Mark Bright has been passionate about wine since he first went to Europe at the age of 15. His travels took him to the regions of Burgundy and the Rhône Valley, where he found his inspiration in the wine world and has kept that focus and advocacy throughout his career. Mark joined the Bellagio team on his 21st birthday, working as a sommelier at Aqua Restaurant in Las Vegas. He went on to become the opening sommelier for the flagship programs at the Mina restaurants in San Francisco. In 2005, he was honored as one of the “Best New Sommeliers” by Wine & Spirits and was featured in Wine Spectator as a “New Wine Turk” in 2006. Today, Mark is the co-founder and beverage director for Saison Hospitality Group (SHG), an award-winning hospitality group dedicated to evolving in the world of food, wine and restaurant development. SHG puts a premium on both quality and sustainability. It consists of Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning and Two Michelin-starred Saison, Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and Michelin-starred Angler, the rare wine brokerage and consulting service Saison Cellar, boutique Santa Cruz Mountains wine estate Saison Winery and the personal cellar storage and wine bar concept Saison Cellar & Wine Bar.

Jeremy Broto-Mur holds over a decade of experience in the wine industry. He began his journey in 2005 in the southwest of France studying hospitality management. Soon after, he discovered a passion for wine and fine dining that led him to travel to France, U.K, Ireland, Switzerland, San Francisco, Palm Beach, and New York to expand his knowledge at many Michelin-Star Restaurants. During his career, has been fortunate to work for renowned chefs, including Patrick Guilbaud, Philippe Rochat, Gary Danko, Anne-Sophie Pic, Daniel Boulud, and Claude Le Tohic. He recently started his new role as wine director for the multi-concept building ONE65 in San Francisco.

In 2009, Broto-Mur achieved the National Winning Sommelier at the World Skills Competition in France. He became an Advanced Sommelier in 2017 from the Court of Master Sommeliers and earned his Master Sommelier Diploma in 2021.

He grew up in the French Alps and settled in The Bay Area in Northern California with his wife, where they initially met in 2012. He enjoys traveling and outdoor activities, including a passion for winter sport.

Jacob Brown began his beverage career as a ski bum bartender at a peanut bar in Park City, Utah. While there he took the Introductory Sommelier Course, falling head over heels for hospitality and the world of wine. He hung up the ski poles and strapped on cowboy boots, moving to Austin, Texas to continue his journey in the hospitality industry. While in Texas, Jacob worked every position in restaurants from dishwasher to beverage director, including time at Counter 3.FIVE.VII in Austin and the ELM Restaurant Group. Jacob’s journey now continues in San Francisco as the head sommelier of Lazy Bear while he pursues the Master Sommelier Diploma and more Champagne in his glass. Begun in 2009 as an underground, pop-up dinner party, Lazy Bear quickly established itself as one of San Francisco’s most exciting restaurants. Brown oversees a team of four full-time sommeliers and curates the beverage pairings for the tasting menu, working with the Lazy Bear chefs to perfect the matches. Jacob is also a massive Minnesota Vikings fan who always believes that this year will be their year.

Andy Chabot’s early interest in how things taste prompted him to work his way through a series of local restaurants and eventually lead him to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where he rounded out his education in the culinary arts and restaurant management. After graduating in 2002, he moved to Walland, TN, and began his career with Blackberry Farm. He found his true passion in the front of the house and became involved with the wine program, growing the cellar from 17,000 to 166,000 bottles in less than six years. In 2007, Andy took on the role of director of food and beverage, running all aspects of the service and beverage departments. Under his direction, Blackberry Farm has been honored with three James Beard Awards: “Best Chef: Southeast” (2013), “Outstanding Wine Program” (2014) and “Outstanding Service” (2015). With the opening of Blackberry Mountain, he expanded his leadership to guide the development of menus and the wine cellar at the new resort and became senior vice president of food and beverage at both properties. In that role, he is responsible today for seven restaurant outlets, all wine and spirits programs, the Farmstead areas, as well as overseeing special events and groups at the properties. Andy’s media features include Imbibe Magazine, Wine Spectator, Food & Wine, the TODAY Show, Wine Enthusiast “40 Under 40” and more. He has proceeded past the advanced level of the Court of Master Sommeliers exam and was the recipient of the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship.

Brad Dixon, a native of Dixon, Illinois, joined the Bern’s team as a sommelier in 2003. Alongside three other sommeliers, he manages an exceptional team of wine stewards. Brad and his colleagues successfully oversee one of the largest wine collections in the world with 6,500 different selections and more than 500,000 bottles in inventory. He also consults with Bern’s guests nightly as they survey the 182-page wine list and offers suggestions and pairing choices. Brad continues his education of fine wine with frequent trips to many of the world’s wine producing regions. He has frequented France, Australia, Argentina, and many of the west coast wine growing regions of the United States. He, along with the wine team, have been featured in numerous publications and television features. Brad has maintained his passion and respect for vintage wines and continuously studies many of the wineries that produce them. As our senior sommelier he is always available to educate others on the art of fine wine.

Jonathan Eichholz is an internationally award-winning sommelier who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants Aquavit and The Modern in New York City. In 2019, he won the “Best Young Sommelier in America” competition and went on to place 2nd in the “Best Young Sommelier in the World.” In 2023, Jonathan achieved the rank of Master Sommelier. He is an educator for GuildSomm, a membership organization of 10,000 sommeliers around the world; in that role, he stresses breadth over depth, encouraging students not to get bogged down by the details of the beverage world. In addition, Jonathan is the host and co-producer of The Wine Show on Vice Media. He looks forward to opening the fine dining concept Aftergold in lower Manhattan with Chef Nate Kuester, whose culinary influences range from France to Korea. Jonathan is also a Certified Cicerone and an alumnus of Colby College where he studied neuroscience and history. Outside of beverages, he is also an avid art, music and sneaker enthusiast.

The career of Master Sommelier and Heitz Cellar Estate Director Erik Elliott has been a series of pursuing and achieving his dreams. He grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Temple University in 2013 with a degree in business administration focusing on marketing. After falling in love with hospitality and wine while working at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, he sold everything he owned to move to Aspen to pursue his goal of becoming a Master Sommelier. Erik landed a job at the world-famous hotel and wine program of The Little Nell at the base of Aspen Mountain. He spent six years in the James Beard-nominated facility and worked his way up to become lead sommelier. When the resort’s skiing clientele vanished for the summer, he spent his time visiting the most esteemed estates throughout France, Italy and Spain. After his colleague Carlton McCoy, Jr. accepted a position as CEO of Heitz Cellar, Erik traded the mountains of Aspen for Napa Valley’s vineyards, becoming estate director in 2019. With his background in hospitality and oversight of Heitz’s new Tasting Salon and Hospitality Center, opened in 2022, Erik continually aims to reimagine luxury hospitality and the experience for guests of Heitz Cellar. His dream was realized when he passed the Master Sommelier Exam in August 2022.

Logan Griffin’s interest in hospitality began as a child in the bustling kitchen of his family’s catering company, as he helped prepare food alongside his parents and grandparents. He took his first restaurant job at 15, and his fascination with the industry led him to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). There, he learned the fundamentals of cooking, the art of hospitality and discovered a sharp aptitude for wine and spirits. After learning about Blackberry Farm’s beverage program during his time at the CIA, he joined the team in 2011 just after graduation and gradually gained the knowledge and craftsmanship that allowed him to take on the role of director of food and beverage at Blackberry Mountain. He loves crafting cocktails that have a sense of place and utilize ingredients from the Mountain, and he enjoys being on the dining room floor sharing his knowledge of wine and creating memorable moments for the guests. Logan is a Certified Sommelier and was part of the wine team when The Barn at Blackberry Farm received a James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service” as well as “Outstanding Restaurant Service.”

Born in Montréal, Québec, Élyse Lambert graduated with a degree in hotel management from the prestigious Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) in 1998 and as Sommelier from L’École Hôtelière des Laurentides in 1999.

Throughout her exciting career path, she worked as sommelier in some of the most prestigious tables of Quebec and continued earning credibility for her craft and accolades in Canadian and international competitions.

After winning «Best Sommelier of Québec» in 2004, she won the title of «Best Sommelier of the Americas 2009» in the prestigious competition held in Buenos Aires.
In May of 2015 in Aspen, Colorado she became Canada’s first Quebecer, fourth Canadian and second Canadian woman to hold the prestigious and globally recognized title of Master Sommelier.

After winning «Best sommelier of Canada» in 2015, she again represented Canada in the competition for «Best sommelier of the World » in Argentina. Elyse lambert is now the 5th Best Sommelier of the World 2016.

Elyse has been now working in the restaurant industry for more than 25 years. She is currently working as a Sommelier Consultant for the hotel Ritz-Carlton Toronto. She also consults for private and corporate clients and is often invited to facilitate wine education seminars and to speak at corporate functions in Canada and around the world.

Certified Sommelier Jon McCarthy grew up just outside of Washington D.C. in Virginia’s burgeoning wine country, where he began his hospitality journey and had his first exposure to farm to table cuisine. He relocated to Sonoma County and had the opportunity to work with Chef Dustin Valette at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, where he served as a mixologist and sommelier. He went on to run the fast-paced and exciting beverage programs at Chalkboard and Brass Rabbit. Looking to expand on his knowledge of the broader world of wine and learn from some of the finest restaurateurs in the business, he spent a two-year stint in New York City, working as a sommelier in Palmer’s venerable Aureole and then as the wine director and bar manager for the Archer Hotel at Bryant Park on 38th Street, where he oversaw an ambitious 500 bottle list at the steakhouse. Jon moved back to his adopted home of Sonoma to work with business partners Dustin Valette and Craig Ramsey as wine and beverage director at The Matheson, a multi-level concept in Healdsburg’s town square. At The Matheson, he’s best known for the famous 88-bottle Wine Wall, which allows diners to sample tastes or glasses of some of the world’s most notable wines, which rotate frequently.

As one of only 279 Master Sommeliers, George Miliotes is a passionate educator of wine who constantly refreshes his knowledge through study, tasting and trips to the world’s finest vineyards. The grandson of Greek immigrants, his interest in the hospitality business was kindled early at his family’s specialty market and café in Orlando. He became general manager of California Grill at Walt Disney World Resort, where he not only created an award-winning wine list, but also one of the first lists in the country to offer 100 wines by the glass. George passed the Master Sommelier exam in 2007. From 2002 to 2016 he oversaw all aspects of wine culture for Darden including The Capital Grille and Eddie V’s and was one of the founders of Seasons 52, where he motivated service teams about wine to deliver exceptional guest experiences. Returning to Walt Disney World, he opened Wine Bar George in The Landing at Disney Springs, the only wine bar in Florida led by a Master Sommelier. Miliotes’ unique by-the-glass lists encourage guests to make adventurous choices, selecting new wines, whether they are domestic or global, to pair with their courses; his efforts are wine lists that are distinct to his restaurant’s culinary offerings, and widely reviewed as exceptional in every way.

Amy Mundwiler’s gravitation towards wine began with a glass of Cabernet Franc. Embracing the rituals, history, and culture behind wine, she oversees the exciting and expansive wine programs for the Maple Hospitality Group based out of Chicago. “There is, of course, a level of seriousness to our wine lists— we strive to be the best in every city we are in—ultimately wine is about people. The people that make the wine and the people that drink it. My job is to bridge those two people together, make it fun and create an unforgettable dining experience. That’s when I know I’ve done a good job. That’s success to me; that’s why I’m here.”

While earning her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Mundwiler managed at the bustling Michigan Avenue Bloomingdale’s, allowing her to hone in on profitable business tactics while maintaining a guest-first mentality. Fifteen years later, with a successful fashion and beauty management career behind her, Mundwiler followed her heart to Spain in pursuit of change. There she learned to slow down, and develop a deep appreciation for food, wine and the rituals surrounding them.

Upon her return to Chicago in 2009, Mundwiler dove headfirst into the wine business, serving and bartending at Disotto Enoteca. “I’ve always started at the bottom and worked my way up, so I was ready. I picked up an empty wine glass, The Wine Bible, and started studying,” she says. Following stints at Perennial Virant, Balsan at the Waldorf Astoria, and The Blanchard, Mundwiler joined the team at Maple & Ash as a server in 2015 and slowly worked her way up to be named the National Wine Director in 2022.

Away from her work, the Chicago resident enjoys painting, singing jazz, traveling, and having deep philosophical conversations with her 2 cats, Gigondas and Louis Armstrong.

After running several restaurants in Ithaca, New York, Cedric Nicaise was looking for a new direction. His journey into the realm of wine began at Charlie Palmer’s flagship restaurant Aureole and flourished during his tenure at Eleven Madison Park (EMP), where he grew his expertise as a wine director and later as director of operations. Cedric’s contributions coincided with EMP’s remarkable achievements, including earning Three Michelin Stars, ranking #1 on “World’s 50 Best Restaurants,” winning the James Beard Award for “Outstanding Service” in 2016 and consistently receiving the Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award” from 2015 to 2020. In 2022, Cedric collaborated on opening The Noortwyck with Chef Andy Quinn. Complementing Quinn’s distinctive cuisine, which focuses on a new American menu spotlighting New York producers and purveyors, Cedric created a list with a diverse and impressive wine selection. He says his personal wine interests continue to parallel what he likes to feature on his wine list: Burgundy, the Northern Rhône and Champagne. The Noortwyck hosts an ongoing series of wine dinners featuring an intimate multi-course meal with a detailed and exclusive wine pairing experience, offering guests an opportunity to delve into various wine regions under the guidance of Cedric and collaborating wine experts.

Originally from New Holstein, WI, Stevenson started working in a diner at age 14 and followed his passion to culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Hyde Park. After graduation, he turned his focus towards the beverage sector. At 23 years old, he became a Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers and is currently participating in Diploma-level testing with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. His proudest accomplishments include helping Ever Restaurant in Chicago achieve Two Michelin Stars in a mere four months and pursuing his dream of being a fine dining sommelier at the young age of 19. Stevenson currently oversees the wine program at Auro at Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley. Under his stewardship, Auro’s wine list has expanded to 475 labels and a curated inventory of over 2,000 bottles. While offering a strong emphasis on local varietals, he also plans to expand the restaurant’s global reach, always ensuring each bottle is stored at the perfect temperature for exceptional service. In building and refining the extensive yet highly curated list, he ensures the assortment complements the restaurant’s elevated cuisine by Chef Rogelio Garcia.

Scott Turnbull originally planned to be a French teacher. After graduating from Penn State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in French, he worked for two years in the Rhône Valley as an Assistant English Teacher at the Lycée Gabriel Faure in Tournon sur Rhone, as well as at the Lycée Hotelier de Tain l’Hermitage. It was at the Lycée Hotelier where he was able to begin learning about wine while helping the sommelier students describe wines in English. After two happy years in France, his visa ran out. Luckily, one of the school’s former students was the Head Sommelier at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, and after a quick letter of introduction, Scott was able to trade the classroom for the cellar. Two years at Le Bec-Fin were followed by Head Sommelier roles at Seeger’s in Atlanta, then back to Philadelphia to Striped Bass and then the Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Philadelphia. In 2012, California came calling, and so he moved west to take over the program at Solage Calistoga, before joining the team at the Restaurant in Meadowood in 2018. After the 2020 fires claimed the Restaurant, he joined Winebow in 2021, before taking on the role of Director of Private Clients at Vinfolio, Fine+Rare’s Napa outpost in early 2023. He is a Certified Wine Educator from the Society of Wine Educators, (in addition to being a Certified Specialist of Wine and Certified Specialist of Spirits), and achieved the title of Master Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers – Americas in August of 2022.

Hannah grew up in Miami, and escaped to New York City to study English and Creative Writing at Barnard College. It wasn’t until she moved to Scotland for a semester abroad and joined The University of Edinburgh Wine Society and Blind Tasting Team when she was truly bitten by the wine bug. Hannah decided to trade academia for wine upon returning to New York City, and scored an internship as a Tasting Department Intern at Wine & Spirits Magazine. The desire to learn the world of hospitality and professional wine service landed her a position on the opening wine team of La Sirena Ristorante. Hannah joined Blue Hill at Stone Barns in March 2017, bringing her love of Champagne and Barolo to the Hudson Valley. She was promoted to Beverage Director of the Grand Award-winning Program in 2019. Hannah also achieved her Advanced Sommelier Certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers and was nominated as one of Wine & Spirits ‘Best New Sommeliers’ that same year. She is currently pursuing her Master Sommelier Diploma. Hannah published ‘This is Not a Wine List’ through Blue Hill- a wine list turned book- and lives in Dobbs Ferry with her husband and sassy dog, Dujac.