Francine Schwartz produces vinOrganica California, a mobile app guide to wineries in California that produce wines with organic grapes. Francine  has written about a variety of subjects from travel and health to movies, food and wine. She grew up in a household with a French mother who believes that wine is essential to a good meal and good life, a Roumanian grandmother who deplored anything grown or preserved with chemicals, and an American dad who loved French cooking. A proponent of organic practices and a natural lifestyle, Francine lives near her daughter in Marin County, CA, with her picture book calico cat and her inimitable terrier mix.

Lee Schneider is creative director at Red Cup, an agency using digital media to lead online campaigns, and the founder of DocuCinema, a production company making film, video and podcasts that help people collaborate.  He hosts a podcast called Techsmart that is an interview series about business applications and gadgets that are well designed, fun to use and make us better at what we do.  Lee also is a regular contributing blogger at The Huffington Post, on iMedia, and Over 50 Under Five.  Learn more about Lee Schneider and his accomplishments, or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Tiffany has been in love with agriculture her whole life – since she was Queen of mud pies and grass spaghetti. The daughter of a phenomenal gardener and advocate for local farms, Tiffany learned to appreciate the taste of local produce and respect for hard working farmers at an early age. In graduate school, Tiffany studied agricultural trade policy and its affects on food security and national sovereignty. Today, Tiffany writes about organic food and wine and unveils best practices in the sustainable wine industry on her website, EticaWines.com.

Adventurous by nature, Martin Carel has traveled the world and lived in a number of countries, including his beloved Sweden. During those years, he built up a multidisciplinary profile, combining international relations and software engineering. Back in Montreal, he helped launch several tech startups, but eventually took off for what turned out to be an audacious journey: making a documentary film, Wine From Here, on the budding natural wine movement in California. Which was also a great journey for his palate!

Ann Rabin Arnold grew up in the retail wine business that began with her grandfather in 1938. When Ann reentered into the wine scene, she noticed a niche that was not clearly defined or well represented. The dream of representing organic wineries and wines from around the world is now a reality. On any given day you can find Ann visiting wineries, finding new recipes to enjoy with her family or simply enjoying her 3 year old daughter who may soon be the 4th generation wine aficionado. Find Ann on LinkedIn or any of the Organic Wine Exchange‘s social media sites.

Leanna Rodgers has had the travel bug since she was able to travel on her own. She currently works as a travel consultant for many organizations and is the co-founder of Wines On Wheels, a custom-designed wine events company with a focus on unique wine tasting experiences through special events and intimate group tours, with a focused-flair on good ‘vines, great vibes, and friends to share in the adventure.  Connect with Leanna: Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Edward brings to Natural Merchants more than 18 years of professional experience in the food industry of United States. He coordinated the functions of Purchasing (wine and other categories), Marketing and Publicity for an aggressive chain of supermarkets in the Pacific Northwest. He met his wife Pilar in Madrid in 1999 then relocated to Spain where they together launched Natural Merchants. Their focus was distribution of fine organic and natural foods of the Mediterranean. They formed a partnership in 2000 with the Iranzo family to form Iranzo Fields, SL to market the wines of Spain’s oldest estate bottled winery.  Ed contributes a vast rolodex of contacts in the food industry of United States and the ability to negotiate with the different levels of the channels of distributions thanks to his knowledge, contacts and experience with the business language and culture in the U.S. market.  Ed received a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management from the University of Southern Oregon, and he is certified in International Trade by the Spanish Institute of International Trade (ICEX) and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce Council.

Jim Newcomb is a level III Sommelier, and wine educator for the International Sommelier Guild. He combines his experiences in the restaurant and grocery industry with his passion for wine and spirits, to create an international following on his weekly wine blog: TheSommelierUpdate.com. His has an easygoing approach to education that allows the reader to gain a new appreciation for wine, beer and spirits. He resides in beautiful Lake Arrowhead, CA, and with his wine club, The Lake Arrowhead Wine Enthusiasts, travels throughout the California wine regions, conducting wine tours, tasting events, dining adventures, and connecting with winemakers. You can connect with Jim on Linkedin, or follow his wine news updates on Facebook.

Roberto Lepori lives in Rome, and graduated in law at Rome University. He  works as a manager in a credit Italian institution and as a journalist under the Order of Journalists of Rome (OdG). He is a graduate from the Italian Sommelier Association of Rome, and loves to write articles in magazines about food and wine, wine events, tourism and the wine competitions he judges. Roberto often works with Network television on the themes of food, and wine and has produced and interpreted a documentary film on tourism and travel.

At any given time you may find Roberto playing guitar, cooking for friends, reading classical Greek and Latin literature, traveling on his Harley Davidson, getting lost at sea on a sail boat, or drinking a good glass of wine with people he loves.  You can also find Roberto on Facebook, LinkedIn or email:  roberto.lepori@goldtv.it.

The Paul Dolan Vineyards label, introduced in 2007, is hand crafted exclusively from certified organic and Biodynamic grapes. “Our winegrowing practices result in healthier soil, balanced grapes and elegant wine. We’re creating special wines while sustaining the land and our community — the place where we live and the people who live here.”