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Jun. 292016

Vintner Spotlight: Robert Haas, Partner and Founder of Tablas Creek Vineyard

Fall is here—and so is the weekend! Time to slow

Fall is here—and so is the weekend! Time to slow down and taste your way through the season.

We are proud to have assembled another amazing lin

We are proud to have assembled another amazing lineup featuring many of the nation’s most gifted sommeliers for this year’s Naples Winter Wine Festival. Please help us welcome Fernando Beteta, MS of High Road Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois.
Born in Antigua, Guatemala, Beteta’s early life was rooted in hospitality. He pursued hotel management studies in Florence and at the prestigious École hôtelière de Lausanne, refining his skills through apprenticeships across Europe and Thailand. His passion for wine developed while managing The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago, eventually leading him to serve as sommelier at NoMI in the Park Hyatt, overseeing a cellar of over 10,000 bottles. A Master Sommelier in just six years, he has been recognized as “America’s Best New Sommeliers.” Today, Beteta is a partner at High Road Wine & Spirits and shares his expertise through PopSomm, offering tastings, classes and immersive wine experiences, with a focus on making wine approachable, engaging and enjoyable.

NWWF26 Celebrity Chef highlights! Today we are fea

NWWF26 Celebrity Chef highlights! Today we are featuring Dave Beran of SELINE in Santa Monica, California.
Chef Dave Beran discovered his passion for cooking during a summer job, and quickly rose through the ranks in Chicago kitchens, including mk, Tru and Alinea, where he became chef de cuisine. As executive chef of Next, he created 15 globally inspired menus, earning critical acclaim and multiple 4-Star Chicago Tribune ratings. After moving to Los Angeles, he opened Dialogue in 2017, an intimate tasting-menu restaurant that earned One Michelin Star and Five Stars from Forbes Travel Guide. In 2019, he launched pasjoli, an elevated French bistro recognized by GQ, Esquire, and the James Beard Awards, followed by his newest venture, Seline, an ever-changing 18-course tasting experience in Santa Monica. A three-time James Beard nominee and winner, Dave also balances writing and training for marathons and triathlons.

We’re excited that NWWF guests will have the cha

We’re excited that NWWF guests will have the chance to meet this year’s renowned winemakers and taste rare, exceptional wines, setting the stage for what promises to be another extraordinary weekend of generosity. Please join us in welcoming Laura Catena of Catena Zapata from Mendoza, Argentina.
Dr. Laura Catena, a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, physician and wine writer, was born in Mendoza and has built a remarkable career bridging medicine and winemaking. A Harvard graduate and Stanford-trained physician, she practiced emergency medicine in San Francisco for over 25 years while leading her family’s iconic Bodega Catena Zapata and her own Luca Winery. Founder of the Catena Institute of Wine, she has dedicated her life to preserving Malbec and elevating Argentine wine on the global stage. Under her guidance, the family’s Adrianna Vineyard has earned ten 100-point scores, and Catena Zapata was named the “World’s Best Vineyard” in 2023. A recognized global wine leader, she also serves on boards including UC Davis Viticulture & Enology and WSET.

NWWF26 Celebrity Chef highlights! Today we are fea

NWWF26 Celebrity Chef highlights! Today we are featuring Elliot Bell of Charlie’s in Saint Helena, California.
Chef Elliot Bell, owner of Charlie’s in St. Helena, has built his career in some of the world’s most acclaimed kitchens. From early roles in small-town Iowa to training in Switzerland, he went on to cook at Gramercy Tavern in New York, then spent more than a decade as executive sous chef at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry. Inspired by his son, Charlie’s is his first solo venture—a family-run, neighborhood restaurant rooted in community, care and the craft he’s honed over a lifetime in kitchens around the world.

The incredible lineup of world-renowned vintners a

The incredible lineup of world-renowned vintners also includes Barbara Banke and Chris Carpenter of Cardinale in Oakville, California.
Barbara Banke, chairman of Jackson Family Wines, has spent four decades leading the family business she co-founded with her late husband, Jess Jackson. She has expanded the company’s world-class collection of wine estates across the globe, while championing sustainability and climate-positive practices. Banke also supports a wide range of philanthropic initiatives, from education to equine research, shaping the future of wine and community alike.
Chris Carpenter is a celebrated winemaker behind some of Napa Valley’s most prestigious estates, including Cardinale, Lokoya, La Jota Vineyard Co., and Mt. Brave. Over the past two decades, he has earned acclaim for crafting mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon with elegance, depth and a true expression of each vineyard’s unique character, combining meticulous vineyard work with minimal intervention in the cellar.

Happy #WineWednesday! The incredible lineup of wor

Happy #WineWednesday! The incredible lineup of world-renowned vintners includes Giampiero Bertolini of Biondi-Santi Tenuta Greppo in Montalcino, Italy.
Giampiero Bertolini, CEO of Biondi-Santi since 2018, has spent decades shaping the global presence of some of Italy’s most iconic wines. After earning a master’s in economy and marketing from the Università di Firenze and completing an international marketing program at MIT, he began his career at Procter & Gamble before moving into the wine world with Marchesi Frescobaldi Group, where he spent 16 years leading marketing and sales for four of its flagship brands. At Biondi-Santi, Giampiero’s mission is to honor the estate’s centuries-old traditions while continuously enhancing wine quality and expanding its presence in the world’s finest restaurants and private collections. Born in Quito, Ecuador, he balances his passion for wine with outdoor sports, music, travel and family life with his wife and three children.

We are beyond excited to release the full list of

We are beyond excited to release the full list of Featured Sommeliers headlining the 2026 Naples Winter Wine Festival! The Featured Sommeliers will travel from all across the United States to share their intimate knowledge of wine vintage, terroir and styles with Festival patrons, enhancing appreciation for the unique and rare wines that will be tasted at Friday night’s intimate Vintner Dinners and during Saturday’s signature Live Auction. Throughout the weekend, they will pour distinguished selections while imparting their expertise, further elevating the patrons’ understanding and enjoyment of each exceptional wine.
Click the link in our bio to read the Press Release.

Inside the Naples Winter Wine Festival Video Serie

Inside the Naples Winter Wine Festival Video Series: Celebration Brunch!
This is the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. And what better way to recognize this unforgettable weekend than over a sumptuous Champagne Brunch with our chefs, vintner and sponsors? Bid farewell to friends, old and new, until next year’s Festival.

NWWF26 Celebrity Chef highlights are here! Today w

NWWF26 Celebrity Chef highlights are here! Today we are featuring Angelo Auriana of The Factory Kitchen in Los Angeles, California.
Born in Bergamo, Italy, Chef Angelo Auriana has built a celebrated career bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the U.S. From leading Valentino Ristorante for 18 years to co-founding Factory Place Hospitality Group with acclaimed restaurants in LA and Las Vegas, he’s known for his “cucina dei sapori” style—elevating ingredients and flavors with heart.

Happy #WineWednesday! The incredible lineup of wor

Happy #WineWednesday! The incredible lineup of world-renowned vintners includes Bernardino Sani of Argiano in Montalcino, Italy.
Born in Siena, Bernardino Sani has dedicated his life to wine. After studying viticulture in Florence and Montpellier, he began his career in Montalcino before gaining international experience in the U.S. and Caribbean. In 2012, he returned to Tuscany as CEO and winemaker at Argiano, where he restored the historic estate. Today, Bernardino continues to shape the world of wine, consulting for leading vineyards from Napa to Piedmont.

Inside the Naples Winter Wine Festival Video Serie

Inside the Naples Winter Wine Festival Video Series: Wine Down!
Celebrate the enormous generosity of the winning bidders as we “wine down” and relax to more great food. Dance the night away to live music as some of the world’s greatest wines are poured.