The Steamboat Wine Festival features numerous national chefs- including the Denver Five, winemakers, vineyard owners, Master Sommeliers and reality TV personalities.
Michael De Loach born in San Francisco and raised in Sonoma County, Hook & Ladder Winery principal Michael De Loach grew up in the wine business: he started working in the vineyard at age 11 and in the cellar at 15. After college De Loach worked as Vice President, Sales and Marketing at fledgling De Loach Vineyards, and completed courses of study in winemaking at the Napa Valley School of Cellaring, as well as the University of California at Davis Agricultural Extension. He served as president of De Loach Vineyards from 2001 to 2004.
Michael has appeared throughout the country on radio, television and speaking engagements, and has been written about in Newsweek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Denver Business Journal, The San Diego Tribune, The Austin Chronicle, Philadelphia Magazine, The Wine Spectator, Wine and Spirits, Wines and Vines, Cheers, and The Wine Enthusiast. He is now the president of Hook and Ladder Winery, and lives in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. Back to Top
Ira MacPherson Harmon born in 1951 in the wine country of upstate New York. He attended Bowling Green State University, majoring in Chemistry and English, but discovered his passion and started his wine career in the early 1970’s.
Ira moved to Colorado in 1973 where he became very fond of wine and began collecting the best wines possible.
He became a Realtor Broker in 1977 but when the Real Estate wasn’t as promising he got a job consulting about wine, in the town of Steamboat Spring, CO. Ira was self-taught and studied books and tasted, he traveled both to France and California seeking wine info. He started working as a Sommelier at L’Apogee in 1987 receiving his Sommelier certificate in 1989. He became the 23rd Master Sommelier in the United States in 1993 and has won numerous awards for wine lists as well as wine tastings.
Ira started as a salesman in 1991 with a Fine Wine Group in Denver that took him to Vail, CO for the next four years. He then became the “Fine Wine Guy” of Western Distributing, achieving Vice-President of Fine Wine in 1997. He moved to Las Vegas in 2000 to work with Southern Wine and Spirits and now is the Sales Manager for J and P Wholesale a division of Southern Wine and Spirits. He uses his talents to teach the Sommeliers of Las Vegas especially in the realm of blind tasting.
Ira was on the Board of Directors of the Court of Master Sommelier for six years. He also enjoys participating in Wine Festivals like the Newport Beach Wine Festival, the Taste of Vail and the Central Coast Wine festival. Back to Top
Stephen Kautz president of Kautz Family Vineyards, sets the tone for Ironstone Wines and the Sierra Foothills Lifestyle.Born in the fertile, farming community of Lodi, CA, Stephen was raised as a third generation farmer. He is astutely familiar with California’s agricultural bounty. With fresh vegetables and fruit literally dropping from trees to table, and childhood hobbies enjoying the great outdoors, Stephen began to formulate his adult impassioned appreciation of food, wine, and recreation. Graduating from the California Agricultural Leadership Program proved his early leadership skills and drive for excellence.
Stephen runs this 700,000 case per year winery. While the winery has many intriguing facets, Stephen’s main focus is on his product, consistently producing quality, reasonably priced wines. With wine as a main focal point, the details of the winery are still very near and dear to Stephen’s heart. Touring the Ironstone Winery facility, with Stephen, it doesn’t take long to realize that Stephen’s personality is reflected in the wholesome, cutting edge, facility. From the culinary center to the historical museum to the lush winery gardens, every detail indicates the stroke of a master.
Seeing more than 75 cities a year representing the Kautz Family Vineyard portfolio of wines, Stephen maintains a balanced life, which is very important to him, always saving time for rugged, outdoor activities. As an expert white-water river guide, Stephen shares team building and self-confidence with the winery’s staff and national sales team on the rivers of the Sierra’s. Stephen is also an avid fly fisherman, enjoying mountain streams and the rivers he discovers during his journeys.
Stephen is an accomplished photographer. His collection of photographs captures the essence of the winery’s mountain community, wildlife, and the native people in countries from his international travels. At home in the historic Sierra Foothills with his family and their labs “Katie & Abby,” he enjoys fly-tying and gardening, with both vegetables and culinary herbs is his study, all help to inspire the Ironstone way of life.
His civic and trade accomplishments further support his constant commitment to developing Ironstone Vineyards as the standard for Sierra Foothills community involvement. His leadership activities include his involvement and contribution in the following organizations:
Calaveras Winegrape Alliance - President
Calaveras County Fair – Director/Board President
Wine Institute of California - Director
California Association of WineGrape Growers
Past Director/Board President - Calaveras Visitor Bureau
Past President of the Lodi Woodbridge Vintners Association
Past Director of the Lodi-Woodbridge Grape Crush Commission
Back to top
David Phillips is co-owner and President of Michael-David Winery. Sharing management and leadership responsibilities with his brother Michael, David is primarily responsible for overseeing sales and marketing activities for the winery.
Shortly after graduating from U.C. Davis in 1987, he went on a world-wide tour of wine regions in Europe, South Australia and New Zealand. David then went to work for an international cork company in San Francisco before returning to help his older brother run the family business. He has been instrumental in developing the creative names and innovative packaging that have made Michael-David brands like 7 Deadly Zins, 7 Heavenly Chards, 6th Sense Syrah, Earthquake and Incognito increasingly sought after by retailers and consumers.
David is a primary ambassador for Michael-David wines and travels widely on the winery’s behalf to meet with distributors, retailers and restaurateurs. Married with two young children – his wife, Corene, runs the winery’s lab – David is an avid skier who takes every opportunity to hit the slopes. Back to top
Chef Kate Rench formerly Van Rensselaer, first expressed herself through humble mediums with a BFA in sculpture and ceramics. To help support her art career she ended up in kitchens. One day flipping burgers art the Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery in Boulder, CO she found her passion could be realized through the culinary arts. Off to the French Culinary Institute on February of 98’. After graduating with the Jacques Pepin award in September of the same year, she began at Jean-Georges (Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s signature, four star restaurant in Manhattan.) It was here that Chef Kate first felt her expression completely realized. The French-Asian fusion delicately prepared with innovative techniques and astounding results. After a year of being there Chef Kate was promoted to Chef de Partie of Garde Manger, where Kate remained for the next two years. Then two years as the executive chef at Hayday Country Market/ Balduccis in Westport CT and finally, back to the serenity of Café Diva and Steamboat Springs Colorado. After six months cooking there Kate was offered the Executive Chef position and eventually partnership. Her new menu has raised eyebrows with critics, food connoisseurs across this country, and Steamboat locals, through her fresh and exploding, succulent cuisine, and tons of wine to back it all up. Since expanding the restaurant (they started with four tables) Café Diva has moved to the pinnacle of dining in Colorado, yet remains quaint in its destination, the Northern Rockies. Chef Kate enjoys continues to enjoy her life and culinary career, with her husband, Craig and two dogs Mason and Milena.Back to Top
Chris Rowe began his career in the hospitality industry while attending Boston University for his Hotel and Restaurant Management Degree. He moved to Chicago in 1990 where he worked for Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Group. While in Chicago his interest turned to wine where he began his studies at the Chicago Wine School.
Upon moving to Denver he worked for the California Café and established a wine school for public wine education and later expanded to The Seasoned Chef and a wine educator for City Wine while starting his own company, Barique. Barique, focused on all aspects of restaurant and wine education, consulting; as well private and commercial wine storage design and collecting.
Chris’s career with Southern Wine & Spirits began in 2001 as the Director of Education and worked for 4 & 1/2 years at Southern Wine & Spirits of Colorado as both the Director of Education and Vice President of the American division. After thirteen years in the restaurant business, extensive travel, as well as a dedication to the court of Master Sommelier Program (of which he has reached the advanced level) he dedicated his interests full time to Wine and Spirits education and sales. It was with Southern that Chris became acquainted with the wines of Old Bridge Cellars, its winemakers, and families. He is now charged with the full time sales, promotion and education of that portfolio to restaurateurs, retailers and consumers in Colorado, Missouri, Minnesota and beyond. .
Old Bridge Cellars is a pre-eminent importer of world renowned, regionally focused wineries from Australia. Founded in 1990 the company is based in Napa, California with extensive distribution throughout the US. The estates imported by Old Bridge Cellars are internationally renowned as leaders in their respective categories. All demonstrate a true sense of regional style and their wines are unique reflections of the individual sites. Several are regarded as benchmark Australian styles by many leading commentators. Included among these are Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Bass Phillip Pinot Noir, Chambers Muscat, the cabernets of Cullen, Mount Mary and Yarra Yering and shiraz from d'Arenberg and Jasper Hill.Back to Top
Chef Christian “Goose” Sorensen combines decades of experience to provide a culinary experience second to none. The executive chef and owner of Solera Restaurant and Wine Bar in Denver, his resume also includes posts as Executive Chef at Mel’s Bar and Grill and Wyoming’s Saratoga Inn as well as the Executive Chef and subsequent owner of Starfish in Cherry Creek. He has held positions at Manhattan’s Aquavit and at Denver’s Tante Louise under the direction of Chef Michael Degenhart. Chef Sorensen is a graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado.
With the opening Solera Restaurant and Wine Bar in 2002, both regional and national press was quick to follow. After a nod from 5280 Magazine for Best New Restaurant, Solera received warm reviews from Wine Spectator, Wine and Spirits, Esquire, the Washington Post and many others. In his review for the New York Times, Eric Asimov stated, “Mr. Sorensen is skilled at composition, especially in his main courses, reaching around the globe to construct plates full of light accents and contrasting flavors, but without the hypercreativity that so often weighs down such efforts. In May of 2008, Chef Sorensen made his second appearance at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City as a guest chef. He is the only chef from Wyoming to receive such an honor. Back to Top
Barb Wedig currently holds the position of Mountain Regional Manager for Winebow Imports, the leading importer of Italian wines in the United States. She has a BA from Colorado State University. In her background are several years at one of Colorado’s largest wholesale spirits and wine distributors, in the capacity of key account sales through on-premise sales team management. Prior to that, she worked in the service industry, serving in restaurants in every capacity from server through general management. She has also served on the faculty of the Art Institute of Colorado, teaching beverage classes, as well as teaching freelance through the auspices of several Colorado retailers. Because she is passionate about constantly expanding her knowledge in her chosen field, Barb holds a certificate level accreditation from the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Certified Wine Specialist ranking from the Society of Wine Educators. At this time, she is studying with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and has achieved her level three advanced certificate. Back to Top
Brett Zimmerman, Domaine Select Wine Estates Regional Manager for Mountains and Desert
Born and raised in Colorado, Brett Zimmerman took a position with Domaine Select in the fall of 2007 as their regional manager for the mountains and desert. Brett spent sixteen years working in some of the finest restaurants in the country as well as time in the wine distribution business. After completing college with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado, Brett moved to Chicago where he accepted a position as a sommelier at the world acclaimed restaurant, Charlie Trotter’s. Following his time in Chicago, Brett moved to San Francisco where he was the sommelier at the renowned restaurant Aqua.
Brett’s experience in Chicago and San Francisco provided him with the skills and desire to return to Colorado to open his own restaurant with a business partner from Aqua. Mateo, a popular Provençal style restaurant in Boulder, opened in the fall of 2000. After dedicating three years to Mateo, Brett took a position with Southern Wine and Spirits in order to focus his energy on his passion for wine. Brett spent four years of working with Southern Wine and Spirits as their General Manager of the American Fine Wine Division in Colorado.
In the spring of 2007, Brett achieved his Master Sommelier Diploma with the Court of Master Sommeliers program and now holds the distinction of Master Sommelier. There are currently fewer than one hundred Americans who have passed this difficult exam. Back to top
Chef Matt Selby, a Denver native, is the Chef/Partner of Vesta Dipping Grill and Steuben’s Food Service. Over the past ten years, Vesta, with its world grill cuisine and ethnic inspired dipping sauces, has consistently been named one of Denver’s “Ten Best Restaurants,” helping to launch Matty’s reputation as one of Denver’s top chefs while still in his twenties. Steuben’s Food Service is Matty’s most recent endeavor. Serving regional American favorites, Steuben’s debuted on Denver’s “Top Ten” list, and was recently named “Best New Restaurant.” Matty’s three daughters and wife Gina, who manages Steuben’s, have served as inspiration in creating the popular, family-friendly menu. The success of both restaurants has brought numerous top and best chef honors to Matty from local publications, as well as the opportunity to represent Denver at The Beard House in 2005. Back to top
Chef Troy Guard, raised in Hawaii and California, Chef Troy Guard began his adventurous culinary career working alongside Hawaiian fusion legend Roy Yamaguchi. During his eight years with Chef Yamaguchi, Guard developed a distinct multicultural style that led to executive posts at Manhattan's pan-Asian hotspot Tao and the renowned Doc Cheng’s in Singapore. Bringing his passion for imaginative flavor combinations to Denver, Guard partnered with "Modern Mexican" visionary Richard Sandoval to open Zengo, the city’s first Latin-Asian fusion restaurant. Guard’s spectacular rise continued with the launch of acclaimed restaurants nine75 and Ocean. In May of 2009, Chef Guard opened TAG, a new restaurant concept that is the realization of a lifelong dream. As chef/ owner of TAG, Guard blends his love of travel with his flair for culinary innovation to create his own brand of cutting-edge cuisine known as “continental social food.” Back to top
Chef Brian Laird, Über-talented Kitchen magician Brian Laird grew up in Northern California, close to the wine country, farmers’ markets, some of the country’s best restaurants and numerous culinary schools, but he snubbed the textbook and polished kitchen route to work his way up and down the California coast, fine-tuning his craft in real-world galleys. He relocated to Denver in 1994, where he worked with renowned chef Kevin Taylor until 1996, when Blair Taylor, owner of Barolo Grill, snatched him up. “I love this job and can’t imagine doing anything else -- except maybe another project with Blair,” says Laird, who has an affinity for duck fat, the foods of Italy, barbacoa tacos and Bob Marley. Throughout his career, Laird has garnered praise from numerous publications, including Zagat Survey, 5280 magazine and Westword. Back to top
Chef Tyler Wiard, known for his exquisite menus and flawless execution, Chef Tyler Wiard honed his considerable talent in several of the country’s hottest kitchens and alongside legendary chefs such as David and Stephen Rosenthal, Michael Mina and Michel Richard. In Denver, Wiard has earned a reputation for imaginative, exciting and superbly balanced food in Executive Chef positions at the acclaimed Napa Café and Mel’s Restaurant and Bar, where he was twice named “Top Denver Chef” by 5280 Magazine. Now with 4 years at the helm of Denver top steakhouse, Elway’s Cherry Creek, Wiard has garnered rave reviews in Denver’s top print publications, made multiple television appearances and was featured in Cooking with Paula Deen magazine. Back to top
Chef Jamey Fader, hailing from the Washington D.C. metro area, Chef Jamey Fader began his Denver culinary career in 1996 as part of the opening team of Jax Fish House, and immediately set a new standard for fresh seafood in landlocked Colorado. In 2002, Jamey joined forces with Colorado restaurateur and dining visionary Dave Query to open Lola, which quickly gained popularity and won numerous local and national accolades including rave reviews from Food & Wine magazine. Focused on coastal Mexican fare, Fader’s menus reflect the rich food culture of the Yucatán, Oaxaca, Pacific and Gulf Coast regions of Mexico. Fader is currently culinary director for the six highly acclaimed restaurants within Dave Query’s Big Red F Restaurant Group. Back to top
Jeff Farthing has been an exclusive California winemaker for the last 10 years. He has made wine from Madera County to Shenandoah Valley in Amador to Napa Valley and now in Lodi with Michael-David Winery. From sweet and tangy blush to bold red table to port styled dessert wines, Zinfandel and Jeff have a long standing friendship. Moreover, he was the 1
st person in U.S. history to receive a M.S. Viticulture & Enology from CSU-Fresno in 2004. He also received the Graduate Student Achievement Award from the College of Agricultural Science for research in winemaking as wells as wine and table grape development at Fresno State. Jeff’s study on high sugar fermentations with commercially available yeast strains has been published in scientific journals and presented at conferences and symposiums serving the wine and grape industry. “I am very excited to share my wine passions in this great festival at Steamboat Colorado.” - Jeff Farthing
Back to Top
Chef Bradford Thompson With a background deeply rooted in New England’s culinary history, Chef Bradford Thompson’s culinary palette is strongly influenced by his summers spent lobster trapping off the coast of Maine and picking fresh blueberries with his grandmother. Upon completion of his studies at the University of Rochester, Bradford combined his passion for fresh ingredients with the classic training he received working under renowned Chefs: Vincent Guerithault, Alessandro Strata and Daniel Boulud and staging in the kitchens of Michelin Starred restaurants throughout France. These experiences led Bradford to the helm of one of the finest restaurants in the country, Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona. While at Mary Elaine’s, Bradford was able to combine his strong American culinary sensibilities with his classic French training, ultimately creating food that is uniquely his own.
Under Bradford’s watch, Mary Elaine's scored some of the most coveted industry awards such as the prestigious Five-Diamond designation by the American Automobile Association, The Mobile 5-star award, and the esteemed Grand Award from Wine Spectator magazine. Bradford was named one of Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2004 and he won the prestigious James Beard Award: Best Chef Southwest in 2006. In 2006, Bradford was also inducted into the Scottsdale Culinary Hall of Fame for his contribution to the community and the culinary world.
In April 2007, Thompson left Mary Elaine's after four-and-a-half years as chef de cuisine. He came out with a line of bottled Jamaican jerk sauces, which became available in late 2007.
During the past three years has been consulting with top restaurateurs in New York developing and opening numerous restaurants.
In 2010 he will be back in the kitchen of his own Jamaican restaurant in New York City.
Bradford and his cuisine has been featured on many national print and television outlets including the TV Food Network, NBC Today Show, CBS Early Show, Wine Spectator, Food Arts, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and Food and Wine.
Back to top
Sean Razee, MS is the beverage director for Spago at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Colorado. He currently holds the Master Sommelier diploma from the Court of Master Sommeliers—one of only 105 Master Sommeliers in the United States. Originally from Southern California, Sean began exploring the wine country in the early 1980’s through frequent weekend trips to Santa Barbara County.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Nutrition from California State University Long Beach, the outdoor enthusiast soon moved to Colorado in pursuit of excellent mountain biking and to begin a career in the wine business. Sean worked in several of the finest restaurants in the Vail Valley prior to joining the opening food and beverage team for The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in 2002, and later opening Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Bachelor Gulch in 2007. His extensive experience has allowed him to share his expertise in a quarterly wine column in Luxe Magazine, a monthly article in the Vail Daily newspaper, as well as a seat on Ritz-Carlton brand’s Corporate Beverage Committee – offering his voice to 72 hotels and resorts, globally.
When not reading, traveling or learning about wine Sean enjoys speaking and writing—participating in several summer food and wine festivals as presenter and wine expert. Having fulfilled his goal of joining the select few Master Sommeliers, Sean is now completing his diploma with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust as a prelude to the Institute of Masters of Wine.
Sean is an avid mountain biker, trail runner and telemark skier, enjoying the most of the Colorado lifestyle. He lives in the Vail Valley with his wife, Jennifer, their daughter Noelle, son Owen, and dog, Sadie.
Back to Top