"I've been to events around the country. But nothing like euphoria. Nothing that gets you this close to the people creating this awesome food, wine and music."
Suzanne | Rock Hill, SC
2008 Wine
Wayne Belding - Member of the Court of Master Sommeliers since 1990; Prestigious Krug Cup winner; Owner of “The Wine Merchant” in Boulder, CO
Wayne Belding
Wayne Belding grew up in the mid-Hudson Valley of upstate New York, now, ironically, a burgeoning wine-producing area. After earning a degree in geology from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1972, he moved to Colorado and ultimately found his way into the oil fields of the U.S. as a geologist. Along the way, he became fascinated with wine, and when the energy boom went bust in 1982, used that opportunity to transform his avocation into his vocation. He began at The Boulder Wine Merchant, a wine specialty shop in Boulder, Colorado. He then became Sommelier at the Heritage Hotel in Denver which, at the time, had a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine cellar. During his tenure at the Heritage, he competed in The 2nd Annual French wine and Spirits Sommelier Competition in America, sponsored by Food and Wines from France, in 1985. He won the Denver Regional Competition and placed seventh in the final competition in New York. The examination experience was stimulating and, when the Court of Master Sommeliers first came to the U.S. in 1987 and the opportunity was presented, he began his pursuit of the Master Sommelier diploma. After passing the basic Certificate course and Advanced Sommelier course, he became the 13th American to pass the demanding Master Sommelier examination at Monterey, California in 1990. In addition to passing the rigorous examination, he also earned the Krug Cup - an award bestowed by Krug Champagne on the person who passes all three parts of the Master Sommelier test at the same examination and attains the highest score of those tested. To the present, only 75 Americans have passed the Master Sommelier examination. He has served as Education Chairman and Chairman for the American Chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Throughout his years in the wine business, Mr. Belding has been an educator as well. He has taught wine appreciation classes for over twenty years, instructing well over 1000 students in that time. He has been a wine competition judge at the National Restaurant Association Wine Classic in Chicago, The Jefferson Cup, the Colorado State Fair and the California Wine Celebration in Denver. He has also been a featured speaker at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, The Telluride Wine Festival, The Taste of Vail and the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival in Winter Park, Colorado. He has taught professional wine service classes throughout the country and since 1986, he has been an owner of The Boulder Wine Merchant.
Ron Edwards
"I have been shown the importance of serving others all my life. My father is a Minister and has spent his life putting himself second and is one of the happiest men I know. He inspires me. I have found that hospitality and wine give me that same deep joy and so have pursued them with excellence as the goal."
Although Ron graduated from the North Carolina State School of Mechanical Engineering he found that serving in restaurants was more compelling. Instead of following his education he followed his heart and became a manager at Sweet Loraine's Cafe in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This job led to being the General Manager at Five Lakes Grill in Milford, Michigan. It was here that he was inspired by Chef Brian Polcyn's vision of excellence to become a leader in the industry. Through the encouragement of his mentor, Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon, Ron began the journey to become a Master Sommelier. In 1997 Ron passed the Introductory Level Sommelier exam and then the Advanced Sommelier exam in 1998. In 2004 he passed the Practical Service portion of the Master Sommelier Exam and in 2005 he passed the Theory & Tasting portions and earned the Master Sommelier diploma. In his journeys Ron has been blessed to be in the presence of greatness and to work for inspiring people. He spent six years as the General Manager/Sommelier of Chef Brian Polcyn's celebrated Five Lakes Grill. Brian Polcyn and his restaurant have been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Gourmet, Bon Appetite and most recently in the book "The Soul of a Chef" by Michael Ruhlman. Next came Tapawingo and the opportunity to work with more great chefs. They were legendary owner Harlan "Pete" Peterson, Stuart Brioza who was called one the Top 10 Best New Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine, Jean Robert de Caval of Pigalle, Eric Aubriot of Aubriot, Pastry Chef Jacques Torres, James Beard Winner Takashi Yagihashi, local stand-out Dan Flynn and the new culinary leader Jeremy Kittelson formerly of Blackbird in Chicago.Ron is now working to bring all this experience and inspiration to multiple dining rooms, hotels, and interested students through Five Star Sommelier Services.
Although Ron graduated from the North Carolina State School of Mechanical Engineering he found that serving in restaurants was more compelling. Instead of following his education he followed his heart and became a manager at Sweet Loraine's Cafe in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This job led to being the General Manager at Five Lakes Grill in Milford, Michigan. It was here that he was inspired by Chef Brian Polcyn's vision of excellence to become a leader in the industry. Through the encouragement of his mentor, Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon, Ron began the journey to become a Master Sommelier. In 1997 Ron passed the Introductory Level Sommelier exam and then the Advanced Sommelier exam in 1998. In 2004 he passed the Practical Service portion of the Master Sommelier Exam and in 2005 he passed the Theory & Tasting portions and earned the Master Sommelier diploma. In his journeys Ron has been blessed to be in the presence of greatness and to work for inspiring people. He spent six years as the General Manager/Sommelier of Chef Brian Polcyn's celebrated Five Lakes Grill. Brian Polcyn and his restaurant have been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Gourmet, Bon Appetite and most recently in the book "The Soul of a Chef" by Michael Ruhlman. Next came Tapawingo and the opportunity to work with more great chefs. They were legendary owner Harlan "Pete" Peterson, Stuart Brioza who was called one the Top 10 Best New Chefs by Food and Wine Magazine, Jean Robert de Caval of Pigalle, Eric Aubriot of Aubriot, Pastry Chef Jacques Torres, James Beard Winner Takashi Yagihashi, local stand-out Dan Flynn and the new culinary leader Jeremy Kittelson formerly of Blackbird in Chicago.Ron is now working to bring all this experience and inspiration to multiple dining rooms, hotels, and interested students through Five Star Sommelier Services.
Sara Floyd
Sara Floyd has worked with some of the world's premier wine professionals.
She first made a name for herself as an assistant to Larry Stone, M.S., Wine Director of Rubicon Restaurant. Sara then moved on to become the Wine Director for Vertigo and Postrio Restaurants in San Francisco. In 1998, Sara went to work for Martine Saunier of Martine's wines as the National Sales Manager. In April of 2000, Sara launched her own company, Swirl Wine Brokers, a California wine broker company specializing in boutique California wineries. In additon to running Swirl, Sara is the National Sales Director for Jorge Ordonez, the preeminent importer of quality Spanish Wines in the U.S. Sara is considered to be a leading authority of the wines from Spain and travels extensively through Spain visiting wine regions and participates in the blending of many of the wines she represents.
In February of 2003, Sara passed the rigorous Master Sommelier exam, making her one of fourteen women in the world to have gained the Title of Master Sommelier.
Laura Williamson
Laura Williamson began her formidable career in the service industry at the young age of 18. She grew up in a dry county in Arkansas (her parents still reside there!) and only began to discover the virtues of wine once she moved to Paris, France at the age of 19 for her first two years of college. After exploring wine through service positions at David Paul's in Lahaina, Maui, Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, John's Restaurant and Flagstaff House in Boulder, Colorado and Sweet Basil and Wildflower in Vail, Colorado, she was convinced that her talents with wine could lead to a more exciting and fulfilling career than her opportunities with her Financial Planning degree.
She was encouraged to pursue the Master Sommelier accreditation by her mentors Wayne Belding and Sally Mohr of the Boulder Wine Merchant and achieved this coveted distinction of which only 78 Americans (including just 13 women) had attained prior to her success in 2005. She is currently an active member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, the grading body for aspiring candidates. She also holds the prestigious title of Certified Wine Educator and achieved this feat in 2002 when only approximately 100 others had previously.
Following her accreditation, she began consulting for Small Vineyards Imports, the fastest growing Italian Wine importer in the US for 2006 and 2007 and the only Italian importer to focus exclusively on small-production and hand-harvested fruit with minimal environmental impact. She assists in selecting the portfolio and educating nationally the supplier and distributor staffs on the superior virtues of small, earth-friendly wine production.
She is also a co-owner of VinTabla Restaurant and Wine Shop in Tucson , AZ
She lectures nationally to businesses, restaurants and private clients about the wine regions of the world, the techniques involved with pairing food and wine and the art and skill surrounding wine collecting. She also speaks annually at national wine conferences and festivals and is a staunch advocate for artisan wine producers. She passionately travels the globe in search of unknown, exotic wines from eclectic indigenous grapes just to share these rarities with others. In her spare time, practicing Anusara Yoga and leading yoga and wine workshops takes priority in her life along with supporting local children's charities.