Jorge Riera has been drinking and promoting natural wines in New York almost longer than anyone. He started as the Manager/Sommelier at Balthazar, worked with Arnaud Erhart at 360 in Brooklyn, spent many years at the Ten Bells, Contra and Wildair, among the first all natural wine bars in NYC, and is now the Wine Director at Frenchette, one of NYC's most talked about restaurants serving only natural wines. Jorge Riera is a bigger than life guy and a true believer and evangelist of natural wines.

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Born in Calcutta, armed with a degree in hospitality from India, and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Raj Parr morphed from food to the world of wine. Raj worked with the best in wine including Larry Stone, Michael Mina, Rubicon, Fifth Floor, and RN74. Always thirsty for more wine and wine challenges, Raj moved into the world of winemaking. He is now the proprietor of Sandhi and Domaine de la Cote in CA, and Evening Land in Oregon. Raj Parr is a James Beard award-winning author, celebrated Sommelier, sought after speaker, and is considered to have the best palate in the business. He just wrote a new book with Jordan Mackay called "The Sommelier's Atlas of Taste".

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Master Sommerlier Dustin Wilson is the proprietor of Verve Wine in NYC and SF, a retail and online marketplace for Sommelier curated wines. Thomas Pastuszak oversees the wine program for Daniel Humm and Will Guidara's Nomad in NYC, LA, and Las Vegas. Dustin and Thomas came up through the ranks of Frasca, Colicchio and Sons, and Eleven Madison to name a few. Dustin Wilson appears in the new Somm 3 movie and Thomas is making some great wine in the bottle and can. They are the creators of Reboule du Rhone, a four-day celebration of the wines of the Northern Rhone, November 15-18, 2018 in NYC. 100% of the proceeds benefit No Kid Hungry.

We talk to two masters for our show. Isabelle Legeron is an award winning Master of Wine, author, wine consultant, and founder of Raw Wine and The Raw Wine Fair in London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, and Montreal. Raw Wine is the largest community of low-intervention, organic, biodynamic, natural wines, their growers and makers and those who love drinking them. Nate Ready is a Master Sommelier earning his chops at Frasca and the French Laundry. Nate's interest shifted to winemaking and logged time in Italy, Slovenia, and the Williamette Valley before settling in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and creating a food and wine oasis like no other called Hiyu Wine Farm.

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Daniel Johnnes is the multi-award winning wine impresario, Sommelier, and creator of La Fete du Champagne, Pressoir Wine, and La Paulee. He is the Corporate Wine Director for Daniel Boulud's Dinex Restaurant Group, a wine importer, and entrepreneur. Our friend Jay McInerney dubbed Daniel Johnnes "The Dean of American Sommeliers" mentoring a generation of wine people. Daniel is a true Francophile!

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Athena Bochanis was a disaffected and disillusioned NYU Law School graduate. She had already done an unpaid internship in Hungary and returned for another visit, Athena had fallen in love withe the country, people, food, drink, and culture and was determined to expose New York and the world to Hungarian wines. She started Palinkerie, a Hungarian wine import company in Brooklyn and the rest is Hungarian wine history.

Matthew Conway got his start at his Mom's restaurant in N. California before moving to NYC in 2003. He took a job with Chef Grey Kunz as Sommelier and Bev. Dir. at Cafe Grey, eventually leaving to hook up wth Marc Forgione in 2007 at Marc's eponomously named restaurant. Over ten years later he is the General Manager and Bev. Dir. of Restaurant Marc Forgione in Tribeca. Matthew is a Coffee Sommelier, a Star Chefs "Rising Star", Zagat "30 Under 30" and has certifications from the ASA for Viticulture, Vinification, and Blindtasting and the Tallivent Training Prgram in Paris.

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Josh Nadel is a Master Sommelier and the beverage director for Andrew Carmellini's Noho Hospitality Group. He spent nearly a decade as head Sommelier at revered and award winning restaurants Veritas and Cru in NYC before joining Carmellini in 2009. Josh oversees the beverage and wine programs at Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Lafayette, Bar Primi, Little Park, Leuca, Westlight, Rye St. Tavern and more. Josh launched Gothic Wine in 2009, producing cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rose from the Williamette Valley in Oregon.

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Advanced Sommelier Hristo Zisovski was raised in Greek diners working the grill, eventually taking him to the Culinary Institute of America. Hristo gravitated to the "front of the house" first working with Wayne Nish at the 3 star restaurant March, spent seven years at Jean Georges, earning a 2010 James Beard Award for "Outstanding Wine Service". He joined the Altamarea Group in 2010, serving as the Corporate Beverage Director since 2014. Hristo is a Wine and Spirits Magazine "Best New Sommelier", Food and Wines "Sommelier of the Year" and he just received a 2018 Wine Spectator "Grand Award for the restaurant Ai Fiori wine program

Ray Isle is the Executive Wine Editor at Food and Wine Magazine for the past 10 years. He was Deputy Wine Editor at American Exprss Publishing, Managing Editor at Wine and Spirits Magazine, and has contributed to Fortune and Travel and Leisure magazines among others. Ray Isle cut his teeth in wine as a cellar rat, working harvests, and as a wine supplier rep for a Port company. Food and Wine is celebrating it's 40th Anniversary including Ray Isle's story about "The 40 Wines that Changed the Way We Drink".