Steve McIntyre

In 1982 Steve McIntyre received his master’s degree in enology from California State University, Fresno. In 1982 he and his wife Kimberly moved to Carmel Valley, California to develop Galante Vineyards and Winery. In late 1983 Steve took a position with Smith & Hook Winery in Soledad, Calif. as an Assistant Winemaker, later returning to his agrarian roots to become viticulturist in 1985.

In 1992 Steve and Kimberly founded Monterey Pacific, Inc., a viticulture management and development company, which rapidly grew from 432 acres to become the 5th largest vineyard management company in the U.S. at over 17,000 acres.

In 2002, along with partners Mike Filice and Eric Laumann, Steve cofounded the Monterey Wine Company in King City, California. This 12,000 ton state of the art custom wine processing facility developed a reputation for first class customer service and technological prowess. Among its many notable accomplishments MWC was the first commercial winery in the US to introduce Flash détente to the wine industry.

Steve and Kim founded McIntyre Vineyards on 1998 and produce small lot, handmade wines from their Estate Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. They have a Tasting Studio in The Crossroads Shopping Center in Carmel and are developing a Hospitality Center at their Estate Vineyard on River Road near Gonzales.

Steve received the Wine Grape Grower of the Year from the California Association of Wine Grape Growers in 2013.

Steve is an appointed member and past chairman of the CDFA Pierces Disease Board, Chairman of its Product Development and Research Screening Committee(s); a member of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers, a graduate of Class 21 of the California Ag Leadership Program, previously a board member of the Big Sur Land Trust and currently serving as a board member of the Salinas Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Steve and Kim have 3 children and reside in Salinas, California.

Sherry Frey

Sherry Frey brings more than two decades of industry experience to her role as Vice President, Total Wellness at NielsenIQ.

With a background in market research, innovation and consulting, she has elevated clients across the fresh, CPG and wellness industries, providing forward-thinking insights, combined with practical strategies.

In addition to leading NielsenIQ’s Total Wellness team and industry engagement, Sherry has been a featured speaker at many national and international industry events and is often sought as a media and analyst resource on topics related to consumer health, wellness and environmental issues.

Sherry’s view of health and wellness spans beyond personal health and wellness, encompassing how we collectively think about the health of the planet.

Mike Sinor

Mike Sinor is a 30 plus year veteran on the winemaking scene on the Central Coast of California. To help pay for collage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mike got a job as tasting room attendant. Within months he was hooked and ended up working part time for 6 Edna Valley wineries during college. He worked in the tasting rooms, vineyards and cellars and found his passion. In 1994 he got his first full-time cellar worker job at Robert Mondavi owned, Byon Winery in Santa Maria. On a research trip to Burgundy for Mondavi, Mike and Cheri LaVallee got married. They founded Sinor-LaVallee Wine Co in 1997. He helped found the World of Pinot Noir Event in 2001. In 2006 he co-founded Ancient Peaks Winery, of which he is still the founding winemaker. Mike and Cheri purchased the Bassi Vineyard in Avila Beach Ca in 2013. There he Biodynamically farms 30 acres of winegrapes. Mike was part of a small group of winegrowers who successfully founded the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA (SLO Coast AVA) in 2021.

Dr. Miguel Pedroza

Dr. Miguel Pedroza is an Associate Professor of Enology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he teaches winemaking, fermentation science, and general education courses on wine and viticulture. His research bridges chemistry, sensory science, and neuroscience, with a focus on how wine aromas develop in grapes, evolve through winemaking, and ultimately shape emotional responses in consumers.

Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, Miguel holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Enology from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, and a B.Sc. in Food Science and Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico. His academic and professional journey spans multiple countries, with research and enology internships in France (Bordeaux and Jura), Italy (Piacenza), and the U.S. He previously served as Assistant Professor of Enology at Fresno State and was a postdoctoral researcher in cognitive neuroscience at the CNRS in Lyon, France, where he explored the brain’s response to wine through neuroimaging.

Miguel has conducted research on wine aroma chemistry, sequential fermentation with non-Saccharomyces yeasts, innovative enological techniques, and has led or contributed to research projects funded by the USDA, the Agricultural Research Institute from the CSU, and international institutions. His current work includes studying the composition of Mediterranean varietals of the Central Coast of California and the relationship between aromas and emotional experience in wine.

An active mentor and public speaker, he regularly presents at scientific conferences and industry events. Since 2014, Miguel has also served as a wine judge at prestigious competitions across Europe, Mexico, and the U.S., including the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and the California State Fair.

Miguel enjoys finding connections between wine, food, places, cultures, and people. In his free time, he loves cooking, playing guitar, hiking, soccer, golf, and spending time with his wife and young son.

Jourdan Carralejo

Jourdan graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is driven by results and embraces a culture with a collaborative environment. She began her professional career in retail where she built her skillset in management. She landed her first winery job back in 2016 at a small winery in the Santa Rita Hills where she fell in love with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. She has managed tasting rooms, wine clubs and built experiences and positions within the Hospitality world that continue to improve the customer experience. She is nearing her 6-year anniversary at Foley Family Wines and in her current role as the Director of Wine Club and Membership she oversees 18 wineries throughout California, Washington and Oregon.

Jordan Collins

Jordan is the son and nephew of the Lone Madrone trio of owners; Jackie, Marci and Neil. His fascination with wine began in earnest while growing up on the Tablas Creek property. Early years in the wine industry began with internships at local wineries, specifically L’Aventure and Tablas Creek Vineyard.

A hiatus for a few years of travel followed as Jordan ventured around climbing in Patagonia, Yosemite, Spain and Thailand. He then took a harvest position with Tablas Creek for the 2013 harvest to work alongside his father Neil.

This was followed by harvests in France at the esteemed winery Chateau De Beaucastel, Villa Creek Cellars in Paso Robles, and finally Two Hands in the Barossa Valley of Australia. Following these internships and travel opportunities he returned to the family business to begin what is hopefully a long career within a close knit family of wine fanatics.

When Jordan is not working for Lone Madrone he enjoys climbing, running, Shelby the dog and spending time with his family.

Jessica Gasca

It was my first harvest —interning in 2009—when my heart first fell in love. Picking Pinot Noir at the Santa Maria Gold Coast Vineyard before the sun came up. My fingers were freezing and for hours we picked and sorted. I listened closely that morning to the theories behind the growth and life of the vine. Being that connected to the earth was inspiring.

Then, for three and a half years (2010-2013), I apprenticed at Sanguis, where I gained much more wine knowledge. Every decision and action, no matter how small they seemed, were of extreme importance to the outcome of the wine. The harvesting of grapes, all parts of the fermentation process (wether technical or artful), stirring of the lees, topping, racking…heck, even the stacking and lining up of barrels became a meditation of sorts. (Yes, by the way, this girl can operate a fork-lift.) And although times like re-coiling the hose over and over again might have seemed silly, it helped train me. I learned intention. My time there helped me grow an understanding and appreciation for meticulous dedication to detail and style.

It was at Sanguis where I saved my pennies to journey out and buy my own fruit. In 2012, while working there, I made my first vintage and began learning on a deeper level. That path of my wine-making adventure was just starting.

Today, utilizing what I was taught, it is my goal to continue working with remarkable vineyards. In discovering their nuances I hope to help guide each varietal to make a wine that will show a sense of place and style.

And of course to always keep learning. Growing. Discovering.

Thank you for joining me in this journey…

Jessica Gasca

Cory Waller

Raised in the township of Hollister— just a few miles as the crow flies from Eden Rift—Cory grew up exploring the forests, canyons and river beds of the Cienega Valley. To this day, he knows the back roads of this remote appellation like few others. He counts local farmers, ranchers and fisherman in nearby Monterey Bay among his cadre of friends and colleagues. To describe him as non-interventionist winemaker would be an overstatement, for Cory possesses a strong point-of-view. While vine health is crucial, Cory favors the fruit of vines that struggle profoundly to produce smaller, yet clearly delineated yields. In the cellar, neutral vessels, native yeasts and varying degrees of stem inclusion, play a strong role in a wine’s elévage, as he prefers to transmit the voice of a site, over a heavily stylized approach. His mentors in wine include Tony Soter, Josh Bergstrom and Jim Prosser, of Oregon. He performed stages at New Zealand’s Neudorf and Martinborough Vineyards, and was Assistant Winemaker at the neighboring, iconic estate, Calera.

Amanda McCrossin

Amanda McCrossin is a certified sommelier, wine personality, and TikTok/Instagram/YouTube creator. As the former Sommelier & Wine Director at PRESS Restaurant in Napa Valley, Amanda worked with the world’s largest, deepest restaurant collection of all Napa Valley wines in the world. During her time the wine program thrived; garnering nominations, accolades, and awards from nearly every major publication and outlet in food, wine, and hospitality. She has been featured by Food & Wine Magazine, Food Network, San Francisco Chronicle, on the cover of SOMM Journal and most recently by Wine Enthusiast who named her a Wine Star nominee for ‘Sommelier of the Year.’

Today, Amanda is widely considered an expert in Napa Valley wine and regularly sought after for media appearances and speaking engagements including the Aspen Food & Wine Classic and Premiere Napa Valley. A Napa Valley resident, Amanda can be found creating daily content for her popular TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube channels – SommVivant – as well as hosting the Wine Access Unfiltered Podcast.
LINKS:
Professional Website: http://amandamccrossin.com
Sommvivant: http://sommvivant.me
TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdfWCgAC/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/amandamccrossinsommvivant
Instagram: https://instagram.com/sommvivant
Wine Access Unfiltered Podcast Instagram: https://linktr.ee/wineaccessunfiltered

Jordan Lonborg

Jordan Lonborg serves as Regenerative Consultant and Manager of Organic, Biodynamic & Regenerative Viticulture for Coastal Vineyard Care Associates (CVCA). In this newly created role he leads the firm’s initiative to scale regenerative viticulture across the California Central Coast, guiding the conversion of vineyards to organic, regenerative, and biodynamic systems, advising on soil-health protocols, cover-crop integration, biodiversity practices and certification pathways.

Jordan began his career at Monterey Pacific Inc. where he assisted in the management of nearly 4,000 vineyard acres, advancing from Viticulture Technician to Pest Control Advisor and Viticulturist.

In 2016 he joined Tablas Creek Vineyard, where he played a key role in piloting the Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) program and helped Tablas Creek become the first vineyard globally to earn ROC certification.

Jordan holds a Bachelor of Science in Fruit Science from California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.

Based on the Central Coast of California, Jordan is known for blending traditional viticultural practices with innovative regenerative frameworks—advocating for diverse ecosystems, soil resilience and a vineyard approach that looks beyond yield to long-term ecological health.

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Steve McIntyre

Sherry Frey

Mike Sinor

Dr. Miguel Pedroza

Jourdan Carralejo

Jordan Collins

Jessica Gasca

Cory Waller

Amanda McCrossin

Jordan Lonborg