Advisory Board
Mary Ewing-Mulligan, MW
Mary has been a ground-breaking figure in the world of wine as the first Woman in American to achieve a Master of Wine designation. Mary is the president of the International Wine Center, has co-authored several books including ‘Wine for Dummies’ and was a wine columnist for the New York Daily News for more than ten years. She was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Mary Gorman - McAdams, MW
Mary is currently the Director for the International Wine Center and is a renowned wine consultant, educator and judge. Most recently, she worked as the Bordeaux Wine Council’s market advisor for North America, where she led its marketing and education programs focused on growing the North American Market for Bordeaux wines.
Lisa Granik, MW
Lisa entered the wine industry following an earlier career as a lawyer and law professor. She established Tastingworks in 2010 where she designs market strategies for wine regions and wineries who want to improve their penetration in the U.S. market. She currently serves on the governing Council of the Institute of Masters of Wine and is writing a book on the wines of Georgia.
Pascaline Lepeltier
Pascaline has several awards under her belt, one being the first woman to achieve the Meilleur Ouvriers de France (Best Craftsmen of France) award! Her career in wine began in France and continued in the U.S. with her stint at Rouge Tomate Chelsea as the Beverage Director where she won ‘Best Long Wine List in the World’ in 2017. Pascaline is passionate about sustainable agriculture, hospitality, and ‘authentic’ wine. Most recently, she was a partner at Racines NYC, one of the top wine destinations in the U.S.
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Tonya Pitts
An industry changemaker and role model, Tonya Pitts is known as a multi-talented wine professional who catapults wineries, winemakers and brands into the mainstream. Equally important, she is a leader who champions diversity and inclusion in the hospitality, food and beverage industries. Her 30 year career shaped primarily by women chefs and restaurant owners spans fine dining establishments in San Francisco. Since 2012, her award winning wine programs have received Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator. Tonya’s current role is as Sommelier & Wine Director for One Market Restaurant in San Francisco.
June Rodil, MS
Born in the Philippines and raised in Texas, June is a partner in Houston-based, Goodnight Hospitality and a passionate leader championing diversity and inclusion in the hospitality industry. June was previously VP of Operations for McGuire Moorman Hospitality, based in Austin, TX, and she remains a partner in June’s All Day, her namesake restaurant that was named one of Food & Wine magazine's Restaurants of the Year in 2017. June has opened over a dozen hospitality concepts and earned numerous accolades. She is a Master Sommelier and a board member of the Southern Smoke Foundation, which provides crisis relief to those in the food and beverage industry.
Madeline Triffon, MS
Madeline was the first woman in America to earn the title Master Sommelier and overall only the second woman in the world to pass. She began her career in Detroit, putting together wine lists in various top restaurants, and is now the master sommelier for Plum Market, a full-service grocery retailer, where she selects wines and organizes tastings and events.
Beth von Benz
Beth founded her own consulting company in 2007 called MvB Consulting, which focuses on education, training and brand development. A long career as Wine Director for some of New York City’s finest restaurants precedes her, including stints at Milo, Judson Grill, The US Open and Porterhouse. Beth also contributes to various wine publications and sits as a judge at regional wine events.