Wine Tasting Happening Daily!
Featuring the 2009 and 2010 North of the Gate Wine Competition winners...the
best of the best! Tasting is conducted in the beautiful Wine Garden. Tasting
tickets will be on sale in the Wine Garden.
The Wine Garden is sponsored by Bank of the West.
Wine Garden Tasting Hours
Wednesday, June 23, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
Thursday, June 24, 5 to 9:30 pm
Friday, June 25, 5 to 10 pm
Saturday, June 26, 2 to 10:30 pm
Sunday, June 27, 2 to 8 pm
Tasters receive a wine glass and three tastes for $7 and additional tastes
for $1.50.
Tasters are invited to the Wine Expert Talks scheduled throughout the fair
as well.
Tasting with the Wine Experts
Thursday, June 24
Jil E. Child
Wine Expert Talk
Pairing Wine with Carnival Food
Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26, 6 pm
Debra Del Fiorentino & Giovanni Balistreri
If you have a sense of humor and a love of wine, this is the talk for you.
Corndogs and Cabernet? Funnel cakes and Riesling? You'll find out how to
make improbable pairings from the experts.
About Giovanni Balistreri
Giovanni Balistreri (we call him "Gio") is the "go-to guy" for just about
everything at Russian River Vineyards. Officially he’s our General Manager
and Assistant Winemaker. We’re glad his life philosophy is to "roll with the
punches." Gio was born to the agriculture business. A native of Sonoma
County, he was raised in the far outreaches of Freestone, where it’s cold,
foggy and windy. In Gio’s words, the Balistreri Family "lived off the land,"
raising sheep and other animals and growing produce for the family dinner
table. In 1999, on four acres of their property, the planted a Pinot Noir
vineyard. In the decade since, Balistreri Family Vineyard, which now covers
11 acres, has become one of the most highly regarded grape growing parcels
in the emerging Freestone appellation.
After finishing high school, Gio studied wine business marketing and
management at Fresno State University, earning a Bachelors degree in
Agriculture Business in 2004. Durring his college years he started a
Landscape business to get a taste of the entrepreneur life and soon went on
to family wine business from grapes to producing wine.
About Debra Del Fiorentino
Debra has become a familiar face at numerous wine competitions, this past
year judging wines at The West Coast Wine Competition; The Amateur Wine
Competition at both The Sonoma Harvest Fair in Santa Rosa, and the
Sonoma-Marin Fair; Savor Magazine North of the Gate Wine Competition; The
Cabernet Shootout, and The Pinot Shootout. She is scheduled to judge at the
Grand Harvest Awards, held in February, and the Mendocino Wine Competition.
Growing up in an Italian family, Debra's exposure to wine began at an early
age. After graduating with a degree in business, she opened two successful
gourmet food stores in Marin, then went on to own a catering and large-scale
event planning business for twelve years. During that time her passion and
interest in wine grew and developed, leading her to acquire her Level 1
Sommelier, her CWP (Certified Wine Professional) and CWS (Certified Wine
Specialist) certificates. She taught wine and food classes at the College of
Marin for two years and served as a wine buyer for a local wine shop. Debra
also evaluates wines as a member of a local published tasting panel, and has
recently co-founded a new, exciting wine endeavor, “Wine Radius”.
Debra's wine-related professional memberships include The Society of Wine
Educators and the Guild of Sommeliers.
About Jil E. Child
Jil is Vice President and co-owner of Wine Tours of the World, a full service, global wine tour company specializing in custom wine vacations. She holds a B.A. in Economics, schooled in business wine from Sonoma State University and is a certified Sommelier. For 9 years, she was employed by Kendall Jackson Wine Estates, performing many different positions within the company, such as sales, distribution, education and private wine tasting tours and events. She is currently employed at Windsor Oaks Vineyards and Winery. Her 15 year winery and hospitality experience has given her the opportunity to teach Introduction to Tasting Room Management, an extended education/certificate program with Sonoma State University. Jil also enjoys consulting with the wine industry and is both a panel coordinator and professional wine judge with various wine competitions throughout California. As a Sommelier, she studies very intensely in hopes of one day becoming a “Master of Wine.” She also has worldwide travel experience having worked as a vacation and leisure travel agent for 15 years.
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