WSET Educator of the Year 2012

Grape Experience

Grape Experience is a company focused on providing the highest quality wine and spirit education to members of the trade and to consumers.  We are a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Approved Program Provider for the Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area and New England.  The WSET is the leading global certification body in the industry and has been a recognized leader in innovative wine and spirit education.  Grape Experience offers public and private/corporate classes in all aspects of wine and spirits.

Adam Chase

Mark Davidson

Born in London, raised in Sydney Mark has over twenty five years experience in the hotel and restaurant business, fifteen of those as a Sommelier. In 1990 Mark was named Best French Wine and Spirit Sommelier in British Columbia and in 2001 he was name Sommelier of the Year by the British Columbia Restaurant and Food Service Association. As a Department Head and instructor with the International Sommelier Guild he was instrumental in the on going development of the curriculum and has taught classes in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. Mark does a weekly radio wine review on CKNW and developed a wine education and restaurant etiquette course for Simon Fraser University Global Asset and Wealth Management MBA program. Mark is currently the Trade Education Director for Wine Australia.

John Fiola is a WSET Certified Educator based in Boston. His passion for wine began as a consumer and over the years transitioned into education. John's passion for wine education came while progressing through the WSET program, and has been teaching wine classes in the Boston Area since 2006. He is very partial to all wines from New Zealand, and also enjoys Alsatian whites.  John holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Maine, an M.S. in Chemistry from Indiana University, and an MBA from Boston University.

Elizabeth George

Elizabeth George is a WSET Certified Educator who developed her taste for wine as a hospitality student at Cornell, through wine classes but even more so, boisterous bus tours throughout the Finger Lakes vineyards. When her first job in IT sales sent her to Australia, she became enamored with the local wine industry and decided to change career paths. Beginning with cellar door sales at a small vineyard, Elizabeth's wine journey led her throughout Australia, Europe and the US while working for large distributors and small importers in Manhattan and Melbourne. She completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust's Diploma and is currently the New England regional manager for Broadbent Selections. Partial to Aussie reds, cool-climate pinots, Champagne and German Rieslings, Elizabeth is intoxicated by wine's flavors, history and culture and her favorite pastime is sharing wine with others.

Jamie is a WSET Certified Canadian ex-pat now living in Northern California's East Bay. He is 30 year veteran of Canadian radio who holds the WSET Level 2 Intermediate and Level 3 Advanced certificates, both of which he passed with Merit. Jamie has been a Wine Educator at Robert Mondavi Winery and he developed and implemented wine focused programs at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn.

Brett Marcy

Brett Marcy is a WSET Certified Educator based in New England. An erstwhile beer brewer, Brett has dedicated the last seven years to the wine trade. From stints in retail to portfolio management for Southern Wine & Spirits, he’s worked in many facets of the industry including two working vacations to help with “crush” in Napa Valley and McMinnville, Oregon. Brett joined Frederick Wildman & Sons in June 2009 and serves as the importer’s East Coast Profile Account Manager with responsibilities in the Boston, Rhode Island and Chicago markets. He has toured the wine regions of France and Spain extensively and believes there’s nothing more refreshing after a four hour wine tasting than cold beer. Brett comes from Ohio and has broad experience teaching all levels of wine classes.

Lisa Mroz

Lisa Mroz is a WSET Certified Educator based in San Francisco. Lisa specializes in wine education for students, consumers and the trade. She holds the Diploma in Wine & Spirits with WSET, and is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. Lisa serves as a judge in wine competitions, consults on private cellars, and works with corporate teams to align them in fun and meaningful ways … using wine as a metaphor. Lisa completed her MBA at Kellogg, focusing in strategy and organizational behavior. With wine as a study aid, of course

Daniel Orrison

Daniel Orrison's  wine career centers around production experience in multiple wine-cellars worldwide. Including – Chateau Montelena (Napa), Jackson Estate (Marlborough), Domaine des Croix & Camille Giroud (Beaune) and Harlen Estate and Bond Winery (Napa). Daniel has used wine as a tool to travel extensively and brings an amazing level of enthusiasm and experience to the Grape Experience team. Originally form the East Coast, Daniel holds a B.A. in Business Marketing and Literary & Cultural Studies from The College of William and Mary in Virginia. Daniel currently serves as the Director of Hospitality for the Bespoke Collection in Yountville California and is in the early stages of his own Portuguese wine label – Orison.

Zach Pace

Zach Pace is a San Francisco-based wine educator specializing in restaurant operations, purchasing and consulting. With more than a decade industry experience, he is highly involved with the local food and wine scene. He holds the Diploma in Wine & Spirits and is a Certified Educator for the WSET as well as a Certified Wine Educator with the Society of Wine Educators. He is has been Wine Director for noted San Francisco restaurant Foreign Cinema Restaurant.  He currently works on the leadership team of a Bay Area wine importer and operates Pace Food & Wine, a full-service wine consultancy.

Michael Perry

Michael Perry holds the Diploma in Wine & Spirits and is a Certified Educator for the WSET.  He has also received his Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers, and is  a Certified Wine Educator and Certified Spirits Specialist with the Society of Wine Educators. Michael has 30 years experience in hospitality, spending over 20 years working as a chef before moving into food and beverage management. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Michael can speak about wine as well as its relationship with food and dining. As a wine educator for the past 6 years, Michael’s approach to wine and wine education is keeping in mind that wine is first and foremost a source of enjoyment, especially in a setting with good food and friends.

Lauren Watters

Lauren Watters is a WSET Certified Educator and acertified sommelier.  She holds the Diploma from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust in London. She is currently pursuing the title of Master of Wine. Lauren is extremely passionate about wine and has traveled to many regions of France, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina and the US to study winemaking and viticulture. She is currently the Marketing Manager of Huneeus Vintners in Napa Valley, responsible for The Prisoner, Saldo and Faust. Lauren is a graduate of Florida State University and currently resides in St. Helena, CA with her husband and daughter.