I Heart Champagne & Caviar at The Montage Beverly Hills - 8/10/12, 7:00p-9:00p, at Montage (Beverly Hills)

Ray Isle is executive wine editor of Food & Wine, the sophisticated trend-spotting and talent-seeking epicurean brand. In addition to overseeing the magazine’s wine department, Ray writes the monthly column Tasting Room and directs all spirits coverage. He was promoted from wine editor in 2010, and previously served as deputy wine editor and senior editor.

Prior to joining Food & Wine in 2005, Ray was managing editor of Wine & Spirits. He has also worked in sales and marketing for a wine importer, and taught fiction writing at Stanford University. 

Ray’s articles about wine, food, and spirits have appeared in a wide range of publications including Wine & Spirits, the Washington Post, Martha Stewart Living and Gastronomica. He has been nominated for a James Beard Award, the highest honor for food and beverage professionals in the U.S. Ray regularly conducts wine-tasting seminars at epicurean events throughout the country and abroad and appears as a wine and spirits expert on national television, including NBC’s Today, CBS This Morning and CNBC.

Follow Ray’s tasting adventures on twitter.com/islewine.

Secrets of a Sommelier: Blind Tasting White Wines Saturday 8/11, 10:30-11:45am $75.00

Burgundy 101 - A Study In Terroir Saturday 8/11, 4:30-5:45pm $75.00

A long time expert in luxury products, Deborah Keane, dubbed “The Caviar Queen” by the press, is the founder and CEO of California Caviar Company, the only woman-owned and woman-run caviar company in the world. Using her inexhaustible knowledge to blend old world caviar traditions with modern culinary trends, Deborah’s impeccable palate is often sought out by top culinarians; she has produced private labels with world-renowned chefs such as Jacques Pepin and Todd English. She has supplied caviar lines to such culinary powerhouses as Williams-Sonoma, Dean and Deluca, Whole Foods and Trader Joes.  She has also taught at prestigious culinary institutions such CIA, Johnson & Wales and the Degustibus Cooking School. Featured in The New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, NBC, ABC as well as prestigious venues such as the Golden Globes and The Oscars, Deborah is recognized throughout the caviar world as a leader and an expert in sustainably farmed caviar.  She has honed her skills with the pioneers of the industry and has set the standards for quality and compliance. Deborah is a true innovator in the caviar industry promoting sustainability, accessibility and affordability for an everyday indulgence.