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ISO The Good Life Show - Food, Wine, Travel & Lifestyle

Bio: Mike Wreyford, AKA Mike the Wine Guy, is a wine educator, writer, radio show host, and lifestyle expert. Mike is the host & producer of “The Good Life” Show, a popular radio talk show, on air since 2011. As one of the most “casually authentic” wine experts in the industry, Mike Wreyford, AKA “Mike the Wine Guy,” has blazed his own trails and made it his life’s passion to educate, inform and entertain his audience with his extensive knowledge and passion for wine, and the lifestyle that goes with it. His weekly radio program and podcast, “ISO the Good Life” has become a must-listen for travel conscious wine enthusiasts and curious foodies alike. With countless hours of Live Radio, and 1,000+ interviews, Mike’s show has earned a reputation for being informative, entertaining, and uniquely original. As a native Californian, Mike’s adventurous lifestyle and world travels have undoubtedly influenced his approach to wine and food. His dedication to bringing an “all of us” approach to his topics has earned him a loyal following of listeners who appreciate his ability to make even the most complex subjects accessible. In addition to his radio program, Mike is known for his involvement in charitable events and fundraisers, including the highly successful “World of Wine” tasting events which he has been instrumental in developing and hosting since 2011. Mike’s talent for uncovering the stories behind the wine and food he covers is unmatched. His loose yet thoroughly prepared style of interviewing guests allows him to dig deep and discover the true passion and journey of each guest. With his extensive network of contacts throughout California, the West Coast, and beyond, Mike is able to develop unique story ideas that captivate and inspire his audience. As a dedicated professional and wine expert, Mike Wreyford is undoubtedly a name to watch in the industry, and his commitment to bringing the best of wine and food to his audience is unwavering.
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Now displaying: September, 2019
Sep 22, 2019

Rudd Oakville Estate’s Managing Director Oscar Henquet discovered his passion for the luxury hospitality industry at a very young age while working with his family’s hotel business in The Netherlands. Spending summers amidst vineyards in Provence with his parents, Oscar’s exposure to the world of wine started at a young age.

One of two children, Oscar grew up in the region where Belgium, Holland and Germany intersect, and as a result, quickly learned the importance and value of understanding various cultures while becoming fluent in the English, Dutch, French and German languages. Oscar received a degree in Hotel Management from the Maastricht School of Hotel Management, founded by his grandfather. Upon graduation, Oscar pursued positions abroad, including an 8-month project in China where he was heavily involved with the opening of Crowne Plaza Chengdu in Chengdu, China.

Oscar gained further experience and expertise working at esteemed properties located in Belgium, France and Israel, but it was a trip to New York with his family in 1997 that set his future course: exhilarated by the city’s energy and rhythm, he decided to relocate there.

It was during this period that Oscar decided his future would be spent in the private hospitality sector, where he would apply his understanding of organizational protocols and internal structure, but maintain the level of attention to detail and personal interaction with guests that had attracted him to the industry. In 2003, Oscar accepted a position as Director of Operations at Nicole Farhi USA, where he managed daily food and beverage operations for five years.

While still at Farhi, Oscar opened 202 Restaurant in Chelsea Market, which won New York Magazine’s “Best Brunch” Award in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, Oscar accepted the role of General Manager at Rouge Tomate, where he coordinated the restaurant’s $15 million 2008 opening.

Oscar’s achievements and success at Rouge Tomate over the next two-and-a-half years attracted the ever-watchful eye of Graydon Carter and Jeff Klein at Monkey Bar, and in August 2010, Oscar took on the position of General Manager at the trendy midtown restaurant.

 

 

Sep 22, 2019

Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won every major wine award given in the English language. These include the James Beard award for Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year, the Louis Roederer award for Best Consumer Wine Writing, and the International Wine and Spirits award as the Global Wine Communicator of the Year.  In a full-page profile on her, TIME Magazine called Karen “America’s Missionary of the Vine.” In 2018, Karen was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in the Wine.”

But deep global wine knowledge is only part of the story. Karen is considered America’s foremost wine presenter–a speaker who can enchant audiences from 5 to 500, and from wine novices to wine collectors alike. Her customized TED-like talks are accompanied by extraordinary wines which she personally selects for the event.

Karen is also the author of the award-winning book, THE WINE BIBLE, the single best-selling wine book in the United States, praised as “The most informative and entertaining book I’ve ever seen on the subject” (Danny Meyer), “Astounding” (Thomas Keller), and “A masterpiece of wine writing…the single best wine book written in years…” (Kevin Zraly).

The former wine correspondent for the Today Show, Karen was the host of the PBS series Wine, Food and Friends with Karen MacNeil, for which she won an Emmy. Karen is the creator and editor of WineSpeed, the leading digital “e-letter” in the U.S. for fast, authoritative information about wine. Her articles on wine and food have been published in more than 50 newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, Town & Country, Elle, and Worth. She was the first Food and Wine Editor of USA Today. Karen currently hosts #SipWithKaren, the leading Twitter tasting in the global wine sphere, which each month reaches 20+ million timelines from Indiana to India.

Karen’s firm, Karen MacNeil & Company, creates customized corporate events and wine tours around the world for companies and individual groups. Among Karen’s corporate clients are Lexus, Merrill Lynch, Disney, General Electric, UBS, and Singapore Airlines, as well as numerous law and biotech firms.

Karen is the creator and Chairman Emeritus of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley, which has been called “the Harvard of wine education.”

Sep 22, 2019

J Pearce is a boutique wine project that was started by great friends, Andrew Renda and Jarred Pearce. Andy and Jarred met in 2005 when Andy hired Jarred to work alongside him at Vintner’s Collective in downtown Napa.

Prior to Andy’s career in wine, it was a love of food and the restaurant industry where he first gained experience. Like many others, his first job was as a dishwasher for a gourmet caterer in his hometown. By age seventeen, he began cooking at The Country Club in Brookline MA, which is home to three US Opens, and the 1999 Ryder Cup. It was there where he was first introduced to the pairing of haute cuisine and world class wines.

After several years in the food industry, front and back of the house, he chose to start his quest to obtain more knowledge about the world of wine and spirits. The next eight years were spent helping to manage retail wine shops in the Boston area. His exposure was not just limited to California wines, but to a broad spectrum of global offerings.

Countless hours were spent tasting in order to gain a more refined palate and true understanding of what the world of wine has to offer. This passion for a lifelong career in the wine industry was set in motion, and it was time to relocate.

Andy and his bride to be Kelly, sold all of their belongings and packed a car to make the pilgrimage from Boston to Napa, no jobs, just a destination, the legendary Napa Valley!

They made a temporary home in a rental cottage as Andy pursued his dream, putting his passion and knowledge for wine to the test. The better part of the next decade was spent as the Director of Sales of Vintner’s Collective surrounded by top boutique producers. More importantly over that stretch, Kelly and he got married and now have two beautiful children Maxwell and Adelaide. His family is his driving force.

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