Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/780573
{ SOMMjournal.com } 53 Around the World with Pinot Noir Panelists will include: ALLYSON GORSUCH Deputy Editor, The Somm Journal Wine: Ritual 2015 Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley, Chile (SRP $19.99) After years of running wine programs for restaurants, Allyson Gorsuch recently tran- sitioned into publishing as Deputy Editor for The Somm Journal and The Tasting Panel magazines. Hailing originally from St. Louis, Gorsuch has traveled extensively, working in international and domestic markets. Most recently she held the position of Estate Wine Director at The Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. She is an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and holds the WSET Level Three. DAVID COVENTRY Head winemaker for Talbott Vineyards. Wine: Talbott Vineyards Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands David Coventry is a native of Monterey, California, so he knows firsthand just how special it is here – from the vineyards and the landscape to the arts and the lifestyle. Although he took a circuitous path with stints in chemistry and band management, David eventually returned home to Monterey, where he is the head winemaker for Talbott Vineyards. LARS LEICHT Trade Development Director, Banfi Vintners Wine: Banfi 2011 Cuvée Aurora Rosé, Alta Langa DOCG, Italy (SRP $35) Few know Banfi Vintners and its wines better than Lars Leicht, Banfi's Trade Development Director. A 30-year veteran of Banfi, Leicht leads the in-house agency for luxury selections in the portfolio. Leicht has been promoted numerous times within the company, eventually returning to Banfi's Old Brookville, NY, offices to coordinate communications and public relations in 1997. As adept at the stove as at the iPad, Leicht—continuously and with wit and style—brings new insight into food and wine pairing and never lets his audiences forget that wine is food. CHUCK HAYWARD Proprietor, Vinroads Wine: Giesen 2013 Clayvin Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand (SRP $75) Chuck Hayward is the proprietor of Vinroads, a consulting outfit dedicated to mar- keting and education for Australian and New Zealand wines in the United States. For over 30 years he has been widely acknowledged to be America's foremost expert on New Zealand and Australian wines. Prior to setting up his own business, Hayward was the Australian and New Zealand wine buyer for JJ Buckley, one of the largest Internet- based fine wine retailers in the United States. LISA N. BROWN Brand Manager, Boisset Collection Wine: Domaine de la Vougeraie 2013 Terres de Famille Pinot Noir, Bourgogne, France (SRP $45) Lisa N. Brown began working in wine while living in Dijon, France, the home of world- renowned Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. She completed her graduate studies in Wine Business at the University of Burgundy. In 2014, Brown traded the French country- side for Napa Valley to share her enthusiasm and passion for Burgundian and French wines with the U.S. market by joining forces with the internationally renowned Boisset Collection, where managing strategy and supporting all of Boisset's Import brands allowed her to share the joie de vivre of wine with new palates in the US SARAH MAYO North America Manager, Rathbone Wine Group Wine: Yering Station Estate 2015 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia (SRP $19.99) Sarah Mayo is North America Manager for the Rathbone Wine Group, founder of both the Singapore-based wine marketing platform The Local Nose (TLN) and wine trade event company Asia Wine Events (AWE). She holds the WSET Diploma certification.