable viticulture practices. Dan is a veteran of the wine industry, with more than 20 years of experience, from Restaurant Sommelier, to Distributor, and now with Mosaic Wine Group. His passion for wine and food lend well to his focus on education. He frequently hosts consumer wine events across the state, ranging from wine tastings and seminars to wine dinners.

An award-winning author, writer, speaker, wine consultant, and television host, Leslie Sbrocco’s entertaining approach makes learning about wine and food fun. Sbrocco’s first book, Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine (William Morrow), has been excerpted by two national magazines - Redbook and Family Circle - and won the coveted Georges Duboeuf  Best Wine Book of the Year award. Her second book, The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide, was released in October 2006 (William Morrow).  As Tasting Notes columnist for Epicurious.com, the web site of Gourmet and Bon Appetit, and contributor to WineReview Online and the San Francisco Chronicle, Sbrocco's monthly musings are enjoyed by thousands. Her work has been published in outlets such as O, the Oprah magazine, Coastal Living, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, and Santé. Prior to completing Wine for Women, Leslie was a columnist for The New York Times online and Cooking with the Times and General Manager/Co-founder of WineToday.com, the wine site of The New York Times.  Leslie’s current television project is as host of the PBS series Check Please! Bay Area, for which she won both the coveted James Beard award and an Emmy award. She is also a key judge on a brand new reality show entitled, The Wine Makers airing on public television stations around the country April 2009. Broadcast appearances include popular cooking series Seasonings, cable television’s On the Vine, CBS's Evening Magazine, and a Today Show regular, Sbrocco's humor and passion resonates with viewers.  A sought-after speaker, Leslie has spoken at events ranging from O magazine's “Hi Gorgeous” tour to the American Dietetic Association national convention. She has been the keynote speaker at numerous wine events including the Boston Wine Expo, Pinot Noir New Zealand, and the Washington D.C. International Wine and Food show. Her corporate clients include Ketchum, Southern Wine and Spirits, Target, Jackson-Lewis, Vineyard Bank, Wines from Spain, and Fleishman-Hillard.  Leslie is wine consultant for the Kimpton Hotel Group, Harry and David, and Virgin America Airlines. She is also a wine educator for Crystal Cruises and Holland America Cruise Lines.  Sbrocco is a respected judge at a number of the country's largest wine competitions and international wine competitions such as the Concours Mondial.  She is currently working on her third wine book with William Morrow, due out in the fall of 2009.

Guy is one of three Master Sommeliers in Texas and one of only 125 in the world. He is also a Certified Wine Educator (CWE), and on the Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators, and founding member and Board of Directors of the Texas Sommelier Association. He has been recently recognized as a Houston Icon for his contribution to the Wine and Food Industry of Texas. He is the Corporate Director of Beverage Education for 12 states with Glazer’s Family of Companies.  Guy has been the guest featured wine expert on the PBS cooking series  Cucina Amore with Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba, founders of the Carrabba’s Restaurant Chain.  Guy is a member of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and owner of Stout Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country AVA, growing Syrah grapes and selling to local wineries.  He is also a graduate of the Wine and Spirits Management Institute at the University of Houston Hilton School for Hotel and Restaurant Management, where he is a guest lecturer.  Guy is a member of the Houston Food and Beverage Managers Association, and an active spokesman for the adult beverage industry.