Meet The Judges

Associate Winemaker, Aperture Cellars

Hillary Sjolund

Hillary joined the Aperture winemaking team as Associate Winemaker in 2019, the same year the Aperture Estate’s state of the art winemaking facility opened for its inaugural vintage. Through her varied collection of roles in the industry, she is continually reminded that winemaking intricately unites her passion for science with the creativity of art. Her experiences have allowed her to influence a variety of new winemakers and make impactful contributions to established winemakers in a unique way.

Somm

Ashley Jones

Brianne Cohen, certified sommelier, is the principal in a lifestyle brand and business based out of Los Angeles, offering her services as an event producer, wine educator, and wine writer. Since COVID hit, Brianne has educated and entertained over 6,000 people through her “Virtual Vino” online wine classes, both public and private. Brianne regularly judges at international wine competitions and holds the WSET Diploma certificate, which is one of the most coveted and difficult wine certifications. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Office Manager

Tess Brown

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Product Manager

Lisa Rose

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HR Lead

Kevin Nye

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Customer Support Lead

Alex Young

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Wine Educator, Consultant, Sommelier

Shelly Fitzgerald

Respected wine educator, sommelier, consultant, speaker, wine buyer, and wine judge with 15+ years of industry experience. Outstanding communication skills, wine expertise, and a strong understanding of all aspects of the wine industry. Certified Sommelier (CS) Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), WSET 3, WSET diploma in progress, American Wine Expert (AWE), Certified Cava Educator

Sommelier, Owner of Uncorked Sommelier Services

Natashia Remchuk

Specializing in education, marketing and events for the food, wine and spirits industry, Natashia offers custom global culinary and wine tours, is the founder of Women Stars of Food & Wine and is the Executive Director for the Texas International Wine Competition. She has judged with the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, The Great American International Wine Competition & the Texas International Wine Competition.

Product Manager

Alissa Rose

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