Paul Wagner
Wine Instructor Napa Valley College, President Balzac Marketing and Public Relations

Renowned Wine Expert and Author Paul Wagner has been an instructor for Napa Valley College’s Viticulture & Enology department for the past 23 years, and for ten years was a regular columnist for Vineyards & Winery Management Magazine. He is a highly regarded guest lecturer at universities throughout the world on wine business, communications, wine and wine marketing, and in 2007 he co-authored Wine Marketing & Sales, Success Strategies for a Saturated Market, an internationally award winning wine book. In 2009 he was honored with a “Life Dedicated to Wine” award at the Feria Nacional del Vino (FENAVIN) in Spain, and is a founding member of the Academy of Wine Communications. With Rick Kushman, he hosts Bottle Talk with Rick and Paul, a weekly podcast on wine recorded at Capital Public Radio.

Jarad Slipp
Estate Director at RdV Vineyards in Delaplane, VA

Prior to joining the RdV team in 2013 he was the Restaurant Director at several notable Washington DC and NYC restaurants, including CityZen, Fiamma, Nectar, and Tahoga. Jarad earned his Master Sommelier Diploma in May 2014 making him one of 247 individuals worldwide to have passed the rigorous exam. A former graduate of the Culinary Institute of America as well as ICIF in Italy he’s a decent cook too. When not working, he can typically be found endeavoring in activities to shorten his life like cave diving, heli-skiing and skydiving. His favorite beer is Miller Lite, yes it’s not the best, but it is his favorite, please don’t judge.