Cabernet – The King of Grapes (includes tasting)

Hillary Sjolund

Aperture Cellars & Devil Proof Vineyards, California

Hillary Sjolund started her career in wine at UC Davis in 1998, where she fell in love with the culture of wine. She began an internship at Pine Ridge Winery in Napa, CA in the fall of 2000, completing three vintages with the winery as a lab technician. After graduation, Hillary worked a harvest abroad in Chile, before returning to Pine Ridge for three more vintages as Assistant Winemaker.

In 2006, Hillary relocated to Washington to take the position of head winemaker of DiStefano Winery in Woodinville, WA. Under her winemaking leadership, Wine Spectator awarded multiple 90+ scores to the winery in addition to being named Wine Press Northwest’s ‘Winery of the Year’ in 2008. Soon after, Hillary became Associate Winemaker under the wing of Washington icon Charlie Hoppes at his Wine Boss custom crush facility in Richland, WA. This move allowed her to open her own commercial wine laboratory Enomama and launch her own label Sonoris Wines. In 2015, Vicard Generation 7 tapped Hillary as a technical consultant, where she worked with winemakers to craft wines from British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. She also spent five years as an educator, teaching online wine chemistry and intermediate winemaking courses across the country, and currently serves as an instructor for the UC Davis online wine certificate program.

Hillary joined Aperture Cellars in 2019 as Associate Winemaker, the same year the estate’s state-of-the-art winery opened for its inaugural vintage. In early 2024, Hillary was appointed Director of Winemaking, overseeing all production for both Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof Vineyards. Under her leadership, Aperture and Devil Proof wines have continued to earn international acclaim, including multiple 100-point ratings from top critics including Wine Enthusiast, Jeb Dunnuck, and The Wine Advocate, establishing the estate among the most highly regarded producers in Sonoma County.

Anthony Biagi

Paternus Consulting, California

Anthony Biagi is a winemaker and a wine making consultant with over 30 years’ experience in the California Wine Industry. After graduation from the University of California at Davis in 1995 with a degree in Fermentation Science, Anthony started his career with Duckorn Vineyards. He spent over ten years as Winemaker for PlumpJack and Cade.

In 2012 Anthony founded his consulting business, Paternus Wine Consulting working clients from Sonoma and Napa to Paso Robles and Santa Rita Hills.

In 2013 Anthony founded Patria Wines a small brand focused on Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Charlie Hoppes

Fidélitas Wines, Washington

Charlie Hoppes started Fidélitas Wines in 2000, producing ultra-premium red wines from some of Washington’s best vineyards. Current production focuses on wines made from the Red Mountain AVA in Washington. Before launching his own label, he worked for several years at Waterbrook, Three Rivers and as the head red winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Charlie also runs a consulting business called WineBoss, which focusing on crafting wines for clients throughout Washington. He is recognized for his expertise and was named winemaker of the year by Seattle Magazine in 2013. He is a 1988 graduate of UC Davis with an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science & Management with an emphasis in Viticulture and Enology. Prior to UC Davis he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Eastern Washington University in 1980.

Eric Jensen

Booker Wines, California

To be announced.

Kristina Shideler

Stonestreet Winery, California

It didn’t take long for Kristina Shideler to discover the allure of wine and the integral role it plays in cultures around the world. After traveling throughout Western Europe, she developed a love of wine, particularly for Barolo and Bordeaux blends.

Born in San Diego and raised in Missouri, travel has always fueled Kristina’s passion for wine. While growing up, during the summers her mother would lead groups of college students on study-abroad trips throughout Europe and would bring Kristina and her sister along. One common thread throughout each unique experience that stayed with her was the mealtime ritual–with wine and food always being such a fascinating reflection of both the people and the land. Kristina attended the University of Missouri, where she double majored in Biochemistry and Agricultural Economics.

In 2007, she interned with a Missouri winemaker, working her way from the vineyards and bottling line to the cellar. Kristina remembers the invaluable wisdom she received, “Taste everything you can get your hands on. Never stop learning and never get bored.” Kristina’s passion for wine and travel continued to blossom, which soon took her to harvests across the globe.

Following time in New Zealand, Kristina enrolled at the University of California Davis Viticulture and Enology Master of Science program in 2009, specializing in viticulture coursework. Kristina’s next adventure took her to the steep vineyards of Neipoort Vinhos in Portugal’s Douro Valley. She became fascinated by the unique complexities of mountain vineyards and studied how the dramatic interplay between climate and elevation as well as varying soil types are critical to making high-quality wine. As Kristina made her way around the world, she spent time in South America working at Bodega Caelum in Mendoza before returning to North America, landing in California at Sonoma County’s renowned Vérité Estate. It was here that cemented her desire to produce artisan wines reflecting the terroir of remarkable, high-elevation vineyard sites. In 2012, Kristina started at Stonestreet Winery as Viticulturist and later became Assistant Winemaker. She was then appointed Winemaker of Arrowood Winery in 2015, before returning to Stonestreet in August of 2022 as Winemaker.

When she is not out in the vineyards or in the cellar, Kristina enjoys spending time with her family and three small children. You can also find her running, gardening, or hosting food and wine pairing dinners.