During the meals throughout the weekend, IPNC maîtres d'hôtel will share a selection of current and IPNC library wines with you. These individuals are distinguished sommeliers and wine directors who donate their time to ensure our guests experience the finest service. Please feel free to ask them about the wines. Our thanks to them for their outstanding efforts on behalf of this event.
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TYSAN DUTTA, The Herbfarm (Woodinville, WA)
Maître d'Hôtel CaptainTysan Dutta's attraction to the restaurant industry began at a young age. Early travel as a child to disparate parts of the world including Europe, Asia and the United States started a love affair for great flavors and foods. After graduating from Vassar College, Tysan's burgeoning passion for Pinot noir brought her to Portland, Oregon where she ran wine programs at Oritalia, The RiverPlace Hotel and most notably The Heathman Hotel where she worked for many years collaborating with French Master Chef and James Beard Award winner, chef Philippe Boulot. Tysan migrated to Seattle four years ago to serve as sommelier at the legendary restaurant, The Herbfarm. Tysan went on to manage Fonté Café & Wine Bar, which was recently mentioned as a new and notable wine bar on Food & Wine's "The Tasting Room" blog. Since 2003, Tysan has served as an educator for the International Sommelier Guild and sat on the Board for the International Pinot Noir Celebration, where she has led wine service for the past five years. |
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JEFF GROH, Ten 01 (Portland, OR)
Maître d'Hôtel CaptainJeff Groh oversees an extensive wine program at Ten 01 including a cellar of over 700 bottle selections and 35 wines poured by the glass. In 2010 Groh brought the successful Dueling Sommelier Series to Ten 01 from the Heathman Restaurant and Bar, where he served as both Sommelier and Director of Operations. Jeff's innovative approach to wine dinners, wine by the glass selections, and wine service has been highlighted by the Oregonian, Willamette Week, Portland Monthly, Northwest Palate Magazine, The Sommelier Journal, Nation's Restaurant News, The National Culinary Review, Food and Wine, Starchefs, and Cheers Magazine. He was awarded the 2009 Bluies New Leader award for Portland's Best "Sommelier/Wine Director" by Tasting Panel Magazine and NW Stir's Young Lion Award for "Best Beverage Professional in the NW." He also received the 2009 Vigneron d'Honneur award from the Alliance Française and the French-American Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his efforts in the areas of education and promotion of French wines. Jeff is a member of the International Sommelier Guild and the Court of Master Sommeliers. |
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FRED ARMSTRONG, Wine About It (West Linn, OR)
Frederick Armstrong is a local wine consultant and sommelier who is certified by the International Sommelier Guild. Fred first developed a taste for wines in 1987 while touring France and Italy. Being a native Oregonian, he developed a love for local Pinot noirs. After 15 years in the telecommunications industry, Fred decided to take his career where his heart is, wine. Apart from being a sommelier and wine consultant, Fred has spent much time teaching wine classes, writing wine articles for different publications and overseeing wine service for such prestigious events as the ¡Salud! Wine Auction and The Classic Wines Auction. He has also worked in various fields of the wine business. Fred is currently managing Wine About It in West Linn, Oregon. |
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CHRIS BERRY, The Dundee Bistro (Dundee, OR)
After graduating from The Evergreen State College in 1997 with a degree in forestry and sustaineable agriculture Chris Berry returned to Oregon and began working in the Cascade Dining Room at Timberline Lodge. This was where his wine education began through weekly staff tastings and frequent visits to wineries in the Willamette Valley. At the time, the wine program at Timberline was focused on Northwest wines so this was where he first fell in love with Oregon Pinot Noir. After seven years at the lodge and a couple years downtown working for McCormick & Schmick's, Chris made his way to the valley to work closer to the wine industry. He has been working for the Ponzi family at the Dundee Bistro since 2004. "Everyday I have the chance to meet and interact with many different people in all aspects of the wine industry so this has been an invaluable experience. This has been an outstanding place to pursue an education in wine, which led to my participation in the International Sommelier Guild's Diploma Program. I thoroughly enjoy everyday in the valley discovering new wines and sharing them with others through the Bistro's wine program." |
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MATT BERSON, Secret Society (Portland, OR)
"Nine years I've served wine at this fête And done things I may live to regret Like drinking Grand Cru From out of a shoe A vintage I'll never forget" |
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KEN BOLICK, JORY at the Allison Inn & Spa (Newberg, OR)
A Michigan native, Ken Bolick drove a moving truck 2,300 miles to live closer to wine. He made his Portland area debut at Carafe Bistro and is now an assistant manager at JORY, the restaurant at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Oregon. There are over 700 bottle selections at JORY, and Ken is working under JORY's food and wine director, Ercolino Crugnale, who was recently noted in Food & Wine magazine as one of America's top seven sommeliers. Ken is closer to wine than ever and loving it. A true Renaissance man with a degree in american literature, you can find his nose in a book, a glass of wine, or a simmering sauce. "This will be my first year at IPNC and being selected as a maîtres d'hôtel is a great honor. I'm really looking forward to the event." |
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MARTA CHIAVACCI, Italian FISAR (Vancouver, BC Canada)
Born and raised in Vancouver, BC Canada to Italian parents, Marta moved to Italy in 2003 and became a sommelier in 2005 with Italy's FISAR sommelier association. In 2007 she won a national competition and was named FISAR "Sommelier of the Year". She splits her time between Vancouver and Tuscany where she organizes and leads wine tours for wine enthusiasts. She is a regular contributor to Italian Cooking Forum's "La Piazza" online magazine writing articles about Italian wines. Most recently she was the sommelier at Casa Italia during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. |
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ELI CLARK, Fonté Café & Wine Bar (Seattle, WA)
Biography coming soon. |
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KEN COLLURA, Andina Restaurant (Portland, OR)
Ken Collura has been wine director/sommelier and floor manager at Andina Restaurant in Portland since 2005. Andina serves both classic and nuovo-Andean Peruvian dishes in seven separate dining spaces throughout its three-floor atrium building in the Pearl District. The restaurant averages 300-to-600+ covers per evening, and live music plays in the Bar Mestizo every evening. Andina's wine list showcases bottlings from around the world with particular emphases on Chilean, Argentinian, and Spanish offerings. The list has won Wine Spectator "Award of Excellence" accolades each of the last five years. Prior to coming to Andina, Ken was head sommelier for nine years at Bern's Steak House in Tampa, FL. Bern's is recognized as having the world's largest wine list, with over 500,000 bottles in stock and 6500 labels being offered. |
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JACKIE COOKE, Vin et Pain (Calgary, AB Canada)
It was 1998 when Jackie decided she wanted to pursue a wine career after spending a month exploring the wine regions of the Pacific Northwest and California. In 2002, Jackie earned her sommelier diploma at the Dubrulle Culinary Institute in Vancouver. Since then, she has held various positions in the wine industry; cellar worker at Tinhorn Creek Winery, sommelier at Mission Hill Winery, sommelier at Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler and International Sommelier Guild instructor. During this time, she took the opportunity to travel to wine regions in Italy, France, Spain, USA, and Canada. Presently, Jackie resides in Calgary where she operates Garage Wine Mechanics, a wine consulting business, and is the president of the Calgary Sommelier Society. Also, she is very excited about a new restaurant project she is developing with two other partners – target date; late 2010. |
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KINN EDWARDS, Loca Luna (Corvallis, OR)
Biography coming soon. |
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JESSICA ENDSWORTH, Odom - Southern Distributors of Oregon (Portland, OR)
Jessica's journey began in St. Charles, MO (the town Lewis and Clark began their expedition) as a restaurant brat. She then spent five years in the Chicago dining scene and finished her degree in journalism and marketing at Columbia College Chicago. After a trip out west, she was lucky to land a position with Maysara winery and Jimi Brooks in McMinnville which began her ultimate migration to Oregon. After one year, she began an Oregon-Washington boutique distributorship specializing in local, craft wineries. The company had a good run for five years and then Jessica sold the distributorship in September of 2009. She then began working for the Odom-Southern Distributors of Oregon as a portfolio manager for Moet Hennessy. Jessica's focus is industry education, as well as account, menu and brand development for Odom-Southern and Moet Hennessy. |
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CYRIL FRECHIER, Campagne & Café Campagne (Seattle, WA)
From Seattle Magazine, by Sara Dickerman in 2008: Now one of the biggest names in Seattle wine, Cyril Frechier, has joined Campagne as wine director. Frechier is known as the sommelier who, during his 17 years at Rover's, turned its wine list into one of the most exalted in the city. At Rover's, the wine list was tuned to chef Thierry Rautereau's high-end French-Pacific Northwest cuisine; but at Campagne, Frechier can play in two fields – the polished fine dining from chef Daisley Gordon upstairs at the restaurant, and the more rustic brunches, lunches and dinners served in the popular Café. At the restaurant, according to Frechier, "the featured wines are much more classics." Downstairs, the choices veer more to country wines, or vins de pays. "There's lots of room to play," says Frechier. "It's fun, and wine is about having fun." |
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COLBY HAYDEN, Multnomah Athletic Club (Portland, OR)
Colby Hayden was literally born into the hospitality industry as the son of native Portland restaurateur and consultant Bill Hayden. Colby began working in the industry at the age of twelve. Colby was involved in opening and running over twenty restaurants and catering companies before heading to the University of Oregon where he received a BS in Business. After graduation, his desire to learn and grow in the industry led him to the Multnomah Athletic Club as a Private Dining Captain. Since 2009, he has successfully facilitated over 650 events working alongside James Beard award winning chef Philippe Boulot. |
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KIYALLAH HEATHERSTONE, Papa's Soul Food Kitchen (Eugene, OR)
Kiyallah has been working in restaurants for more than half his life. Food, wine, and spirits seem to be the focus and fun of his life. Thankfully the restaurants that he works in seem to provide amply for him. Some of the highlights are Monet Restaurant and Garden in Ashland, Café Zenon, Bel Ami Restaurant and Lounge, and Marché Restaurant all in Eugene. He is currently slinging Kool-aid and the best barbecue you have ever come across west of the Mississippi river at Papa's Soul Food Kitchen and Blues Joint in Eugene while working on starting his own restaurant. |
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BRYAN HILL (Seattle, WA)
Bryan Hill was formally schooled in accounting and hotel management, and technically educated in viticulture and enology. He successfully served as General Manager and Wine Director at Seattle's Campagne for four years. His keen interest in wine earned Campagne many accolades such as Wine Enthusiast Magazine's "Restaurant Wine Award" in 1995 and the Wine Spectator "Award for Excellence" three years in a row. In addition, Gourmet magazine in 1997 named his wine program the "Best in Seattle". Bryan demands gracious and intelligent service from his wait staff, which led to praise and recognition from publications such as Conde Naste, Esquire, The Atlantic, Gourmet magazine, Seattle Magazine, Northwest Best Places, and the Zagat Guide. As a previous co-owner of Brasa Restaurant, Bryan created a diverse, extensive wine list, which contributed greatly to Brasa being recognized by Food & Wine and Gourmet magazines as one of Seattle's top tables in 2000. He is a permanent member of the Northwest Palate magazine wine tasting panel and recently was a guest wine tasting panel member for Bon Appetit. Bryan is enjoying travel and looking forward to his next exciting and fulfilling adventure in the wine business. Photo courtesy of Andrea Johnson. |
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JACK HOTT, Castagna & Café Castagna (Portland, OR)
Jack Hott has worked in the restaurant industry for more than ten years in various capacities. Most recently, his interests have led him to his current position of sommelier at Castagna restaurant in Portland. Jack has crafted a wine list of small, artisan producers who make wines both pleasing at the table and expressive of their places of origin. |
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PAUL MARKGRAF, Vinum Importing & Distributing (Portland, OR)
Biography coming soon. |
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MEGAN MOFFATT, Triage Wines (Portland, OR)
Biography coming soon. |
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JEFF MOORE, Wildwood (Portland, OR)
Biography coming soon. |
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CHRIS MURPHY, Eddie Martini's (Wauwatosa, WI)
Chris Murphy is General Manager and wine guy of Eddie Martini's in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Recognized as one of Gourmet Magazine's top 40 restaurants in the country, Eddie's is the place to go for a stellar and memorable Wisonsin dining experience. Chris is respected for his professionalism and unwavering commitment to impeccable service. Chris and wife Liz have been a part of the International Pinot Noir Celebration for 17 years (and counting). This year, the IPNC is thrilled to host Eddie Martini's chef Jason Tofte and his wife Christina. |
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JEFFREY PASSEROTTI, Adam's Sustainable Table (Eugene, OR)
A native Ohioian, Jeffery Passerotti has been in the hospitality industry for most of his adult life. Starting in kitchens as a pastry chef and sous chef, then on to being a operations/general manager – always with a avid interest in the culture of wine. He has worked in almost all aspects of the wine industry including retail, wholesale, and as a restaurant buyer. He has been responsible for many successful wine programs in the Eugene area over the last 15 years and is a committed wine geek with a keen interest in Oregon and Europe, with a focus on the Pinot Noir grape. When not drinking, tasting, and buying wine you can find him on the golf course with dreams of the Senior Tour. |
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PHILLIP PATTI, Eugene Wine School (Eugene, OR)
Phillip J. Patti, Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, began his career as a manager at one of Chicago's best retail wine stores. He then became a manager at the James Beard Award-winning Spiaggia Restaurant. In Oregon, he has worked at Amity Vineyards, Northwest Wine Company, Brittan Vineyards and Domaine Danielle-Laurent. He earned a "Vineyard Management Certificate" from the Northwest Viticulture Center in Salem. In Eugene, Phillip opened and managed Uva-a Wine Bar, and he now runs the Eugene Wine School. Phillip has traveled to France, Italy, Chile, and Argentina to evaluate wines and experience the terroir that produces them. |
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GAIRONN POOLE, Spints Alehouse (Portland, OR)
After relocating to Portland from Corpus Christi, Texas, Gaironn decided to switch paths from marine biology and join the world of wine. Eight years later, she has obtained her "Sommelier Certification" from the International Sommelier Guild, worked as a steward for New Seasons Market, the buyer for Bruce Carey Restaurants and now currently writes the wine list for Spints Alehouse as well as representing Libra wine in the Oregon market. "IPNC is a hive of pinot talk and knowledge and thus I look forward to it every year with great enthusiasm." |
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SAVANNA RAY, Ten 01 (Portland, OR)
A native Oregonian, Savanna Ray started her career in the restaurant business as a busser at historic Besaw's Café in NW Portland in 1997. Her love affair with wine began in 2004 with a bottle of Didier Dagueneau Pur Sang. She decided to enroll in classes with the International Sommelier Guild and received her pin in May of 2007. Savanna has been the sommelier at several of Portland's hottest restaurants including Mother's Bistro, Lucier, Tabla, and ten 01. She is currently an instructor for the International Sommelier Guild and is working at ten 01 in the Pearl District of Portland. Savanna is honored to be an IPNC Maître d'Hôtel for a fourth time this year. |
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DAWN SMITH, Purple Café & Wine Bar (Seattle, WA)
As a member of the wine team for Heavy Restaurant Group, Dawn Smith serves as the wine director for the Bellevue locations of Purple Café and Wine Bar, Barrio Restaurant, and a third, yet-to-be-named Seattle restaurant. Previous to that, Smith spent nearly three years with Canlis Restaurant as lead sommelier and assistant wine director. She was also the opening sommelier and wine director for Bin Vivant at Kirkland's Woodmark Hotel. She earned a degree in culinary arts and hospitality management and credits her interest in wine to her experiences cooking professionally. Smith holds a Diploma Level certification from the International Sommelier Guild and is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Masters Sommeliers. |
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MARY THOMPSON, Wokcano Restaurants (Los Angeles, CA)
Mary Thompson is district manager for the six Wokcano Restaurants throughout greater Los Angeles area. Mary's real passion for Oregon wine blossomed when she was manager at Paley's Place in Portland. From there she went to cut her teeth in Manhattan. There she was sommelier and manager for the likes of Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Terrance Brennan at their restaurants db bistro moderne, Spice Market, and Artisanal respectively. She made the move to LA in 2007 and has fallen in love with the weather and wines. She is currently a UC Davis student in viticulture and enology. She has proudly been an IPNC Maître d'Hôtel three times prior to this year. |
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JEFF LINDSAY-THORSEN, W.T. Vintners & Cave Vivant (Seattle, WA)
Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen holds an "Advanced Sommelier Certification" from the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Sommelier Diploma from the International Sommelier Guild. Living in Seattle, Jeff has had the honor of working alongside several of the Pacific Northwest's best chefs, restaurateurs, and sommeliers. His passion for wine and fine cuisine has taken him around the world in pursuit of strengthening his knowledge and feeding his passion. He has worked the harvest in Burgundy, New Zealand, Washington, and Oregon. In 2007, Jeff founded WT Vintners and is crafting small lot wines in Woodinville, Washington. Jeff has been invited to take the Master Sommelier exam in late 2010. |
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WENDY WATSON, Red Agave (Eugene, OR)
Wendy Watson has been working in the restaurant industry in Eugene for over 15 years. Working as the bar manager, during March' Restaurants' first 4 years, she obtained a deep passion for food and wine. Since then she's been floor supervisor and bar manager at various restaurants including, Bel Ami and Adam's Sustainable Table. Wendy currently works at Red Agave, and is working on plans to own her own restaurant in the not too distant future. Any and all free time for her is spent either rock climbing, disk golfing, motorcycle riding (finally got endorsed), and when the season allows, watching football. Her cat thinks she's not home enough. |
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JOSH WIESENFELD, Paley's Place (Portland, OR)
Biography coming soon. |
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CHRISTOPHER WESTMORELAND, Bar Avignon (Portland, OR)
Christopher Westmoreland began his wine studies in Seattle with the Northwest Wine Academy in 2007. He has completed examinations for the first level with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is preparing for his second level certification exam scheduled this summer. Christopher worked with Vino Volo Wine Room Seattle, relocated to Portland in 2009 to work with Vino Paradiso, and now works as restaurant manager with Bar Avignon. He is very excited to be involved with the thriving wine and food community in Portland and the Willamette Valley. Christopher is honored to be invited to serve as an IPNC Maître d'Hôtel for his first time this year. |
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KRISTEN YOUNG, Waterfront Seafood Grill (Seattle, WA)
Kristen Young is director of wine at the Waterfront Seafood Grill in Seattle, WA. Kristen moved from Ohio to Seattle in 2001, where served at prominent Seattle restaurants such as Campagne and Nell's, developing her passion for fine food and wine. Previous to her work at the Waterfront, Kristen opened Tilth Restaurant with chef Maria Hines, overseeing the wine program and front-of-house operations. Kristen holds oenophilic accreditations from both Court of Master Sommeliers and International Sommelier Guild, as well as a Bachelor's in business administration from The University of Toledo. She has served as a tasting panel member for the "Seattle Wine Awards" and has proudly been an IPNC Maître d'Hôtel for three years. |