ON TODAY'S SHOW
Shayn Bjornholm, MS Education Director
WASHINGTON WINE COMMISSION
Having turned a serious eye towards wine just 9 years ago, Shayn has attained a level of career achievement on a global scale usually reserved for decades' worth of effort. He is recognized as one of the foremost wine professionals in the world, utilizing his innate talents, highly charged work ethic and unerring pursuit of excellence to become a humble leader in all facets of the industry - including public appearances, wine program development, wine and spirits teaching, beverage writing and, above all, the mentoring of industry professionals towards realizing their dreams. Based in the sublime city of Seattle, Shayn is currently the Education Director for the Washington Wine Commission, the state marketing arm for the world-class wines of Washington State.
Greg Harrington - Founder/Winemaker
Gramercy Cellars
Greg Harrington is the founder of and winemaker for Gramercy Cellars, as well as the co-owner of 21Grams, two boutique wineries in Walla Walla, WA. His winemaking focuses on great vineyards, minimalist intervention in the winemaking process, and balanced, earthy wines including Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. Prior to founding Gramercy Cellars, Greg was a Partner and Director of Beverage for BR Guest Restaurants and James Hotels, overseeing the wine and alcohol programs for 15 restaurants and hotels in New York, Las Vegas, Scottsdale and Chicago. Prior to joining BR Guest, Greg served as Wine Director and Associate Partner for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group which includes Spago, Postrio and Chinois. While in Las Vegas, Greg also worked with Southern Wine and Spirits to develop a new business segment, Battle Born Distribution, which assisted the Bellagio in its casino opening and its beverage group in fine wine procurement. Before his work with Wolfgang Puck, Greg was Wine Director for Emeril Lagasse's restaurants in New Orleans and Las Vegas. While with Emerilís, Greg developed a wine program that earned Wine Spectator's Grand Award, which has been awarded to fewer than 100 restaurants in the United States. In 1996 at the age of 26, Greg Harrington became the youngest American to pass the Master Sommelier exam, a title held by less than 80 people in the United States. A 1992 graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Greg began his career in wine as a sommelier at Joyce Goldstein's Square One in San Francisco. In 2008, Seattle Magazine named Greg as "Best New Winemaker in Washington" and Gramercy "Best New Winery." Greg has four times been the featured sommelier at the acclaimed James Beard House in New York City and is a regular guest lecturer for undergraduate and graduate beverage management courses at the Cornell Hotel School. Greg also serves on the Board of the Court of Master Sommeliers and is co-founder and board member for W2U, an annual wine trade weekend in Walla Walla.