Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/504216
may 2015 / the tasting panel / 9 Contributors Alex Rubin is an award-winning commercial photographer special- izing in wine industry, advertising and commercial photography. Based in Napa, California, his clients include Oprah, Fortune 500 companies and renowned wineries. Alex travels regularly for projects all over wine country, the West Coast and to destinations worldwide. You can view more of his work at www.rubinphotogra- phy.com. Erica Bartel is a Northern California–based photographer specializing in fine art, wedding and family photography for the San Francisco Bay Area and Plumas County. Her work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times and many other publica- tions. To see more of her work, go to ericabartelphotography.com. Self-taught with over 20 years of photography experience and based in Kentucky, Kirk Schlea shoots for editorial, advertising and corporate. He has photo- graphed U.S. Presidents, CEOs, professional athletes, major sport- ing events, medical operations, exotic locales and even underwa- ter hockey. Kirk has won awards from the California Exposition at Del Mar, First Interstate Bank, the San Diego Union-Tribune newspa- per and Sea magazine. Kelly Merritt is the author of The Everything Family Guide to Budget Travel and a culinary travel journalist with more than 1,000 stories to her credit. When she isn't writing, Kelly can be found plying the waters of the Florida Everglades and The Ten Thousand Islands with her husband, fishing guide and outdoor writer Captain Kevin Merritt. DEPARTMENTS 4 Letter from the Editor 10 Industry Spotlight 14 Brief Encounters 20 San Fran Insider 22 New York City Sips 24 Scotch Report 26 The Wandering Sommelier 28 Over t he Table 30 Sweet on Honey 32 Tastes of Asia 34 Events 36 European Wine Treasures 38 Cellar View 40 Education 42 Hot Property 44 Tastings: Castello Banfi 46 In the Biz: Joel Gott and Charles Bieler 48 Irish Whiskey 52 Packaging 54 Technology 56 BevForce Movers & Shakers 58 Behind the Scenes with Fred Dame 64 Australia 72 Blue Reviews 76 Publisher's Picks 78 What's New 84 Marketplace 88 Women of the Vine 94 Pairings 96 Speed Tasting Report 60