FIU Magazine - Sprint 2012 - Wine Country

M a g a z ine SPRING 2012 VOLUME 24

Wine Count ry

Alumni in California

6

Celeste Carducci ’77 Offers the Perfect Blend for Napa Visitors

36

Chaplin School Positions Itself as Food and Beverage Science Epicenter

12

Winemaker Jeff Cohn ’84 Earns High Marks For His Big Personality Wines

46

The Eco-Friendly Philosophy of Honig Vineyard & Winery

Yasko Cadby ’86 of Opus One

M a g a z ine SPRING 2012 VOLUME 24

Press Play You’ll see this icon throughout the magazine, directing you to videos we’ve created with the stories. With this issue you can learn about winemaking from Jeff Cohn, take a tour of Celeste Carducci’s Napa B &B, hear from successful software entrepreneur Doug Gallagher and much more.

You can also scan this code with your smart phone to find all the videos on our Worlds Ahead website.

GO.FIU.EDU/WINESTORIES

II | SPRING 2012

26 On The Cover:

A Singular Pursuit of Excellence Yasko Cadby ’86 is the Japan and South Korea export manager for Opus One, the prestigious Napa Valley winery created by two icons of the wine industry: Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi.

Photo by Eric Risberg.

10 Going, Going…Strong

As director of auctions and acquisitions for WineGavel, Gence Alton ’02 has an appreciation for both the taste and the history of wine.

18 Play On & Drink Up

Lisa Mattson ’97 found her dream job at Jordan Vineyard and Winery.

20 The Adventures of Fahmie & Faulk

24 A Chat with Doug Gallagher

The software businessman turned winery owner talks wine, politics and business.

28 How to B the Best

Duffy Keys ’75 puts a modern twist on French traditional winemaking at B Cellars.

40 The Connoisseur

Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Professor Patrick “Chip” Cassidy ’75 is a legend in and out of the classroom.

42 The Perfect Pairing

Azul Sommelier Cynthia Betancourt ’06

shares her favorite food and wine combinations.

Michael Fahmie ’02 and Michael Faulk ’05 add to the charm of Bodega, a picturesque town along California’s Pacific coast.

Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00 captured this sunset image of B Cellars on the evening that owner Duffy Keys hosted an FIU Alumni Association soiree at the Calistoga winery.

SPRING 2012

| 1

from the Editor I’m delighted to present this special issue of FIU Magazine. We conceived a wine country theme around last year’s inaugural Alumni Association Wine Country Weekend. We discovered there are graduates of FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in high-profile positions throughout California’s wine country. Among them: winery owners, a winemaker, the owner of an historic Napa B&B and a rare wines auctioneer. We have business and journalism graduates working in the wine industry as well. Some of our alumni in California were already friends, but many were unaware of the fellow Panthers right down the road. Stop in and say hello to them on your next visit to California’s wine region.

I traveled with FIU Marketing and New

FIU Magazine Editorial Advisory Board

FIU MAGAZINE Division of External Relations

Lourdes Balepogi ’00 President of Chispa Marketing

Sandra B. Gonzalez-Levy

Fred Blevens Honors College Fellow and Professor School of Journalism and Mass Communication

We’ve included stories on the School of Hospitality and a few guides for experienced and new wine lovers. I hope you will enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Finally, some good news: FIU Magazine has won its first writing award. Our Fall 2011 cover story, “Bragging Rights & Basic Truths,” captured a Feature Story/General News Award of Excellence from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Congratulations to the entire magazine team!

Cheers!

Deborah O’Neil MA ’09

Martin Haro ’05 Associate Editor

Aileen Solá-Trautmann Art Director

Susan Jay Director of Development College of Engineering and Computing

Sissi Aguila ’99, MA ’08 Dianne Fernandez ’94 Bryan Gilmer Michelle Locke Jean Paul Renaud MBA ’11

Designer

Writers

Nicole Kaufman MS ’06 Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations Division of University Advancement Larry Lunsford Associate Vice President for Student Affairs University Ombudsman

Heather Radi-Bermudez ’06 Marketing Coordinator School of Journalism and Mass Communication

issue, along with links to their videos.

Editor, FIU Magazine

Mariel De Moya

to interview, photograph and video

You’ll find their stories throughout the

Director News and Communications

Stephen Fain Professor Emeritus College of Education

Rafael Paz, Esq. Associate General Counsel

that has gone into their success.

Karen Cochrane

Deborah O’Neil MA ’09

Paul Dodson Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations

MBA ’00 to Napa and Sonoma counties

learn about the hard work and vision

Vice President External Relations

Carol Damian Professor of Art History Director and Chief Curator Frost Art Museum

Media Director Eduardo Merille ’97,

to spend time with each of them and

Terry Witherell

Gisela Casines Associate Dean College of Arts and Sciences

Maureen Pelham Director of Clinical Trials Division of Research

these graduates. It was a real treat

Senior Vice President External Relations

Mary Sudasassi Director of Public Relations College of Nursing and Health Sciences Duane Wiles Interim Executive Director FIU Alumni Association

Photographers Doug Garland ’10 Doug Hungerford Samuel Lewis Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00 Gloria O’Connell Ivan Santiago ’00 Eric Risberg Josh Ritchie Angel Valentin

FIU Board of Trustees Michael M. Adler Sukrit Agrawal Cesar L. Alvarez Jose J. Armas Jorge L. Arrizurieta Robert T. Barlick Jr. Thomas A. Breslin Marcelo Claure Gerald C. Grant Jr. ’78, MBA ’89 Mayi de la Vega ’81 Albert Maury ’96, ’02 Patrick O’Keefe Claudia Puig

Copyright 2012, Florida International University. FIU Magazine is published by the Florida International University Division of External Relations and distributed free of charge to alumni, faculty and friends of the university. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. To reach us call 305-348-7235.

Alumni Office: Write to Office of Alumni Relations at MMC MARC 510, Miami, FL 33199 or call 305-348-3334 or toll free at 800-FIU-ALUM. Visit fiualumni.com.

Change of Address: Please send updated address information to FIU Office of Alumni Relations, MARC 510, Miami, FL, 33199 or by email to alumni@fiu.edu.

Letters to the Editor: FIU Magazine welcomes letters to the editor regarding magazine content. Send your letters via e-mail to alumni@fiu.edu, by fax to 305-348-3247 or mail to FIU Magazine, Division of External Relations, MMC PC 515, Miami, FL, 33199. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. All letters should include the writer’s full name and daytime phone number. Alumni, please include your degree and year of graduation.

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FIU Magazine is printed on 30% PCW recycled paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council

2 | SPRING 2012

By Juan Gomez ’99 Master Sommelier, The Breakers Palm Beach A single glass of wine offers something more beyond complexity and taste. Every sip transports you to different wine regions of the world and their languages, cultures, politics, religion, food, people and much, much more.

I first began learning about wine when I was a student at FIU. I was born in a small coastal town in the south of Mexico, where we drank tequila and beer. I moved to the United States to learn English and ended up pursuing my hospitality management degree at FIU, one of the best programs in the nation.

My first wine class at FIU left an impression, but at that time, I was unaware of the impact it would eventually have on my life’s passion and pursuit.

During my senior year, I joined the legendary Breakers in Palm Beach, a AAA, 5-diamond luxury hotel, as a food and beverage intern. I started out by working in all the restaurants; I wanted to experience what each one of them had to offer. It became apparent that working in The Breakers’ 5-diamond L’Escalier was perfect for me. Working in a fine dining establishment presents the kind of challenge that I crave, one that requires the ability to be extremely knowledgeable about food, wine, beverage and service. I knew I was in the perfect place, but also that I would be starting at an entry level as a server.

To assist me for the position, I took the mandatory 16-week wine class The Breakers offers and it was then that everything began falling into place.

The wine class was so fascinating! Being educated as a sommelier, the world of wine exposed me to travel and interactions with people in unique professions related to food and wine. Along my journey, I have made many new friends and discussed fascinating topics such as new wine laws, food, world economies, the arts and other subjects inspired by my passion for wine.

The greatest part of this learning experience has been relating my adventures to guests with every bottle I recommend.

I was thrilled to be hired as a sommelier so that I could put my theory into practice. The career path I have chosen is more than just chance; it has become the driving force to share what I love and savor about life with others.

I’ve had the opportunity of a lifetime working in one of the best resorts in the world for Virginia Philip, a master sommelier and my mentor. With her support, The Breakers’ solid wine program and Grand Award-winning wine list, and my own passion, I decided the timing was perfect to pursue my master sommelier diploma in 2002.

That journey was as exciting and inspirational as when I first entered the profession. With every wine that I tasted, every book that I read, every wine region that I visited and every bit of advice that I received from experts in the field, I was captivated by the world of wine.

The 2007 vintage brought my dream of becoming a master sommelier to a reality. The years I spent living and breathing the culture of wine took time, but like a wine of great age, these experiences have matured my knowledge and developed my skills as a sommelier. Persevere toward your passion with attention and appreciation as it takes time to excel and enjoy your craft. My best advice to achieve your great vintage cuvée: Be consistent and above all live your passion.

LILA Photo, Courtesy of The Breakers

SPRING 2012 | 3

Snapshots in Excellence

We are proud to salute FIU Panthers point guard Jerica Coley, who has made headlines as one of the nation’s elite scorers this season. In February, she was named the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Just as exciting as the sophomore’s performance on the court is her performance in the classroom.

Coley has a 3.35 GPA as a dietetics and nutrition major and hopes one day to be a university professor.

Congratulations to this outstanding FIU Panther!

Florida International University and

Partners in Education

President’s Corner

2012 Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival: President Rosenberg is joined at the Q by festival organizer Lee Schrager, Southern Wine & Spirits’ Wayne Chaplin and Chaplin School of Hospitality Dean Mike Hampton. At the Tribute Dinner, Southern Wine and Spirits’ Harvey Chaplin was on hand to honor celebrity chef Charlie Trotter (right).

Photos by Ivan Santiago ’00 and Seth Browarnik/World Red Eye Productions

Mark B. Rosenberg

One of the most important responsibilities that I have as president is to represent our good institution in our community. A key part of this representation is to tell the story - what we are doing, how we are working to improve community well-being and solve community issues and how beneficial this can be for our partners.

So it has been a real thrill to participate in the growing relationship between our School of Tourism and Hospitality Management and Southern Wine & Spirits Company, led by Harvey and Wayne Chaplin. The Chaplins are a visionary father-son duo who now honor us with their family name on the school.

Both as provost and now president of FIU, I have made countless trips to their North Miami headquarters over the last decade to chat, to share hopes and dreams and to figure out mutual challenges and opportunities. Having had the privilege of working directly with my dad (and mentor) back in the day (in our much smaller family business), I often imagine myself in Wayne’s shoes, as he and his wise father move through their daily business and family routines. So at a personal level, just being with the Chaplins at their polished round conference table has allowed me to relive – albeit vicariously – moments with my father that can never otherwise return.

Their significant commitments to our School of Hospitality and Tourism Management have made a difference for a generation of our hospitality graduates. Thanks to them and many on their staff, we have one of the nation’s top hospitality and tourism management programs. With their support, the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center has been at the forefront of beverage tasting and analysis technology. It has served as an important resource for students, faculty, industry professionals and our community. Soon, our university and the South Florida community also will benefit from our new state-of-the art teaching restaurant, which is a reality thanks to the Chaplin family. Without their continuing support and thoughtfulness, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival would not have come into existence. This annual mega-event offers unparalleled opportunities for our students to work shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world’s great culinary and wine specialists.

We also have been proud to establish the Harvey R. Chaplin Eminent Scholar Chair, the first and only funded chair dedicated to beverage management. This once again helps us to stay at the leading edge of hospitality management research and education.

Harvey and Wayne stand as exemplars of the power of partnership and win-win relationships. We look forward to working with them and their excellent staffs to build an even stronger hospitality and tourism management program with deeper local, national and international impact! We are proud to welcome formally the Chaplins to our FIU family!

P.S. I invite you to watch a video about our students’ participation in this year’s Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival

GO.FIU.EDU/SOBE2012

Be WorldsAhead SPRING 2012 | 5

6 | SPRING 2012

Napa Living

UNCORKED

BY SISSI AGUILA ’99, MA ’08 ARDO MERILLE ’97 MBA ’00 EDU BY PHOTOS go.fiu.edu/carducci

Nearly 4.5 million people visit Napa Valley each year. It’s a bucket list experience: Wine tours. Gourmet food.

Picturesque rolling hills. Pampering.

For Celeste Carducci ’77, the dream is being able to offer her guests a blend of everything she loves.

SPRING 2012 | 7

i wines Celeste Carducci and Bruce Ahnfeld serve Ahnfeld & Carducc d.

Uncorke room, tasting wine Napa their at

Continued

C

arducci owns the historic McClelland-

Marriott Corporation and then went on to work

to its former splendor, making every effort to

Priest Bed & Breakfast Inn in Napa’s

for a wine distributor in Washington, D.C. for

preserve its historic integrity,” says Carducci

historic Abajo-Fuller Park District. Her guests

several years. In her spare time, Carducci

of the 5,800 square-foot home listed in the

are treated to the full Napa Valley experience

taught health and fitness classes in Virginia.

National Register of Historic Places. The

– one the FIU alumna has perfected, much

Shortly after, she took a management position

chandelier, marble fireplace and wallpaper are

like the fine wines for which the region is

with Nieman Sporting Clubs of America.

original to the house.

known. Her luxury B&B combines more than

Carducci’s ultimate goal was to meld her

30 years in the hospitality business and a

talents and expertise in the hospitality

suites with fireplaces, Jacuzzi tubs and

unique talent set.

industry. Moving to Napa and opening a B&B

private baths. Each room is named in honor

was the first step. “I finally began pursuing

of a famed composer, writer or artist. The

working for her mother at the Seaway Hotel

my dream of blending the careers that I so

former library, now the Carducci suite, is

in upstate New York. Her mom was one of

much enjoyed when I moved to California,”

named in honor of Celeste’s grandfather,

the first female hotel managers in the area,

she says.

Giosuè Carducci, who won the Nobel Prize

Carducci started out in the industry

and by her side, Carducci learned it all: housekeeping, lifeguarding, night auditing and front desk management.

After completing a summer hotel program

9

In 1988, Carducci bought the grand 1879 Second Empire Italianate mansion from

at Cornell University, Carducci was officially

Dr. Ethel Priest. The house was the former

in love with the hospitality industry. She

residence of Joseph McClelland, the owner

attended FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality

of Napa’s general store. She lived in the

and Tourism Management after hearing

home while renovating. The McClelland-

from industry managers that the school was

Priest Bed & Breakfast Inn opened with two

among the best for job placement and hands-

rooms in 1991.

on experience.

Right out of college, she was hired by the 8 | SPRING 2012

The house offers a glimpse into Napa’s past.

“What I have done is bring the house back

The now six-room B&B features large

in literature.

The historic landmark, which feels like a family home with family photos throughout, plays host to weddings, private receptions and tourists from around the world throughout the year.

Carducci says more and more tourists are taking advantage of B&Bs. Large vacation search engines like Expedia have begun featuring them. And even in a struggling economy, Carducci’s bookings ran over

Carducci’s McClelland-Priest Bed & Breakfast in historic Napa is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

industry average last year.

Hospitality and face time with innkeepers are a few of the reasons B&Bs are becoming

for the HITS Napa Valley Triathlon! It will be

and Carducci Wines to the San Francisco

such a pleasure to relax in McClelland-Priest

Chronicle Wine Competition, all 12 were

luxury after I kick ass :).”

awarded medals. In the 2011 America Fine

more popular. Unlike big hotel chains,

9

Carducci adds, “we’re all unique.”

9

At McClelland-Priest, health is paramount.

In 2007, Carducci started looking for a new venture to add to the mix. “Napa was missing a wine bar,” she says. Having spent

Wine Competition, the 2007 Ahnfeldt White Label 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon took home gold and the 2007 Ahnfeldt Merlot won the organization’s silver award.

On Yelp, a popular website where people rate bars and restaurants, Carducci’s wine

Every morning, Carducci, who teaches

years in the wine industry and studied

nutrition at Napa Valley College, prepares

wine at FIU, in France and in Italy, she was

bar has four-and-a-half stars. Don D. from

confident that she and her husband Bruce

Beverly Hills says, “The provocative wines

Ahnfeldt could pull it off.

were supreme. If you like smooth red wine,

a two-course, gourmet breakfast with her guests’ health in mind. “I shop daily and try to buy local whenever possible. California is great for fresh fruit.”

She also serves as a fitness guide for her

They bought and renovated a circa 1900 home in downtown Napa. In 2009,

your bottles before you leave because you

the pair opened Uncorked at Oxbow, an

will not find them anywhere else…trust me

untraditional tasting salon where guests

on this one folks.”

guests. The B&B offers one-hour sessions

are encouraged to get up and sing or play

that can include yoga, stretching, body

the guitar.

sculpting, running, walking, or spinning. For

this is the place to try. Make sure you buy

The wine bar also serves the couple’s

Local Sharon C. says, “This is the most fun tasting room in Napa! Friendly and fun and nothing pretentious here!” Carducci’s

those who prefer something less structured,

award-winning Ahnfeldt & Carducci Wines.

guests take home the perfect souvenir: the

Carducci recommends walking trails with

“When we first bought the place we would

experience of a lifetime.

breathtaking views.

Fitness fanatics are naturally attracted to McClelland-Priest. On the B&B’s Facebook page, Monica Parikh wrote, “See you in April

n

hold some of the grape harvest to make wine. Today, we hold all our harvest to produce our red wine.”

Wine enthusiasts are savoring Uncorked.

In 2011, Carducci submitted 12 Ahnfeldt

FIU Magazine Editor Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 contributed to this story.

SPRING 2012 | 9

I meet Gence Alton ’02 at his Napa

Alton has been with WineGavel, an

which at the time in Turkey wasn’t a

Valley warehouse shortly after he’s

emerging company, for about a year. “It’s

very distinguished field of study, so he

uncorked a Barbaresco of distinguished

growing. Every day we have both the

got a degree in international relations

heritage. The vintage tag has fallen off this

dizzying, addictive fun of growth and also

from Bilkent University, a leading Turkish

particular bottle of Italian wine, made from

the issues of growth,” he says. Weekly

institution. The natural next step would

the Nebbiolo grape, so it’s hard to gauge

Internet auctions are the mainstay of the

have been the Foreign Service, but the

its exact age. But judging from its color

company, with live auctions being held

call of a career in food persisted and he

- a rich caramel - and the

started looking at schools in

collection it came from, it’s

the United States, eventually

clearly several decades old.

picking FIU. In his first week at the

It’s not your typical midafternoon beverage, but

university, he took a wine

Gence (ghen-JAY) Alton

class taught by Professor Bill

doesn’t have a typical

Hebrank. “It was Wine 101

office job. He is director of

and he walks into this two-

auctions and acquisitions for

hour session with about 10

WineGavel, a San Francisco-

bottles of German riesling.

based specialty auction

And throughout those two

house that sells rare and

hours we taste every one and

highly prized wines online

he basically is telling these about a half-dozen times a year. Alton

stories, where they came from, why the

jokes that he’s a dealer in “second-hand

styles are so different. I had no idea

in the vineyards, harvested vines droop

wine” – the wine hasn’t been used but

that something like riesling could be so

forlornly in the damp air. But inside the

it is pre-owned. But it’s clearly serious

different. There were so many variations.”

warehouse there’s a cheerful bustle of

business to him to make sure the wine

activity as Alton and his colleagues get

has been cellared carefully and to explain

lover with a new passion to pursue. His

wines ready for sale, which includes

its history, or “provenance,” to the buyer.

studies essentially were completed in

and at live auction.

Gray skies are hanging over Napa and,

sampling the Barbaresco, part of a bigger

Alton, born and raised in Istanbul,

Alton walked out a confirmed wine-

1999, although a series of interruptions

lot, since it’s crucial to know whether the

came to wine by way of food. His parents

meant he picked up his degree in 2002.

wines have been kept properly.

were leery of him studying hospitality,

He’s continued his wine education since

10 | SPRING 2012

By Michelle Locke I PHOTO BY EDUARDO MERILLE ’97, MBA ’00 GO.FIU.EDU/ALTON

then, and is a candidate for the prestigious Master of Wine title after getting his degree in Wine & Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Meanwhile, after graduating FIU, he worked as a retail wine buyer for some years, which was interesting but physically and psychologically grueling with its requisite thousands of tastings per year. “We had to kiss a lot of frogs to find the princes out there.”

These days he still tastes plenty of wines, but at a bit more manageable rate, like the Barbaresco, which was part of a collection that goes back to the 1930s and has an interesting past. The original owner was apparently a smuggler, and a man with excellent taste in wine. He was jailed, his cellar confiscated and sold to a storage company that consigned the lot for auction.

So much for the back story. How did it taste after all these years?

Good, it turns out. Beautifully aged, the wine was balanced and elegant and showed a wonderful acidity. Ever the foodie, Alton pictured it going very well with a truffled risotto.

Of course, a lot of wine sold at auction won’t ever see a glass but will be resold as an investment, which is something Alton has mixed feelings about. He likes to see wine treasured as a collectible, but he likes to see it being consumed the way the producer intended, too.

That’s the magic of wine, he points out.

“When you open a special bottle for a special night and people are just blown away by it and they really appreciate it – that synergy that happens when an old bottle of wine brings people together is unshared by any other product,” he says. “That’s what makes old and rare wine so fascinating.” n

Michelle Locke is a freelance wine writer in California.

SPRING 2012

| 11

12 | SPRING 2012

When

Bacchus Smiles

Alumni couple Jeff and Alexandra Cohn make wines with big personality at their JC Cellars winery

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 I Photos by Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00 GO.FIU.EDU/COHN

O

n a Sunday afternoon at the end

Cohn and his wife Alexandra Cohn MS ’87,

of harvest, JC Cellars owner and

a fellow hospitality graduate, opened

winemaker Jeff Cohn ’84 is talking

JC Cellars in 2005 as an urban winery

Syrah and a 96 from The Wine Advocate for the Philary Syrah.

The winemaker made good on his promise,

about wine. With him, it’s easy to see just

in Oakland, CA. They are successful

posting the proof online and noting, “It won’t

how much wine can express the personality

entrepreneurs in a highly competitive

wash out. I still have some pink highlights.”

of its maker.

industry, combining her business

“With cabernet you have to dress up in a

savvy and his artistic vision with a lot

An irresistible calling

jacket and tie. With zin and syrah you run

of hard work. Owning a winery means

around naked and free,” he says with a grin.

wakeup calls before dawn to check on

“Syrah, petite syrah, marsanne, grenache are

fermenting grapes, hours on the road

all very romantic.”

visiting vineyards, business trips around

graduating during an orientation at the Hyatt

the country and the risk that comes with

Regency Crystal City in Virginia. Alexandra

depending on Mother Nature’s generosity.

was an accounting trainee and Jeff was

This is no stuffy lecture on the secrets of the cellar. Cohn sprinkles the conversation with words like “sexy” and “exciting” to

An accountant with a background in hotel

Neither of the Cohns was born into the wine world. Pluck and talent got them there.

Although both attended FIU, they met after

the food and beverage cost controller for

describe wine. He uses grape-stained

and winery consulting, Alexandra runs the

the large convention hotel. Alexandra even

fingers to point out the big fermenting tank

business side of JC Cellars. She travels

remembers the day they met: June 3, 1987.

that they call “the hippo.”

for the winery, “eating my way across

Their leap into the wine industry didn’t

It’s not hard to imagine why his mentor and

America,” she jokes, managing business

come for years, although wine seemed to

fellow winemaker Pam Starr jokes that Cohn

relationships and public relations. “There

beckon Cohn everywhere he landed, starting

is “not allowed in the suit club.” Cohn’s wines

are tons of fabulous people in the wine

with FIU.

– lively Rhône varietals and opulent zinfandels

industry,” she says. “I’m really proud to say

that regularly earn 90+ ratings – are bursting

those people are my friends. You have a

remembers tasting two wines in David Greer’s

with joie de vivre. Wine Spectator has

growing, close-knit community.”

class that got him excited: a Ridge Fiddletown

named JC Cellars one of the top California

The serious work of making a mark in the

Cohn took his first wine class at FIU and

Zinfandel and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. “They

zinfandel producers and given Cohn the title

wine industry seems to have done little to

had so many layers and were so complex

of Zinfandel Specialist.

diminish Cohn’s irreverence. A few years

because they were blends,” he says. “The

ago, the winemaker promised to dye his hair

influence I got from that has carried through.”

field varieties. It’s just appropriate for Jeff,”

purple if he received a score of 95 or above

With help from then-Professor Steve Moll,

Starr says. “He has an enthusiasm and zest

on any JC Cellars wine. He got two, a 95 from

now the BBC vice provost, Cohn landed a

for winemaking that I rarely run across.”

Connoisseurs’ Guide for his Fess Parker 2005

job as the food and beverage manager for

“He’s known for his zinfandels and zany left-

Continues next page SPRING 2012 | 13

Continued Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. He spent two

know that would lead to more phone calls

“Wild n’ Zinful,” the wine that convinced Kent

or three weeks a month cruising and in his

and visits. He’s just not going to take no for an

Rosenblum to hire him at Rosenblum Cellars,

downtime, he hung out in his friend’s wine

answer.”

the acclaimed producer of zinfandel.

shop in Martinique.

Cohn remembers how Starr made him taste

During his 10 years at Rosenblum, the young

grapes off the vine, week after week. He

winemaker became a star. Cohn made the first

in Washington, D.C., where the wine buyer

learned from her one of the most important

zinfandel ever to grace Wine Spectator’s Top

began teaching him about wine. He took

lessons of winemaking: Don’t rely on numbers

10 Wines of the Year – the 2003 Rosenblum

advantage of his employee discount to taste

to make your wine. “If it’s not ripe, you need

Rockpile Road Vineyard Zinfandel. Cohn’s zin

and learn more.

to wait, even if the numbers say otherwise,”

was the third best wine of 2005, right behind a

Cohn wrote in his newsletter. “I live by this

Joseph Phelps Insignia and a Châteauneuf-du-

Vineyards in Maryland, doing everything from

every year, even when I see rain clouds on the

Pape, the wine that had opened his eyes at FIU.

picking grapes to cleaning barrels.

horizon (more gray hairs).”

Later, he took a job at Sutton Place Gourmet

He worked one harvest season at Boordy

And finally, after years of working in various

Starr says Cohn hasn’t changed much since

He left Rosenblum in 2006 to dedicate himself to JC Cellars. Today, his winery

hospitality jobs, Cohn told Alexandra: “I think

she first met him 20 years ago. He still asks

produces 5,000 cases of wine per year with a

I want to go back to school and become a

her questions that are “sideways enough to

staff of five, including the Cohns. Their wines

winemaker. I think I can do it.”

make you think, ‘Why is this person asking

are sold in 26 states and range in price from

that? Some of his questions have led me to

$25 to $85.

Cohn enrolled at California State University, Fresno to earn a master’s degree in agricultural chemistry with an emphasis on

say, ‘Well, why don’t I do this?’”

“He has become a really great winemaker,”

The accolades keep rolling in for the winery.

In January 2012, Wine Spectator’s Tim Fish

enology. Early on, he met Starr, then the

she says. “He has a very good reputation with

described JC Cellars recent releases as

winemaker at Spottswoode in Napa Valley.

growers and that’s an excellent reputation to

“outstanding,” singling out the “big, distinctive

Cohn’s earnest desire to learn made an

have – your ability to be true and honest.”

St. Peter’s Church Vineyard bottling, loaded

impression on her that still lingers.

“I remember being grilled by a very enthusiastic student of enology, asking

Science and art While he was studying enology at Fresno

with flavor and personality.”

The creation of a single bottle of wine takes far longer and far more effort than many

questions like, ‘Why isn’t my wine going

State, Cohn had the chance to pick a

people realize, Alexandra points out. “People

through malolactic fermentation?’ It was so

quarter ton of fruit from Robert Biale’s Aldo’s

think the wine industry is such a romantic

pure and honest,” Starr says. “I told him to

Vineyard in Napa Valley, famous for its old

industry. It’s a lot of hard work,” she said. “You

go back and work on it some more. I didn’t

vine zinfandel. With those grapes he made

have 18 months when you are making product

14 | SPRING 2012

22 Questions for the winemaker First wine ever made?

JC: Elderberry wine from a kit.

before you have anything to sell the first vintage out.”

If you had to choose another region to craft wines in what would it be?

Here’s how it happens: It takes one year to grow the grapes, and hopefully the weather cooperates, giving the vineyards just the right sun and rain, at the right times. The winemaker decides when to pick the fruit.

There’s no formula for knowing when the moment is right. Cohn relies more on his senses than the myriad measurement tools available to the winemaker. By the end, the winemaker is praying day by day that the

JC: Martinique Favorite color?

JC: Purple Choose another winemaker to form a winemaking partnership with.

JC: Isabel Ferrando of Domaine St.-Préfert, Laurence Feraud of

weather will hold out.

Domaine du Pegau or Julien Barrot of Domaine La Barroche

After the grapes are harvested, it takes three weeks to ferment them, a

Cork or screwcaps?

process that involves more important choices for the winemaker. Which

JC: Cork

yeast to use, whether to do whole cluster fermentation, the temperature

Favorite food/dish?

of the fermentation, how many times to punch it down, when to press.

These decisions are part science, part artistry and all affect the quality of the wine.

“I try not to let the chemistry rule what I do,” says Cohn. “A lot of people

Anything chocolate. Anything pizza related. Snickers bars and cassoulet.

Favorite grape variety to play around with?

JC: Mourvèdre and Semillon Activity/Hobby/Pastime other than winemaking?

who make wine say it has to be this pH and that acidity. I don’t follow

JC: My kids, exercise and eating.

those rules. My friends will say, ‘Didn’t you look at the sugar? And I say, ‘I

How many countries have you traveled to?

don’t know anything about that.’ I go by what I think is best for the wine. I

JC: 22 different stamps in the passport!

go off the wall.”

What is your favorite beer?

Go for it

Peanut Butter or Nutella?

JC: Sierra Nevada JC: Can’t we all get along together, forever?!

Cohn relishes the pressure and exhilaration of harvest season. “It’s

What is the most reoccurring dream or nightmare you have

what makes me go. This is my most favorite time of the year. This is

during harvest?

when I get to create my vision.”

JC: Who has time to sleep, let alone dream?

He makes his blends with a 60-milliliter syringe during marathon tasting

Do you have a name for your press?

sessions in his Oakland lab. “To really get the feel for what the blend is

JC: No name for the press.

about, you can’t spit,” he said. “By the time I’m done, I’m done.”

Favorite vintage from your winery?

He always tests his blends twice, coming back the next day to recreate the wine and see if he likes it as much the second time. “Ninety-five percent of the time, I nail it. If they come out the way they should, I go for it.”

JC: 2003 and 2005 What snack gets you through the day?

JC: Diet Dr. Pepper, roasted almonds, Snickers and popcorn.

When you take a vacation, where do you go?

JC: Cabo, baby!

He remembers his 2005 wine, The Impostor, a zinfandel blend. The fruit

What is that one bottle in your cellar that you are most

wasn’t what he’d hoped. It just wasn’t coming together. He kept working

looking forward to drinking one day?

at it in the lab, ultimately coming up with a blend that was 72 percent

JC: A 1990 Henri Bonneau Cuvee Speciale.

zinfandel with syrah, petite syrah, mourvedre and viognier.

What do you never leave your house without?

He wondered if anyone would understand this big, exotic blend. He had taken zinfandel to a new level, making a wine that was bold and

JC: My keys and my cell phone.

What was your favorite subject in school?

JC: Physics and lunch.

balanced. Someone did.

If you couldn’t make wine anymore, what would you do?

The Impostor was selected as No. 52 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100

JC: Be a stay-at-home dad and let my wife work at a CPA firm.

Wines of 2007.

What is the one thing you wish someone would have told

When a wine comes together perfectly, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly

you before you entered the wine industry?

why. The outstanding vintage of 2005 left Cohn pondering the wonder of

JC: That being on the road selling wines was stressful.

it all in his newsletter. Maybe it was the amount of rainfall. Maybe it was

Name and breed of your favorite dog?

when the showers occurred. Or it could have been how the sun shined at a particular time.

“Or it could have been that every so often Bacchus smiles down on all of us and provides winemakers a chance to just make great wines.”

n

JC: I had an Airdale when I was a kid but now have a Welsh Terrier.

This Q&A was prepared by Hospice du Rhone, the world’s largest celebration of the 22 Rhône variety wines, and originally appeared online at hospicedurhone.org.

SPRING 2012 | 15

Wine 101 Does the glass matter?

Wine Grapes

It all starts on the vine, where wine grapes produce the sugar that yeast will turn to alcohol. These grapes are different than the green and red table grapes at the supermarket, chosen for their unique flavor elements. All grape juice is clear; red wine’s color comes from soaking with red grape skins. You can get white wine from red grapes or soak a little and make the wine pink.

Oak barrels

When winemakers stored their stuff in oak barrels centuries ago, they noticed it added a vanilla flavor. Today, a winemaker influences the flavor of wine by deciding whether to use barrels made from European or American trees, determining how much the inside of the barrel is charred and how long to age the wine in the barrel.

Yeah, a little. A tall champagne stem shows off the bubble trails. And the bulb of a stemmed wine glass gathers aromas, so pour one only half full. But glassmakers offer a ridiculous number of shapes. You don’t really need a different glass for cabernet and zinfandel – you’ll enjoy yummy wine in a juice glass with a rooster on the side. .

Find a wine You’ll love:

A wine made from and named after just one wine grape variety is known as a varietal wine, which is common in the United States, Australia and Germany. These are the most common California varietals: Reds: Merlot: Old-school French Bordeaux grape with mellow plum/cranberry flavors.

Good with food or alone.

Cabernet sauvignon: Merlot’s Bordeaux brother tastes like berry jam and smells of pipe tobacco when it’s right, but it’s very tannic and full-bodied and may be too harsh without some age in the bottle or without the fat of a juicy steak alongside.

Pinot noir: Liquid velvet/lavender/raspberry elegance in a glass. Try one from Carneros in California or Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Zinfandel: The grandpa grape of the California wine scene grows in century-old vineyards. A basket of yummy berries with a hint of spice.

Whites: Chardonnay: Tropical fruit flavors from the grapes blend with a buttery taste from special fermentation and vanilla and toast from the oak barrels.

Sauvignon blanc: Refreshing, clean white wine with thinner body and subtler mineral and herb flavors.

Blends: Many winemakers love to blend wine grapes to produce complex and interesting wines, often using some lesser known varietals like petit syrah, cabernet franc or semillon.

In California, some blends are labeled “Meritage,” signifying that they are made in the Bordeaux style of France. The best way to get to know blends is to try some.

Rosé: The most common U.S. pink wine is white zinfandel, made from the same grape as red zinfandel. It’s sweet and lower in alcohol because fermentation leaves behind some sugar.

Some wine buffs look down on white zin, but it’s the first wine many ever enjoy. Around the world, you’ll find dry (not sweet) pink wines that are as serious as they come.

16 | SPRING 2012

What's on the label?

The vintage, the year the grapes were harvested Name of the winery Wine grape variety used Location of the Vineyard

Aging wine

First, make sure it’ll get better - like cabernet - or even keep without spoiling. Drink most whites and some reds, like Beaujolais Nouveau, soon after buying.

Storing wine Dark, cool and consistent (55°F to air conditioned room temperature) are the rules. Racking bottles on their sides keeps the cork wet and stops air from getting in to hurt the wine. If you don’t finish your bottle of wine, FIU wine expert Chip Cassidy recommends gassing it up. Pick up a canister of Argon Gas at a wine shop and inject it into the wine bottle. The gas displaces the oxygen that spoils the wine. Both red and white wines can be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days, as the cold temperature will slow down the oxidation. Take your red wine out of the fridge an hour or two before drinking.

Vineyard where the grapes were grown

How to drink wine

Pour, swirl and check out that body and nose. “Body” is a wine’s thickness and intensity of flavor. Swirl a wine in your glass and notice how much sticks to the sides. Use your nose to enjoy the wine’s “nose” or unique fragrances – more than half the experience. A musty, stale, papery smell means the wine is “corked,” or spoiled, by a compound from its cork stopper – if so, send it back.

Sip, slurp and taste. As you sip, slurp air through the wine to release its flavors. Swirl the wine in your mouth and swallow. Look for: • Tannin: Mouth-drying, slightly bitter property like unsweetened tea.

• Dryness: Whether the wine has any sweetness. Even if perfectly dry, the wine should still taste of ….

• Fruit: California wineries are known for huge, intense fruit flavors, while many European wines, such as those from France, feature more subtle fruit.

• Acid: The sharpness or tartness of a wine. Good wines balance their acid with their fruit (and/or tannins) to create a pleasing balance of flavors.

• Complexity: Is there a circus in your mouth, or just one clown banging a cymbal?

• Terroir: Any wine may also show “terroir,” or unique flavors imparted by the particular combination of soil, sunlight, wind, rain and other conditions where it was grown.

SPRING 2012

| 17

PLAY ON & DRINK UP Miami leads alumna to wine, social media and a memoir

Originally from Gerard, Kan., Lisa Mattson ’97 studied communications and hospitality management at FIU. She lives in California’s Sonoma wine country and works as communications director for Jordan Vineyard and Winery, a producer of high-end cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. She’s also the author of an irreverent memoir on the dating career that led her to her husband and soul mate, Damon Mattson. North Carolina-based author and wine lover Bryan Gilmer had some questions for her.

As a teenager, you worked at the McDonald’s drive-through in

You started college at Kansas State. How’d you end up

Pittsburg, Kan. What wine would pair ideally with McDonald’s

transferring to FIU?

famous french fries?

Got to be Champagne.

Oh, wow. I would’ve gone red with that.

No, salty foods are perfect for the acidity and the bubbles in

I had a bad winter. Every now and then people from small towns get it and say, “Oh, I don’t have to be here anymore. I’m an adult now, and I can go wherever I want.” I was dating a guy at K State who wanted to be a dive instructor and he said, “Why don’t we

Champagne or sparkling wine. I just bought three cases of sparkling

move to Florida?” So I did.

wine last week. I think drinking Champagne is something that people

And you majored in communications with a concentration in

should not reserve for special occasions. On a Monday night with

hospitality management. Sounds like perfect preparation for your

broccoli and grilled pork, open a bottle of Champagne. It always

current job.

makes you feel good, popping a cork and listening to the bubbles.

I love the wine business, and I credit that to the School of

I notice you said you bought cases of wine. I thought a big perk of

Hospitality at FIU and to Chip Cassidy’s wine class. It got me

the wine biz was lots of free wine.

excited about wine. And so I’ve made a career in something I

Well, it depends on what job you have and how much access you have to different wines.

always wanted to do – communications – in an industry that’s fascinating. Over the years, there have been so many times when

I guess you don’t get a free $52 bottle of Jordan cabernet as often

I’ve paused and thought, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this.”

as a winery would give away a $9 or $10 or $12 bottle, huh.

I think you have my dream job. Can you explain how I failed to

Right. But I have friends at different wineries, and all of us get an employee rate for our companies’ wines, so I’m able to keep the cellar going a little bit.

18 | SPRING 2012

choose a career in the wine industry?

That’s easy: Because you didn’t go to FIU. Oh. Tell us about your gig at Jordan.

Photo by Damon Mattson

Since we’re a family winery, it’s pretty

don’t follow the spit rule and you get burned.

all encompassing – everything from the

At a winery, especially in Europe, it’s easy,

marketing and messaging for the brand to

because you can just spit on the floor.

public relations and digital media strategy and

When you’re in a hotel banquet room,

execution. I do a weekly video blog. I write all

professionals bring their own plastic

the copy for our direct-to-consumer newsletter

Dixie cup. You put the cup almost to

and sales rep presentations.

your lip and spit into it. That’s the sign

How do you use social media?

of a true professional: a wine glass in

We never directly try to sell on social

one hand and a Dixie cup in the other.

media. Our idea is that if you take care of

Also, watch out for a full dump bucket

your customers, your customers will take

because there’s the possibility of

care of you. We ask ourselves, what do we

something splashing up on you.

have to share where we could be a helpful

You’re looking to publish your memoir,

resource for our followers? We did a piece on

The Exes in My iPod, in which you use a

how to make French macaroons with our chef

13-song playlist as a window into your

in the kitchen. How to prune an olive tree.

previous relationships – as your book’s

Stuff like that.

pitch notes, “a string of exes that could

Right now, I’m enjoying a glass of the ’97

fill a National Football League roster,

Volpaia Chianti Classico Riserva, and I know

53 men.” One song on the playlist is

you used to represent the importer of that

“Brass Monkey” by the Beastie Boys.

wine. What’s in your glass?

Tell me about that guy.

Um, right now Gatorade, because it’s 7 in

Oh, God. I met that guy at FIU. In my

the morning here, and I just got back from

media law and ethics class. He was

running 4 miles at the gym. Last night it was

the carefree slacker type, and I was the

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut, a sparkling wine,

girl who wanted to sit in the front row

and yesterday at work I had our Jordan 2002

and fill up two binders with notes. We

cabernet, an incredible wine. We did a vertical

dated for almost two years. I would be

tasting (several consecutive vintages) up

trying to study, and he’d come over with

through our 2008 cab. It’s amazing to see how

a six-pack of Heineken and take out

those wines age. Hmm...isn’t it only 10 in the

whatever CD was in my stereo and put in

morning on the East Coast where you are?

the Beastie Boys – because that was the

So it is. I, ah, wrote that question last night.

only one I had that he liked. He taught

Next topic: At wine tastings, it’s customary

me to relax and have fun. n

to swish and spit to avoid unseemly drunkenness. Explain how to do this gracefully and without staining your blouse.

I think at everybody’s first tasting, you

Get in touch with Lisa Mattson ’97 at facebook.com/exesinmyipod or @lisamattsonwine on Twitter.

SPRING 2012 | 19

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 I Photos GO.FIU.EDU/FAHMIE

N

by Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00

estled along the northern reaches of California’s Pacific Coast Highway is the hamlet of Bodega, a curious mix of rural charm, American pop culture and majestic coastline.

Ansel Adams came here in 1953 to photograph the iconic St. Teresa de Avila church that still sits in the center of town. Alfred Hitchcock filmed The Birds with Tippi Hedren in the early ’60s here as well.

The 140-year-old Potter School featured in the movie stands just behind the church.

It is here that Miami natives and college friends Michael Fahmie ’02 and Michael Faulk ’05 landed after college and decided to start a business.

20 | SPRING 2012

Michael Fahmie may well have one of the world’s largest collections of Alfred Hitchcock memorabilia in his store.

Michael Faulk named his wine for his Cuban grandmother, Engracia.

A real country store

I flew in caviar from Russia and

Bodega Country Store in the center of town

really good chef is taking something

and, with help from Faulk, began restoring it

ordinary and making it extraordinary. I

as a proper country store – a place where you

make crab macaroni and cheese, and

can buy home-cooked food, local produce

I can’t keep it on the shelves.”

A trained chef, Fahmie bought the historic

and Patty’s homemade goat cheese, batteries

salmon from Alaska. But the sign of a

Visitors to Bodega Country Store

and matches, California wine and books by

are greeted with a life-sized Hitchcock

local authors. His website sums it up: “A nice

outside and inside, Fahmie may

store in a small town.”

well have one of the world’s largest

“I have a real working country store,”

collections of Hitchcock memorabilia.

Fahmie said. “People find it to be a bit of a

A couple of times a year, Tippi Hedren

novelty these days. Bodega Country Store

drops by the store to sign autographs.

represents a sort of lost Americana. I’m really proud of what we have done here.”

Fahmie has kept intact the store’s original kitchen, situated right next to the checkout counter. He and his staff prepare food

You can, of course, pick up a copy of The Birds. You can also say hello to Zeka, the store’s real bird. Zeka, by the way, was Zek until “he” laid an egg.

Fahmie caters to two crowds. The locals

throughout the day – fresh-baked cinnamon

are pretty well birded out and just want

rolls, chicken salad, crab macaroni and

supplies and good food. Tourists, on the other

cheese – using a Burton induction burner and

hand, come from all over the world to visit the

two small convection ovens, a microwave

sites Hitchcock made famous and to recreate

and four tabletop warmers. Fahmie, who

Ansel Adams’ black and white steeple image.

worked at the Mandarin Oriental and as a

They too want good food and supplies, but

private chef to, among others, FIU President

they also want to chat with someone who

Emeritus Modesto A. Maidique, has no desire

knows the town’s history, and they get a warm

to modernize his historic kitchen.

welcome at the Bodega Country Store

“You embrace what you have. That’s what I have learned as someone who came from a place where you can get what

.

‘Proof that God loves us’ Fahmie and Faulk met while they were

you want, when you want it,”

culinary arts students at Johnson & Wales.

he said. “As a chef in Texas,

After graduating, both went to FIU. Says

Zeka, the real bird, lives at Bodega Country Store.

Fahmie, “I had a lot of industry experience, but I wasn’t getting promoted because I didn’t have a bachelor’s degree.” They worked alongside FIU chef instructor Michael Moran ’86, MS ’03 at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival for two years. Both were mentored by FIU hospitality instructor and wine expert Chip Cassidy ’75.

“I started taking the hospitality program so I could be more well rounded,” said Faulk, who also has worked as a chef and now manages restaurants. “Chip was a major influence on me wanting to learn about wine.”

While in college, the two did internships as chefs at Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island in Washington. The beauty of the west coast awed them. “I just wanted to be in wine country in the Pacific Northwest,” Faulk said.

Fahmie spent the next decade working as a private chef before deciding to “step back Continues next page

SPRING 2012

| 21

Eat. Drink. Be Merry.

For the last five years, Faulk has been

making small-batch wine at home. He calls it Engracia, named for his Cuban grandmother, Engracia Perez Hernandez, who fled Cuba in it was. He decided he would be the one to bring back the Bodega Country Store. “I decided to do it my way,” he says.

He wanted the store to claim its role as the center of town life, the spot where every

1960. The label is designed with the island of Cuba. Dominos designate the vintage.

He works with California growers to get his grapes and makes a merlot, pinot noir and a chardonnay. Fittingly, the making of Engracia is a social event and Faulk’s friends help him

passerby and local stops for food, information

out. Every year, he has a bottling party and

and conversation. His culinary skills would

hosts private tastings at his house.

be central – he saw an opportunity to create

Faulk also welcomes FIU alumni and

Continued

a menu of gourmet grab-and-go items for

students to join them. Anyone interested in

and take a breath.” He took a year-and-a-half

visitors headed to the breathtaking coastline

helping with harvest, bottling or just in tasting

off to travel and author Eat. Drink. Be Merry:

just a few miles away. He also wanted to have

some wine is welcome to contact him. He can

Vagabonding in the Americas,” a photo book

fun with the village’s storied past.

be reached through engraciawines.com.

of his journey.

He called on his longtime friend Faulk to

“We have a great time throughout harvest

help him out. Faulk had already settled in

season,” Faulk said. “I get a group of my

beaches, tomatoes and wine grapes, and

California, running restaurants around Napa

friends to help me pick the grapes, then we

Fahmie canoeing and camping. Alongside

and Sonoma, meeting winemakers and

crush and press. When it’s ready to bottle I

pictures of vineyards in California, Fahmie

winery owners throughout the region. He

call on my group of friends and we bottle and

wrote, “Wine is constant proof that God loves

also began experimenting with winemaking

label. We eat good food, drink great wine,

us and wants us to be happy.”

at home as a hobby.

get our hands dirty and have fun doing it. It’s

There are photos of pine forests and rocky

Faulk left LaSalette, a fine Portuguese

A sweet gig

restaurant in downtown Sonoma, to help

he had been visiting the area for years. He

ground. The historic building had been

had stopped at the Bodega Country Store

neglected and needed some TLC. In the

several times and recognized its potential.

beginning as they worked on the building,

One of Bodega’s pioneering families, the

the two catered weddings and held oyster

McCaughey brothers, built the store in 1856.

barbecues on the weekends in the center of

But it was run down and operated as a cheap

Bodega. “It was a sweet gig,” Faulk says.

Fahmie has family in Sonoma County, so

convenience store.

“It was such a historic building in a historic

Fahmie get the Bodega business off the

It took a couple of months to get the store ready for opening. Faulk eventually returned to

basically a party, but we work first, then party.

You get this great sense of accomplishment and it is indescribable.”

Where the winemaking will go, Faulk isn’t sure but he’s developed a philosophy for Engracia.

“A person does not make wine, rather they simply guide it along during the natural process in order to ensure that the finished product is one of great quality,” he said.

“I prefer the term ‘Wine Father’ or ‘Wine Mother’ or perhaps ‘Wine Parent’ rather than

place and you come out to the coast and all

the restaurant industry and is now the general

you could get was a beer and maybe a frozen

manager of Wildfox, about 40 minutes north

burrito,” Fahmie said.

of San Francisco. And Fahmie now offers FIU

oyster barbecue across the street from the

students the opportunity to intern at Bodega

store. And they will be happy to tell you all

Fahmie an old country store on the coast

Country Store and learn about California’s

about Bodega’s quirky history over a bottle

that was for sale. Fahmie knew exactly where

wine country.

or two of Engracia. n

In 2008, a business broker mentioned to

22 | SPRING 2012

‘Wine Maker.’ ” The two friends still hold their summer

The doctor behind the dream When Dr. Sergio González-Arias is not seeing patients or teaching at FIU, he’s tending to his Napa winery, Soñador

By Martin Haro ’05

got into the wine business. To be clear, this

Where do you stand on the debate about

isn’t a hobby. FIU Magazine asked the FIU

a glass of red a day helping to keep the

dreams – and toasting every milestone with a

professor a few questions about medicine

doctor away?

glass of his own wine from Soñador Cellars.

and winemaking.

Dr. Sergio González-Arias is living his

When the Cuban-born, New York-raised physician first decided he wanted to become

There’s a lot of literature about this out

How does a Miami doctor get into the

there, but I don’t think that a glass of wine

California wine business?

every day, for someone who is healthy and

Wine is one many interests. When I was

has no liver problems, can hurt. Wine is part

to Europe to pursue doctoral and medical

in Spain studying, one of my memories is of

of the Mediterranean diet, which is opposite

degrees at the Universidad de Zaragoza.

sitting for a meal at the pensión and sharing

ours in every way. It’s also a social thing,

When he saw a need for a multidisciplinary

red wine with the people there. And my

too. Maria and I have met so many different

department of neurosciences at Miami’s

wife Maria and I enjoy a nice glass and the

people at tastings over the years – people

Baptist Hospital, he helped develop it,

process of making wine. We started collecting

who wouldn’t otherwise come together if not

a neurosurgeon in the 1970s, he headed

bringing together doctors from different

for wine. Going back to the health question, I

departments including neurology,

think our younger generation is approaching

neurosurgery and neuroradiolgy. He is now

wine better, with more balance.

medical director of the Baptist Hospital

Speaking of balance, you run a department

Neuroscience Center.

at a major hospital and you teach at a university. How do you unwind after a long

And when the doctor was invited to

day at work?

join the faculty of FIU’s Herbert Wertheim

My favorite way to unwind after a 12-hour

College of Medicine as chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, he accepted

day at the hospital and teaching at FIU, which

the job, enthusiastic about not only lending

I also enjoy tremendously, is to spoil my two

an expert hand in the school’s early years

grandsons and let them do everything their

but offering students the best neurosurgical

parents don’t let them do. The boys are 10

training. González-Arias was already part

and 7 years old and are building a “man cave”

of the FIU family – his daughter Veronica

in one of our rooms. And every once in a while

graduated from the College of Business

my wife and I will take a bottle from the cellar and have it with dinner.

Administration in 1995 and his son-in-law, Raul Maristany, received his degree in public administration in 1997.

That go-get-it attitude was the key

wine a long time ago, in the mid-’80s.

Living on the East Coast, seeing patients at Baptist and teaching at FIU,

ingredient González-Arias needed when

how involved are you with operations

he realized in 2001 that partnering with

at Soñador?

longtime friend and FIU alumnus Doug

Winemaking is an episodic event with

Gallagher MS ’77 on Soñador was an idea

a few critical moments like the harvest,

full of potential.

creating the blend, bottling…. We have our

You mentioned you’ve been collecting wine for a long time. How big is the GonzálezArias collection?

We have about 5,000-6,000 bottles from all the major wine-producing regions of the world.

I imagine you’re fonder of reds.

I enjoy whites as well. At a slightly warmer

consultant on site in Napa who oversees

temperature than most people like it.

tasting one afternoon and we just looked at

everything for us, but we head west and

What’s the prescription for the best way to

each other like, ‘Why don’t we do this?’”

we’re there for those weeks where quality

keep such an impressive collection?

“My wife Maria and I were at a wine

That, in a nutshell, is how the doctor

control is essential.

I keep all the wines at 52 degrees.

n

SPRING 2012 | 23

TALKING wine, politics & BUSINESS with

Doug Gallagher

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 I Photos by Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ‘00 GO.FIU.EDU/GALLAGHER

A

sunset stroll in Doug Gallagher’s Napa

setting over cascading terraces of tomatoes,

gave them access to more vineyards. Today,

olive grove calls for a Montelena

pomegranates and olive trees in his garden.

Soñador produces 300 cases of one cabernet

Now retired, Gallagher spends four months

sauvignon blanc.

per year sold for $50-$60 a bottle in California,

each year in Napa Valley so he can be involved

Nevada, New York, Washington, D.C., North

makes a great entrepreneur, the founder

with the harvest for his wine. He lives the

Carolina and Florida. Each year, they donate a

of a global software company pours a

Napa lifestyle when he’s there, making meals

dozen or so cases of Soñador wine to various

2005 special cuvée cabernet from his

from the day’s produce and dining at Napa’s

charities for auctions.

winery, Soñador.

famously fabulous restaurants where he has

For a philosophical discourse on what

gotten to know the local chefs.

Turn to talk of politics and this one-time

“What’s been most interesting about being involved in the winemaking process

U.S. Senate candidate brings out the wine he

He clearly delights in treating his guests to

served at his son’s wedding, a 2007 Domaine

Napa’s bounty. Later that evening, he served

viticulture in the vineyard to what happens

Serene pinot noir.

us red and gold heirloom tomatoes from his

in the fermenting process,” Gallagher said.

When you love wine as Doug Gallagher MS ’77 does, pairing it with food is just the beginning.

garden with basil and aged balsamic from the farmer’s market. He encouraged us to taste

Wine can be the perfect accompaniment to any event or it can be the event

is being able to understand everything from

“There’s a lot of chemistry to winemaking and there is also a lot of risk management involved in winemaking.”

itself, as it was this fall when Gallagher

Risk management is a subject

welcomed me and FIU Marketing

Gallagher knows plenty about. In 1985,

Director Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00

he quit an executive vice president’s

into his St. Helena home for an evening

job when the company owner laid out

of fine wine and conversation.

new compensation terms that were

“Wine is a passion of mine,” said Gallagher, who earned

unacceptable to Gallagher.

Some might call it crazy to walk away from a job – any job – when

a master’s degree in FIU’s College of

Business Administration. “It’s part of my life and I want to share it with others.”

I wasn’t sure we’d be able to connect with Gallagher during his

you’re a 35-year-old married father of four boys. But Gallagher had a Doug Gallagher and FIU Magazine Editor Deborah O’Neil enjoy a Montelena sauvignon blanc.

different idea. This time around, he decided he would work for himself.

In 1985, he founded Gallagher

harvest season hiatus in Napa. It was his

them with the Soñador cabernet, which earned

Financial Systems, a company that made

last weekend in California before heading

90 points from Wine Spectator.

software for mortgage lending institutions.

home to South Miami, and he was busy packing. Earlier in the day, he’d hosted students from the Culinary Institute of America for a wine tasting.

Wow. “So that’s what a tomato tastes like!” Merille joked.

About 10 years ago, Gallagher and FIU

His company streamlined burdensome mortgage lending paperwork into an electronic process that eliminated 80 percent or more of the pre-printed forms

Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

and provided laser printed replacement

manchego, brie and swiss with Rustic Bakery

Professor Sergio González-Arias (see profile

documents. His clients included JPMorgan

cheddar sticks and whole grain flatbread.

page 23) decided to start a boutique winery in

Chase, Citibank and Wells Fargo. At its peak

A buffet table was spread with all variety

Napa. They called it “Soñador,” the dreamer.

in 2005, Gallagher Financial employed 175.

However, when we arrived, he’d set out

of stemware. Gallagher greeted us warmly,

They began by buying grapes from Jan

poured the Montelena and invited us to his

Krupp at Stagecoach Vineyards and then

mortgage lending crisis unfolding and decided

back porch where the October sun was

hired Bruce Devlin as their winemaker, which

to sell the company he’d built from the

24 | SPRING 2012

In 2007, Gallagher saw the subprime

ground up. Gallagher Financial Systems was

received an extra paid vacation day to be

purchased in 2008 by Wipro, a global IT giant

used around the holidays.

in the political process.”

Right about then – somewhere after the

and Fortune 50 company. The software and

“The idea was to provide each staff

pinot noir and a debate on the electability of

technology solutions he pioneered are now

member with an incentive to be with their

GOP candidates – Gallagher brought to the

Wipro Gallagher Solutions, used by 25 leading

family,” he said. “I’m a believer that if people

table dark chocolate covered wine grapes.

banks around the U.S. and Australia.

are given the ability to manage their own time,

With those jewels before us, any difference

These days, he is writing a book about

the results in productivity will far exceed what

of opinion about the upcoming presidential

his 23 years as an entrepreneur. He’s even

you expect to get from the normal process of

election melted away. Gallagher sure knows

come up with a catchy title for the book:

close supervision and management.”

how to win over hearts and minds.

Anomalytics.

“What it takes to be a successful

Born and raised in Delaware, Gallagher

Over the years, Gallagher’s wine

comes from a family with a strong

collection has grown from a few hundred to

entrepreneur is somewhat counter

commitment to public service. His father was

a 10,000-bottle cellar. He jokes that he has

intuitive,” he said. “Most

mayor of Wilmington, Del. His older brother,

enough wine to throw a party every night for

Tom Gallagher, a three-time gubernatorial

the rest of his life without running out. “My

candidate, has held three Florida Cabinet

friends always tell me they never have a bad

offices: insurance commissioner, education

bottle of wine with me.”

think that the reason someone forms a company is to make money.

That’s not the case. I would refute anyone who would say Steve Jobs did what he did for money. It’s about having a passion for an idea.”

commissioner and chief financial officer.

A lifelong Republican with a thoughtful

The gracious host had one last surprise before we left, a Spanish sherry neither

approach to fiscal conservatism, Gallagher

Merille nor I had ever tried. It was a 1972

has twice run for public office and lost,

Don PX, a thick and sweet, molasses and

most recently the 2004 U.S. Senate race.

caramel wine that we will long remember, not

as a CEO. To make sure everyone was

He campaigned as a family man and

merely for the wine’s astonishing decadence

focused on the client and encouraged to

businessman who could introduce fresh

but for the occasion.

innovate, his executives didn’t have titles.

ideas to politics.

Gallagher did some unconventional things

Gallagher fostered a workplace culture that

“Our family has a culture of believing

was supportive of his employees’ family time.

service is a worthwhile endeavor,” he said. “I

For every year of service, his employees

believe it’s important for people to be involved

As Gallagher served us, he mused aloud,

“You always wonder with wine, do you save the best for last or bring it out first?” n SPRING 2012

| 25

A SINGULAR PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Opus One export manager Yasko Cadby ’86 keeps an eye on the big picture and the little details wine. Opus One, the brand founded in 1979

opposed to 2007 because ’05 is a little bit

by California wine pioneer Robert Mondavi

more of a reserved style.’ That’s the level of

salon of Opus One, Yasko Cadby ’86 is the

and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of France,

communication we want and to do that we

picture of tranquil elegance as she talks

is wildly popular both in the United States

need to educate sommeliers.”

about the shaky start to her new job as Japan

and Asia. (Constellation Brands, Inc.,

export manager for the prestigious Napa

purchased Robert Mondavi Corp., assuming

Opus One winery is a symphony of good

Valley winery.

50 percent ownership of Opus One in 2005.)

impressions, from the sweep of green

By Michelle Locke Sitting in the plushly decorated formal

On a sunny day in the Napa Valley, the

It’s not unusual for the winery to get a call

vineyards leading up to the winery to the mix

March 11, 2011, when the devastating Tohoku

from someone trying to put in an order for

of soothing – but not soporific – music playing

earthquake struck. “I was on the 21st floor

10,000 cases, a flattering but impossible

over outdoor speakers. That last item is no

and the earthquake hit and it was, ‘Do I want

request since it’s about half the winery’s

accident. As coordinator of guest relations

to come here?’” she recalls.

annual production.

here, Cadby pulled out her own CDs to help

She was apartment hunting in Tokyo on

The answer was “Yes,” and Cadby took on

Her job is to make sure people

liven up the music selection.

Paying attention to detail is a key part of

her new duties overseeing markets in Japan

understand the product. “At the restaurant

and South Korea in June – fortunately with

we just don’t want people to say, ‘Oh, we

the Opus One experience, says Cadby.

few tremors of the business variety.

want Opus One,’” she says. “We want them

“Even when I come here now, I feel the

to say, ‘Oh, I like the 2005 Opus One as

sense of urgency,” she says. “Your back

Cadby doesn’t really have to sell the 26 | SPRING 2012

needs to be straight.”

The winery, which makes only Bordeaux blends, primarily cabernet sauvignon, is

chemistry, its biology, all these things. I was

in her career and then began taking wine

so fascinated by this.”

classes and working as a freelance writer and

Cassidy is “very good at pulling

translator. Interestingly, she learned wine first

famous for its distinctive architecture, in

everybody’s ability and making them grow

in English and had to turn around and re-learn

particular a rotunda set low to the ground

into the next step,” says Cadby. Even today,

the terminology in Japanese.

and surrounded by a grassy berm, part of

when she’s feeling tired or at a loss, she’ll call

a conscious effort to create something that

Cassidy for help and “just talking to him, my

as an on-call employee. But by 2007 she

complements rather than contrasts with

energy level goes up.”

was working full-time as guest relations

its environs.

The slender and soft-spoken Cadby

Another avenue into the world of wine came through her job as a Japanese-English

is one of the few U.S. winery

Her job at Opus One started casually

coordinator. In 2011, she took on the export manager job, although she still visits the U.S. frequently.

representatives in Asia. She’s also a

This harvest, she spent a week

woman executive in a climate that

in the United States that included

isn’t as male-dominated as it used

getting up at 3 a.m. to experience

to be, but can still be conservative.

night harvesting, which is something

But it doesn’t take more than few

wineries do to keep grapes cooler and

minutes of conversation to see

fresher. It made for some long days,

the expertise and enthusiasm that

but it’s all part of the task of learning

drive her– and a delightful sense

how to communicate the whole story

of humor, too. Should she need to

behind Opus One wine. “The goal is

be assertive in a negotiation she

when people talk about Opus One it’s

occasionally brings out her secret

because of the quality of the wine, not

weapon: Saying “No” politely but

because of the brand name,” she says.

firmly in English. “They understand,”

Showing visitors around the familiar

she says with a smile.

rooms, Cadby stops at some of her

Cadby, who was born and raised

favorite places, like the salon, with

in Japan, didn’t start out expecting

its mix of 18th-century Italian opera

to be managing the finer points of

chairs and contemporary seating, and

high-end wine, or any wine for that

the tasting room, bathed in a soft light

matter. After getting a business

at day’s end. The cellar is another

degree from Sophia University in

treasured spot with its rows of pristine

Tokyo she wasn’t quite sure what

barrels all meticulously painted with

she wanted to do, but she knew

red wine around the middle – no untidy

she was interested in the airline

splashes of red wine here.

travel industry. She looked at a few

In the end, it’s the details, and the

schools but finally settled on FIU

passion for getting them right, that

because it was one of the few at the time

translator for Florida Power & Light Co. She

offering a hospitality management program

often went along to local restaurants to

– with the added bonus of being in a warm

translate for visiting executives from Japan,

head. You have to have a passion otherwise

weather climate.

which naturally segued into helping them

it will be a pain. You have to work weekends.

decipher the wine list once they discovered

You have to work nights. You have to get up

her expertise.

early. You have a lot of ‘you have tos.’ If you

Her interest in wine came via a class in wine education led by Professor Chip Cassidy, well-known as a mentor to many in the wine world.

“What I learned from him was his passion

After getting her degree in hospitality management, Cadby started graduate studies

count, she says.

“So many things need to be clicking in your

have that passion, you want to do it and that passion makes everything easy.” n

but left that for full-time work, and ultimately,

for wine,” she says. “The wine’s not just to

a move to the burgeoning California wine

drink. Wine has a lot of history and you’ve

scene. She got married, had two daughters,

got to also understand its agriculture, its

both now in college, took a little bit of a break

Michelle Locke is a freelance wine writer in California.

SPRING 2012 | 27

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 Photos by Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00 GO.FIU.EDU/KEYS

28 | SPRING 2012

Duffy Keys ’75 blends tradition, artistic interpretation and the finest ingredients at his B Cellars winery

SPRING 2012

| 29

F

or years, Duffy Keys ’75 kept a home in California’s wine country while he traveled the world as a senior executive at

for their four proprietary blends and small-batch single varietals.

“You have to figure out how you are going to differentiate yourself,”

The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Already a fine dining

Keys said. “One of the things that sets B Cellars apart is that all of

connoisseur, Keys began thinking about wine as the natural

Napa Valley is our terroir.”

next chapter of his career.

Keys was at a Fourth of July barbecue in 2003 extolling what his

Today, B Cellars wines can be found in the best restaurants and wine shops in 19 states. Their distributor in a half-dozen states is American

own winery might look like when he met Jim Borsack, the co-owner

Wines, the fine wine division of Southern Wine and Spirits, owned by

and senior vice president of El Portal, a global chain of designer

the Chaplin family, namesake of the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality

leather stores. Also a food and wine lover, Borsack had just planted 20

and Tourism Management. B Cellars wines range in price from $55 for

acres of cabernet on his Temecula property.

their blends to $145 for their limited releases.

By the end of 2003, the two became business partners combining

Robert Parker, the world’s most famous wine critic, highlighted

their business, food and wine expertise to launch B Cellars. Their

B Cellars wines in his Best of Northern California 2007, 2006, 2005

winery in upper Napa Valley’s historic Calistoga sits on 22 acres, eight

review: “Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys have hired Kirk Venge as their

of which are planted with cabernet, cab franc and merlot.

consulting winemaker, and the wines are clearly made in a fruit-

“I spent 30 years eating and drinking in all parts of the world, working for the finest luxury hotel company in the world, The

forward style that should satisfy consumers and restaurants looking for immediate drinkability.”

Four Seasons,” said Keys, a graduate of FIU’s Chaplin School of

“Our objective is to be in the top five or six steak houses, Italian

Hospitality and Tourism Management. “What I learned there can

restaurants and fish houses that are the stalwart in every community,”

be translated to wine – it’s about ingredients and processes and

Keys said. “We want to be in the top three or four country clubs and

excellence. It is doing the very simplest things exceptionally well

wine shops in a community. If we do that, the rest becomes almost

every day.”

viral. It takes care of itself.”

B Cellars wines are modeled on the French blending tradition, with

FIU Magazine spent an afternoon with Duffy Keys at B Cellars,

a contemporary approach. The winery procures grapes from Napa

touring the vineyard and winery. Keys explained their approach to

Valley’s most coveted vineyards including To Kalon, Dr. Crane, Caldwell,

winemaking and how the lessons he learned at The Four Seasons have

Williamson Ranch, Juliana, Maldonado, Star, Stagecoach and Lewelling

shaped the success of B Cellars.

30 | SPRING 2012

IN THE BEGINNING Keys and Borsack shared a vision for their wines, but to bring it to life, they needed a winemaker and they needed fruit. They set their sights on the best of both, but breaking into California’s close-knit winemaking world was not easy.

“When we first got started we had a guy out of the luggage business and one from the hotel business,” Keys said. “We told them we were taking enology and viticulture classes at UC Davis. They were not impressed. The growers were saying to us, ‘I have a reputation. If I am going to sell you this fruit, who is going to make your wine?’ Meanwhile, the winemakers wanted to know where we were going to get our fruit.”

Well connected after more than 20 years in the luxury hotel industry, Keys, with some help from Borsack, leveraged their professional relationships to open doors in the Valley. Through legendary winemaker Nils Venge they were able to make a connection with Nils’ son Kirk Venge to become B Cellars’ master winemaker. Nils was the first American winemaker to earn a perfect 100 score from Robert Parker.

Kirk was named one of the Top 20 New Winemakers in the World in 2005 by Food & Wine magazine.

Keys muses, “The adage, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,’ is evident in the production of every vintage of B Cellars since inception.”

With Venge as the B Cellars winemaker, the renowned Beckstoffer Vineyards signed on as well.

“The Wall Street Journal recently called Andy Beckstoffer the most powerful person in Napa,” Keys said. “The point they were making was what goes on in the vineyard is really the driving force behind what’s in the bottle. Between Nils and Kirk Venge and having access to three of Beckstoffer’s champion vineyards, the rest was a lot easier.”

WHAT IF...?

One school of winemaking is single vineyard

varietal. In that model, a winery owns a vineyard of, say, cabernet. Every year, they bottle the cabernet that

wines for centuries. Keys and Borsack were drawn to the French style of winemaking but found it limiting.

“They blend Bordeaux with Bordeaux, Rhône with

comes off their estate. B Cellars signature wines are

Rhône, Burgundy with Burgundy. That’s their Old World

blends, but they also produce single vineyard wines

tradition,” Keys said. “We said, ‘We can do anything we

from Beckstoffer’s pedigreed Dr. Crane, To Kalon and

want.’ What happens if you paired a Rhône varietal with

George III vineyards.

Bordeaux? A Bordeaux with a Burgundy?”

“There aren’t many producers who get access to

They began experimenting with finished wines from

these vineyards,” Keys said. “It’s a way for us also to

great winemakers – great producers of syrah, cabernet

dimensionalize ourselves to show people that while our

sauvignon, sangiovese, chardonnay, viogniers.

blended wines speak for themselves, we also can make

“What we learned from that process is we can capture

a single vineyard varietal wine and hit it out of the park.”

layers of flavors in a bottle that is impossible to get in

The French, on the other hand, have been blending

the approach of a single vineyard varietal,” Keys said.

Continues next page

SPRING 2012 | 31

CREATiVE iNTERPRETATiON The spirit of B Cellars wines – rooted in tradition but not bound by it – encourages innovation in the winemaking process.

Keys was in Italy working on a hotel and winery project a few years ago when he was introduced to a winemaking process called the Ripasso method. Sangiovese was pressed off the skins and the grape skins were kept in the cellar. Once the sangiovese was fully fermented, it was poured over the grape skins. The resulting sangiovese had a deeper color and soft mouth feel.

Back in California, after the first vintage where they replicated this process on sangiovese; Keys, Venge and Borsack started to consider the next

Guests enjoy the gardens surrounding the B Cellars tasting room.

32 | SPRING 2012

year’s vintage. Why not try the Ripasso method, with a B Cellars twist?

“Because we aren’t bound by any method, we said, ‘What if we use the Ripasso method on the sangiovese, but take it a step further and introduce the skins of the petite sirah into the mix?’” Venge said. “The petite sirah skin is very thick, very sturdy. It also delivers this rich ruby purple color while adding structure and more subtle tannins. So, we incorporated this approach into the second vintage production of our Blend 24 and the result was AMAZING.” Between the traditional Ripasso method for the sangiovese and the inclusion of petite sirah skins

into the sangiovese fermentation process, the Blend 24 transitioned into what they refer to as a “Napa Valley inspired” Super Tuscan – unique to B Cellars. The wine has a distinct flavor profile with rich tannins, bright acidity and velvety mouth feel.

They have used it for Blend 24 every year thereafter. Robert Parker gave the 2007 and 2008 vintages ratings of 90 and 91 points. He described the B Cellars 2006 sangiovese as “one of the finest wines I have tasted from this varietal.

It comes across as a distinctly Rhône-like red, displaying black fruit, earth, strawberry, red cherry, new saddle leather and olive characteristics in its spicy personality.”

Jim Borsack, co-founder of B Cellars

ONLY THE BEST

The Four Seasons operates five-star hotels

around the world where every detail of the customer experience is executed to the

France, except for our barrels for sangiovese

measurement of a grape’s sugar at harvest.

that come from Hungary.”

So, B Cellars wines are named sequentially

They developed the B Cellars branding system

(Blend 23, Blend 24, Blend 25 and Blend 26)

highest standards. Keys has brought the same

around the idea of ingredients. They were the

signifying that the grapes were harvested at the

approach to his wine business.

first to put the wine’s components on the front,

sweet spot of optimal ripeness for their style

instead of the back of the bottle. For instance,

of wines. As Mercedes and BMW have already

you can’t cut corners,” he said. “French

a customer who buys the 2007 Blend 24 will

demonstrated, the numbered brand system

oak barrels cost $1,200, so a lot of wineries

easily see that it is made up of 40 percent

appeals to customers.

choose a less costly approach. They cost

cabernet sauvignon, 30 percent sangiovese and

less, but the flavor delivery is noticeably

30 percent petite sirah.

“Our view is in order to make the very best

different. All of our oak barrels are from

The B in B Cellars represents brix, a

Says Keys: “It goes to one of our other points of view about wine: It’s not all the mystery that’s important. It’s what you like that counts."” n

SPRING 2012 | 33

Father and son Harvey and Wayne Chaplin

the key

ingredient FIU honors Chaplin family with naming of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management

By Martin Haro ’05 I Photo by Ivan Santiago ’00 and Gloria O’Connell

34 | SPRING 2012

I

n 1996, FIU’s resident wine expert Chip

Chaplin, the company’s chairman and CEO,

preparing food alongside celebrity chefs and

Cassidy ’75 approached Miami-based

who is the recipient of an honorary doctoral

serving the thousands who flock to the four-

Southern Wine & Spirits of America with

degree from FIU. “We definitely appreciate it.”

day bacchanalia.

In addition to the Southern Wine & Spirits

an idea.

“The Chaplins designated us as the co-

Beverage Management Center, the Chaplins

host direct beneficiary of the festival,”

at the School of Hospitality and Tourism

supported the establishment of the Harvey R.

Hampton said. “We couldn’t have asked for

Management, he proposed. There, FIU

Chaplin Eminent Scholar Chair in beverage

a better partnership opportunity and learning

could train the next generation of hospitality

management and the creation of an FIU wine

environment for our students.”

specialists on the science of analyzing, testing

and food festival.

Let’s build a beverage management center

Today, Professor Barry Gump still holds

and experiencing the finest wines, spirits,

As Harvey Chaplin remembers it, aligning Southern Wine’s efforts with FIU’s was a

beers and other beverages in the world. The

the Eminent Chair’s position, the only one

Chaplin family, owners of Southern Wine, saw

in the country; the school’s facilities at

promise and gave the project their support.

BBC are undergoing a $7 million upgrade;

had supported a Florida university before, and

and, under the leadership of Lee Schrager,

none of us ever dreamed that we would end

“It was an intriguing idea because there really wasn’t a program like it anywhere that

the Food Network South Beach Wine &

incorporated wine and spirits

Wine’s president and chief operating officer. “We believed it was a great move for us, for FIU and for the community.”

“I don’t think an alcoholic beverage company

up where we have,” he said. “It really has been a wonderful ride.”

education into the mix,” said Wayne E. Chaplin, Southern

daring corporate move.

Wayne Chaplin echoes his father’s

“We believed it was a great move for us, for FIU and for the community.”

The initial gift by the Chaplin

a truly incredible public-private success.

“The way we have been able to support FIU and help build the hospitality school into something that is not only a community gem but an entity that has

family has grown into a publicprivate success story that has put the

Food Festival has grown into one of the

university’s program at the forefront of

biggest events of its kind in the country.

hospitality education worldwide. Earlier this

In fact, many of the improvements to the

year, FIU honored the partnership when it

classrooms and labs at the school are being

announced that the Biscayne Bay Campus

paid for with proceeds from the annual

(BBC) program would now be known as the

event. The festival has returned more

Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism

than $16 million to the Chaplin School of

Management. The naming of the school

Hospitality and Tourism Management, much

in honor of the Chaplins is a result of the

of it for student scholarships.

continued support they have offered FIU for

satisfaction with the relationship, calling it

The Chaplins, Dean Mike Hampton

had and continues to have an impact on our industry,” he said, “we’re proud of that.”

In 2010-’11, the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management conferred 625 bachelor’s and master’s degrees, nearly double the number of degrees students earned in 2002-’03. For the Chaplins, the school’s work is a priority. Wayne Chaplin says supporting FIU helps create a pool of talent that’s well educated in every aspect of the industry.

the past 16 years. A nationally recognized

acknowledges, have been incredibly generous

wine and spirits distributor with 12,000

to FIU and to the school. Their contributions

employees, Southern Wine operates in 35

have helped attract high-profile industry

want candidates to be knowledgeable

states and has corporate headquarters

talent, such as Michelle Bernstein, Robert

about the beverage industry and for FIU

in Miami.

Irvine and chef Allen Susser ’78, to speak to

to be recognized in that area, too,” he

FIU students. They also have made in-kind

said. “FIU graduates go into the workforce

are passionate supporters of FIU and the

donations to the school’s programs and given

understanding the beverage game better than

superior hospitality management education

of their time.

a lot of their peers.”

“Southern Wine & Spirits and the Chaplins

we offer students from all over the world,”

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival has

“Obviously, because of who we are, we

It is due in part to the vote of confidence

said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

benefitted the school in other ways as well.

the Chaplins gave FIU and its School of

“This naming recognizes that commitment

This year, more than 1,100 FIU students

Hospitality and Tourism Management that

and augurs an even stronger partnership

were involved in the preparation, staging and

the program is one of the country’s most well

going forward.”

execution of the event. They did everything

regarded. Wayne Chaplin is confident one day

from securing city permits and building sets to

soon FIU will become the gold standard. n

“This is a beautiful honor,” said Harvey

SPRING 2012

| 35

36 | SPRING 2012

The Chaplin School of Hospitality and TOURISM Management is positioning itself as a leader in food and science research

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 I Photo by Doug Garland ’10

F

or more than a year since Mike Hampton became the dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality Management, he has

So research will become central to the school’s mission?

Exactly. Food and beverage science research will serve as a

been examining a critical question: How can the school

platform for interdisciplinary cooperation in chemistry, biology,

build on its widely acknowledged excellence to distinguish

geology, meteorology, nutrition, health sciences and in medicine. It

itself in this highly competitive field? The university’s research

is likely that our research would be eligible for significant funding

mission is helping to shape the answer.

from external and federal sources.

Hampton, who came to FIU in 2011 with more than 20 years of experience in the industry, recently shared his vision for the school.

Give us an example of the kinds of questions food and beverage scientists study.

Describe the future of the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

I’ll give you an example that was featured in Time Magazine recently about ongoing research into food preservation, which is a

Conceptually, the school is positioned to become a food and

critical issue for disaster relief and humanitarian efforts related to

beverage science epicenter that would house a data repository

famine. Following massive natural disasters, crops are destroyed,

and clearinghouse for food, wine, beer and spirits information and

stores are gone and transportation routes are limited. So how do

research. It would be replete with customized scientific laboratories,

we feed people who are affected by disasters or by famine? They

sensory evaluation rooms, production and processing facilities, a

can distribute “Meals Ready to Eat,” the dehydrated MREs that U.S.

biological conservatory and greenhouses.

soldiers eat out in the field. But those are pretty awful, so there’s a Continues next page

SPRING 2012

| 37

Continued

desire to improve the quality of the food.

instance, our students could test market

Food scientists are looking at new ways to

a new beverage product during one of our

able to utilize and capitalize on the

preserve food so that the essence of the

open luncheons. Our students will learn

school’s existing core competencies and

food remains intact with optimum nutrition.

how to better manage restaurants, better

strengths, such as infrastructure, faculty,

At the same time, that food has to be

interface with customers and achieve

staff and facilities. For example, we have

packaged so that it can be transported in

greater efficiencies. The new facility also will

an extensive array of food production

crisis zones and easily distributed to feed

have a state-of-the-art beverage science

laboratories and demonstration kitchens

hungry people.

laboratory where faculty and students

that have excellent capacity for increased

will be able to do research on product

utilization. We’ve assembled an impressive

innovation and product design.

collection of faculty with expertise in food

This is one example of the kinds of important issues we can address with scholarly research in food sciences.

Another example in beverage sciences would be research on yeast and fermentation optimization for beer and

An important consideration was being

production, wine, beer and spirits.

Why did you decide to go in this direction?

We did an assessment of growth

What we see is that the school can contribute to academia and to industry through scientific study that builds upon

opportunities and found that there is

the well-founded framework and facilities

significant demand for education and

already in place.

make them palatable to new and emerging

research in the field of beverage science.

What about students who are really

markets around the world

That is especially true in the immediate

seeking qualifications so they can break

service market for FIU. Major food and

into the hospitality industry?

wine. We can also do research on new wine, beer and spirits products and how to

We’ve always provided outstanding

How does the new teaching

beverage companies, like Diageo, Brown

restaurant fit in?

Forman, Quirch, Burger King, Goya and

industry education and job placement for

several key coffee roasters have regional

our students and that will not change. All

growth of the school. The restaurant

and headquarters offices in Miami; and

of the major hospitality corporations in

is an educational environment that is

while their operations and marketing

the world like Marriott, Hyatt and Carnival

unparalleled. It is a teaching laboratory

efforts are coordinated in South Florida,

recruit our students because they are so

that will enable new research and learning

their research and development activities

well prepared for the careers.

opportunities on such things as service

are maintained or drawn from elsewhere,

It will play a very important role in the

techniques or new product testing. For

38 | SPRING 2012

often for lack of local resources.

What we are going to do is give students even more opportunities. For instance, we

are exploring partnerships with universities in Italy and Argentina that have viticulture programs. So all of our students, as well as those studying beverage science, would be able to study abroad in the key wine regions of the world. They will understand the beverage industry from the perspective of a global marketplace.

We will offer a certificate in culinary arts and, of course, accept students from other culinary arts programs like Johnson & Wales and Le Cordon Bleu. What we can offer those students is the opportunity to learn management in our bachelor’s program.

While they are here, they might get interested in molecular gastronomy by studying with one of our food science researchers. Our

Prepping the Future A new teaching restaurant in the Chaplin School of Hospitality

graduate programs will give them the skills

and Tourism Management will strengthen the school’s growing

to pursue advanced positions in food and

research in food, beer and spirits and sharpen its focus on building

beverage product analysis, design, innovation, development and production.

management skills.

The 8,000-square-foot restaurant will feature an intelligent 2,500-square-foot kitchen that will allow those in the kitchen to see

How will plans for the school’s growth

what’s happening in the dining room. The high-tech kitchen is designed

distinguish FIU from other programs?

to help students look strategically at how restaurants operate so they

We are often compared to other hospitality

can learn high-level management skills.

schools like Cornell. However, we are not trying to be like Cornell, an excellent program

The kitchen also will have a new 650-square-foot brewing science lab.

that is different than ours. The FIU model of

Professor Barry Gump has run the school’s brewing science program

hospitality education will be in niche areas

for the past five years, basically out of a small room converted into a

where we already have a strong foundation.

lab. He says this physical expansion will usher in not only an expansion

We will become recognized as a worldwide

of the program, but also more research and greener practices as well.

leader in food and beverage science and

“I’m thrilled to pieces about it,” he said.

management.

The restaurant’s 4,200-square-foot dining room will feature a glassHow will your vision take shape in the

enclosed 260-square-foot, two-story wine tower with cellaring for some

coming years?

1,500 bottles. The tower can host VIP dinners for 12, and will bridge the

It is already taking shape with the

center and the rest of the teaching areas. At the other end of the room

construction of the new teaching restaurant

will be a full working bar.

and with some strategic faculty hiring in food sciences. We will work with our partners like Southern Wine & Spirits and Diageo to develop research programs that advance the industry and provide our students with unique learning

The $5 million upgrade is being paid for with money raised during the first decade of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

“We will have a state-of-the-art teaching restaurant and brewing science lab,” said Dean Mike Hampton. “No one in our region is doing

opportunities. We are shifting completely in a

food research or wine, beer, spirits research. We’re in Miami, and we will

new direction. It’s going to create a dynamic

have all the tools we will need to become the hub in the southeast for

program that nothing else comes close to.

this type of education and research.”

n

SPRING 2012

| 39

By Deborah O’Neil MA ‘09 I Photo by Angel Valentín GO.FIU.EDU/CHIP

P

atrick “Chip” Cassidy ’75 was

a merchant with Crown Wine & Spirits and

barely out of high school when

faculty member in the Chaplin School of

he first tasted one of the world’s

Hospitality and Tourism Management. Until

venerable wines, a 1959 Château Lafite

recently, Cassidy was the wine director for

Rothschild. Even then, the young man

Crown with a list of devoted customers

who grew up to become one of the

including Julio Iglesias, Matt Dillon and

country’s beloved wine experts – and do

Hunter Reno.

business with the Baron Eric de Rothschild – knew it was exceptional.

It was New Year’s Eve

not merely for his expertise, but also for the joy he brings to teaching students and customers about wine. Twenty

1967, and the Long

years ago, Miami Herald wine critic Fred

Island teen was about

Tasker dubbed him, “the universally

to ship off to Vietnam.

acknowledged wine guru of South Florida,

He attended a party

the nation’s third biggest wine market after

at the home of his

California and New York.”

friend Richie Prisco,

Wall Street Journal wine writers Dorothy

whose father was an

J. Gaiter and John Brecher named him in

orthopedic surgeon

2000 “a model of a great wine merchant.”

with an impressive wine

Their description of Cassidy the merchant

cellar. Cassidy spotted

could just as easily be Cassidy the

the Lafite and told his

professor.

friend, “That’s one of the world’s greatest

“Chip is very knowledgeable about wine, but that’s not what makes him

wines.” To their surprise,

special,” they wrote. “What always drew

Prisco’s dad let them

us to Chip was in his flat-out enthusiasm

open the bottle.

for the subject.”

Cassidy remembers the Lafite knocked his socks off. That

40 | SPRING SPRING 2012 2012

Today, he’s celebrated in wine circles

The Wall Street Journal made note of his refreshingly unpretentious way with

tasting was the beginning

wine: “I don’t think he ever said anything

of a lifetime of teaching,

to us like, ‘You’ll enjoy the bramble-like

savoring and sharing wine as

bouquet of this wine.’ Instead he says

things like, ‘This wine will blow your

for Clicquot, Inc. after graduating from

The 2000 European Wine Council’s

head off!’ ”

the School of Hospitality. “I took Chip’s

Ambassador’s Award and Market Watch

wine class and I was really fascinated

Retailer of the Year.

Napa Valley rare and fine wine expert Gence Alton ’02, one of Cassidy’s former

by wine and by him. Chip became my

students, says, “He has the humility that

mentor. He had me sitting in meetings with

are far and wide, from winemakers to

only genuine lovers of wine are capable of

distributors. He had me tasting wine all the

acquiring in this realm. He is as down-to-

time. I realized I really wanted to get into

wine writers and wine sellers. In talking

earth as wine itself gets, a trait that a lot of

the wine business.”

people in the business tend to lack.”

Anybody can learn to appreciate wine, says Cassidy. He quotes the renowned wine expert Alexis Lichine: “When it comes

Long after they graduate, Cassidy‘s former students still call on him for advice.

“Not only did Chip mentor me through my FIU years, but he was also there for

Cassidy’s connections in the wine world

about French wine during class last fall, he regaled students with stories of his encounters with France’s most famous wine families. Later in his life, Baron Philippe de Rothschild did business from his bed in the Château

to wine, I tell people to throw away the vintage charts and

Mouton Rothschild in

invest in a corkscrew. The

Bordeaux. So Cassidy

best way to learn about wine is the drinking.”

“You just have to practice,” Cassidy said. “Your parents

The scores of students he has mentored credit him with teaching them to appreciate wine and opening doors for their career.

visited with the baron in his private quarters.

“No matter what room you went into in his house,

never taught you about your

there was a pad and a

palate, did they? That’s what

dozen sharp pencils.”

I do. I get people really thinking about

me after graduation and beyond,” says

Cassidy said. “He said if he had an idea

themselves. I get them in a frame of mind

Alton. “He remains the wind beneath my

he always wanted to write it down and he

so they really want to learn this, achieve

wings. I am proud to be a ‘Chipster’ as

didn’t want to have to look for paper. He

this. I put them on the path.”

his lifelong protégés in this small business

was unbelievable.”

Cassidy has led FIU’s wine program at the Chaplin School of Hospitality

affectionately call him.”

Just as Cassidy has served his students,

He also has spent time with Baron Eric de Rothschild, maker of Château Lafite,

and Tourism Management since 1984.

he has helped the university’s hospitality

His wine courses provide a broad

program grow and mature into one of

understanding of wine as a cultural

the best in the country. In 1997, Cassidy

institution and business, set in the context

worked with Southern Wine & Spirits

of world history. He also teaches them

of America to launch an FIU food and

how to drink wine – smelling, swirling and

wine festival. That event is now the

de Rothschild shared a 1937 Château

spitting a variety of wines in every class.

internationally renowned Food Network

d’Yquem together, one of the greatest

South Beach Wine & Food Festival,

vintages of the legendary wine known

of the world’s top wineries, restaurants,

attracting more than 50,000 visitors every

as “liquid gold.” A photo of Cassidy,

distributors, hotels and resorts. The scores

February and raising millions for FIU. The

Rothschild and the late Jay Weiss of

of students he has mentored credit him

university awarded Cassidy the 2006

Southern Wine hangs in Cassidy’s office.

with teaching them to appreciate wine and

Excellence in Service Award, citing the

opening doors for their careers.

festival in his lengthy record of service.

Cassidy’s former students work in some

“I had no idea what I wanted to do

He travels the world tasting 5,000

the wine that first made him think, “If I want to drink wines like this, I have to get into the wine business.”

Years after that first Lafite, he and Eric

“I tell my students, ‘I can’t say I ever made a lot of money, but boy I’ve had the greatest life you could ever

with my life when I started at FIU,” said

wines per year and judging top wine

imagine,’” Cassidy said. “Wine is a great,

Stephanie Honig ’97, who went to work

competitions. Among his many accolades:

great business.”

n

SPRING 2012

| 41

THE

By Dianne Fernandez ’94 Photo by Josh Ritchie

on Brickell Key where, until recently, she

CB: I love riesling. My favorite pairing is riesling

is preparing to become the country’s first

oversaw a collection of 500 bottles. She has

with Peruvian food. Tiraditos, ceviche – it’s

Hispanic woman to earn the prestigious

traveled the world honing a delicate palate that

heaven. That was my first request when I gave

title of master sommelier from the Court of

can discern the subtlest of distinctions.

birth. I had my son and decided to wait until

At 32, FIU alumna Cynthia Betancourt ’06

Masters. When it comes to wine experts,

A certified advanced sommelier, soon she’ll

I could really enjoy it. Four weeks later, my

there is no finer vintage than that. After all,

start studying four hours a day, every day for

husband and I came to the Mandarin to eat. I

there are only 186 people in the entire world

her three-part master sommelier test. It’ll take

savored that half glass of wine and every bite. I

with this distinction. Only 17 of them happen

two years for her to be completely ready to

especially love S. A. Prüm riesling.

to be women. To be counted among them is

tackle the blind wine tastings and rigorous

DF: Fine wine isn’t just for fine dining

a dream Betancourt began cultivating while

theoretical exam about droughts, production

anymore. What can you serve up on

studying at FIU.

lines and seasons across the globe’s wine

pizza night?

producing regions. All of it, while doting on her

CB: Refreshing reds: barbera, dolcetto. Pizza

1-year-old son.

and primitivo is also a great pairing. The right

It was here she found herself engrossed by introductory wine courses. The trained chef would soon trade in her apron for a decanter.

FIU staff writer Dianne Fernandez ’94

wine can go with just about anything.

Since then, she was named Best Young

sat down with Betancourt at Azul’s terrace

DF: I love that! In that spirit, let’s go

Sommelier in a recent competition sponsored

overlooking Biscayne Bay to talk wine and

ethnic. I come from a big Cuban family.

by Les Chaînes des Rôtisseurs, the world’s

food pairings while sampling one of the

What wine would you pair with arroz

oldest international gastronomic society,

restaurant’s exquisite dishes.

con pollo?

and has worked at some of South Florida’s

DF: It’s your job to know what is the

CB: I would probably do an oak-aged

premiere restaurants. In 2007, she was named

perfect wine for every meal. What’s your

sauvignon blanc. Illumination by

wine director of Azul at the Mandarin Oriental

favorite pairing of all time?

Quintessa, specifically.

42 | SPRING 2012

DF: You chose Azul’s smoked octopus and babaganoush for our pairing. What wines are we sampling?

CB: It’s my favorite dish. To start, Gewurztraminer by Navarro. It really accentuates the spices, but it is low in alcohol.

It won’t make the dish spicier. You don’t want to cover up the chef’s subtleties.

DF: How important is that?

CB: As a sommelier, we should approach the pairing of wine keeping in mind both the palette of the guest and the effort of the chef in creating the dish. Next with our pairing is Montenisa. It is a rosé sparkling wine. Very high in acidity. Very refreshing. It’s the opposite of the Gewurztraminer. What I’m doing with this rosé is cleaning your palate, reviving it.

These are the two options the sommeliers usually use to pair.

DF: Both are amazing. Which is your favorite?

CB: Oh gosh, it’s like choosing your favorite

son. If I was having it for dinner, I would go with Gewurztraminer. If I was having octopus as an appetizer, then I’d go with the Montenisa.

DF: What’s another cool pairing?

CB: Burgers and Carmenere from Casa Lapostolle. It’s really good. Get blue cheese, sautéed onions and add bacon. Delicious!

DF: What’s the best wine out there for, let’s say, less than 15 bucks?

CB: Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes. It’s a great white wine. She also makes wonderful reds at very affordable prices.

DF: What is your favorite part of being a sommelier?

CB: Being part of the dining experience, being able to accentuate what the chef is doing.

You really get to know people too. Once customers come by a few times, you get to know their likes and dislikes. They really open up to the sommelier.

DF: What do you attribute that to?

CB: Your being approachable and humble. You can’t impose on people what they should enjoy – a guest is going to have what they want. My approach is to be of an inviting nature. Rather than correcting, enlightening.

DF: As a sommelier, how often have you introduced someone to a wine they cherished?

CB: Five to 10 times a week.

DF: Are you surprised FIU has cultivated the careers of several winemakers and winery owners as well as sommeliers of your stature?

CB: I think FIU has one of the best hospitality programs in the country. The reason why I enjoyed going there is because it’s not just theoretical, a lot of the teachers have real working knowledge. They know people in the industry. It was great networking. Last year, I had two interns from FIU. One of them was my assistant sommelier. FIU cultivates that talent. n

Cynthia Betancourt, left, shares wine and food pairing ideas with FIU writer Dianne Fernandez.

SPRING 2012 | 43

For a healthy heart consider a red

By Jean-Paul Renaud MPA ’11

Hippocrates used red wine to disinfect wounds. The Romans would add small amounts to their water supply to ensure purity. And in William Shakespeare’s

provided it’s done in moderation.

Specifically, red wine benefits the heart in three major ways.

First, Brill said research has found that

Hamlet, Cornelius toasts to his nephew’s

the ingredients found in red grapes, most

“better health” – even if the wine did turn

notably resveratrol, boost the production of

out to be poisoned.

high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol

it may

Even before microbes could be magnified

– the good kind of cholesterol that helps

not be just

or arteries could be mended, people turned

remove the plaque that builds around the

the wine alone

to wine, not only to soothe, but also to heal.

artery wall. Heart attacks happen when that

that causes the French

But it wasn’t until much ado was made over

plaque bursts or builds to a point that clogs

to live longer and healthier lives, despite their

the French, their eating habits and their

the artery and prevents blood flow.

cuisine. Literally, Berdofe said, it may be their

lifespan that modern science started taking wine as seriously as, well, everyone else.

The “French Paradox,” as it’s been dubbed, ponders the question: How can a people

Second, those same elements in grapes not only raise HDL cholesterol, but also make the particles bigger.

“You want big, fat fluffy versions of HDL,”

who invented such delicacies as quiche,

Brill said. “That’s a beautiful thing when it

foie gras and éclairs have such relatively low

comes to preventing heart disease.”

cases of heart disease and cholesterol?

Finally, red wine increases antioxidant

And

joie de vivre.

“For the French, it may also include being active, eating right and having a strong social community,” he said.

Tania Rivera, an assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics at FIU, agrees that there is still much to learn about wine’s

levels, which fight the very creation of

role in keeping the heart healthy. She

plaque. And to top it off, Brill said, the

emphasizes that alcohol is not part of a

wine in moderation provides your body with

ethanol found in wine – and in all alcoholic

healthy diet.

significant heart health benefit,” said FIU

beverages – seems to increase the potency

alumna and nutritionist Janet Brill MS ’93, the

of those antioxidants already found in

day, I wouldn’t recommend to someone who

author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack.

grapes (and any other red fruit).

doesn’t drink to start the habit just to keep

The answer, many put forth, was in the wine.

“The research is concrete that drinking

“I recommend to everyone that can drink safely to drink one glass a day.”

Brill, who dedicates an entire chapter of her book to the benefits of red wine, notes

“At the base level, everything looks great for wine,” said sommelier and wine educator Aaron Berdofe.

Berdofe reminds us that the research is

“Although it doesn’t hurt to have a glass a

the heart healthy,” she said.

So, which would be the heart healthiest wines? Pinot Noir, says Brill. Grapes grown for this red wine usually come from cold

that someone who drinks in moderation

fairly new and many times, “we just want

and wet environments so that the healthiest

decreases their chance of a heart attack by

justification for drinking wine.” Moderation is

parts of the fruit are kept at their freshest.

50 percent. Even someone who discovers

key. That means two 8-ounce glasses a day

Other dark, rich reds like cabernet and petite

wine later in life can reap the benefits –

for men and one for women.

syrah also top the list for health benefits. n

44 | SPRING 2012

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Grape

Expectations

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 I Photos by Eduardo Merille ’97 MBA ’00 GO.FIU.EDU/HONIG

Dawn approaches slowly on the Napa Valley floor. When the sun finally brushes across the top of the Vaca Mountains, the Honig wine estate begins to glow with all of the promise and spectacle that nature has to offer.

Solar panels project an iridescent rainbow of butterflies and bees. A red winged hawk watches over the grape vines, soaring over the golden-green cascade that stretches into the horizon.

This is what FIU alumna Stephanie Honig ’97 sees from her back patio. So sublime is the view that the Honig family hired California artist Tom Hennessey to create an illustration of it for their sauvignon blanc label. The label was all the buzz when it debuted and brought renewed acclaim for their wine.

46 | SPRING 2012

SPRING 2012

| 47

“It turns out the wine inside the bottle is as refreshing as the label,” wrote California wine blogger Peg Melnik. “It has aromas

and you are selling something that makes

for owls that control rodents. They’ve also

people happy.”

created a natural habitat for blue birds, bats

At 60,000 cases annually, Honig is a

and bees.

Five wind machines protect crops during

and flavors of grapefruit, pear, melon and

medium-sized winery that makes two wines,

spice. The wine has a round texture and

a cabernet sauvignon and a sauvignon

the winter by mixing the air and raising the

vibrant acidity. A great package inside

blanc. At $40 for the red and $17 for the

temperature by a few degrees to prevent

and out.”

white, both are praised as exceptional

freeze. This is a more eco-friendly approach

values. Honig wine is sold in 19 countries

than pumping water to protect against frost.

Honig lives on the estate with her husband, Michael, who brought new life to the family

and featured in hundreds of restaurants

winery when he took it over in 1984. Their

around the country.

three children Sophia, 4, Lola, 3, and

The Honig wine bottle is 15 percent lighter than standard wine bottles. Less glass

The little creatures that inhabit the Honig

means less energy used in its production

Sebastian, 1, are growing

and less fuel needed

up nibbling on sauvignon

to ship. The winery

blanc grapes.

also saves on fuel by coordinating its pickup

Raised in Argentina, Honig discovered her love of wine

and delivery schedule

in college when she took a

so that delivery trucks

class and did an internship

always leave with a full

with Chip Cassidy in the

load of bottled wine. Plus,

School of Hospitality and

the tractors in its vineyard

Tourism Management.

use biodiesel fuel.

In 2006, the Honigs

“Chip became my mentor,” she said. “He had

installed 829 solar

me sitting in meetings with

panels at a cost of $1

distributors. He had me

million. The panels power

tasting wine all the time. I

the winery and their

realized I really wanted to

private home, saving

get into the wine business.”

them $42,000 a year

After graduating, Honig

Stephanie Honig and her son Sebastian

Honig Sauvignon Blanc

in electrical bills and

went to work in sales for Clicquot Inc.

vineyard bring more than rural charm. They

preventing the emission of more than 7.5

in New York and for Rudd Winery of

are part of the Honig family’s approach to

million pounds of carbon dioxide.

Napa Valley. In 2004, she completed an

winemaking. Their 70 acres of cabernet

Advanced Certificate and Diploma with

sauvignon and sauvignon blanc grapes are

of the soil, the vineyards and their business.

the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust. She

grown according to California’s new code of

Honig says, “We are stewards of the

later started making wine in Argentina and

sustainability standards.

land and it is our responsibility to take

imported her own wine brand. She now

In 2010, Honig was one of 17 wineries to

The family focuses the long-term viability

care of it and pass it on to our children in

handles public relations and develops

participate in a pilot project for the state’s

excellent condition. Better soil and better

international and national markets for

new sustainability certification. They have

grapes also make better wine. If you buy

Honig Vineyard and Winery.

maintained the certifications since then,

a nice heirloom tomato and you buy a

even publishing their “Green Report Card”

commercially grown tomato and make

FIU and my FIU professors who got me

online. They were rated “excellent” in almost

sauce out of each, clearly you’re going to

educated and excited about wine, I wouldn’t

every category from minimizing water use to

have better sauce with the heirloom tomato.

have taken this path,” Honig says. “There

their comprehensive employee benefits.

It’s the same with grapes and wine. A

“If it had not been for wine classes at

is a lot about wine that I love. It’s a very dynamic business, wine is a fun product, 48 | SPRING 2012

Instead of spraying chemicals, the winery uses owl boxes, which provide a habitat

beautiful vineyard is a healthy vineyard that produces great wine.” n

from the Alumni Association President I’ve had the privilege of serving as president of the FIU Alumni Association for the last two years. As we look forward to welcoming a new president for the Alumni Association in May 2012, I’d like to take time to reflect and offer my gratitude. It has been an exciting time for FIU and especially the Alumni Association.

The programs of the Alumni Association have continued to grow alongside our university’s growth. We have hosted the largest, most successful Torch Awards in our history and moved the annual event to the chic JW Marriott Marquis downtown.

We reinvigorated the Panther Pit Alumni Association Tailgates at the football games in time for the 2010 season. Since then, we have hosted some historic pre-game tailgates that have brought thousands of people back to campus. The Alumni Association also won a new grant to hire the university’s first career services specialist dedicated to serving our graduates. Last year, we traveled to China and established a new chapter in Beijing, bringing more than 200 China graduates together for the inaugural chapter event.

I am particularly proud that the Alumni Association has also become increasingly involved with supporting our students. This year, half of the proceeds of the Torch Awards are being dedicated to the First Generation Scholarship Fund. The annual fishing tournament provides thousands more in additional scholarships to FIU students.

On a personal level, my time as president has given me the opportunity to connect with many alumni, give back to my university and participate in community projects. I have enjoyed this the most – being able to tell the FIU story to alumni and members of our community. I will continue to do so long after my presidency ends.

I have also learned a great deal as president. Representing the Alumni Association on the Foundation Board of Directors has allowed me the opportunity to gain experience in fundraising and planning for campaigns. I believe that FIU’s aggressive fundraising campaign can be achieved when alumni in the city become engaged. As a graduate and Panther, I look forward to continuing to serve the university’s campaign.

All of the accomplishments of the Alumni Association resulted from the hard work of many, especially my fellow Alumni Association board members and staff. FIU is lucky to have dedicated and talented individuals who put in long hours to ensure its success. I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who has worked with me during the past two years. A special thanks goes out to my friends in Alumni Relations, Advancement and External Relations.

Moving forward, I will continue to give back to my alma mater in any way I can. I am excited for the future of our university. Go Panthers!

FIU 2011-’12 Alumni Association Board Executive Committee Joaquín “Jack” F. González ’97 President Gonzalo Acevedo ’91, MBA ’10 Vice President Ariana Fajardo, Esq. ’93 Secretary Sharon Fine ’99, MS ’11 Treasurer Gabriel Albelo ’93 Parliamentarian Ralph Rosado ’96, MA ’03 Governmental Relations Officer José M. Pérez de Corcho ’93 Past President

Officers Gus Alfonso ’02, Ms ’08 Chi Ali ’00 Stewart L. Appelrouth MBA ’80 Ricardo C. Cabrera ’94 Lilian T. Chiu ’00 Elizabeth Cross ’89 Isabel C. Díaz, Esq. ’01 Cynthia J. Dienstag, Esq. ’83 Marlon Font ’04 Anastasia Garcia ’89 Jorge F. Hernández ’95 Michael A. Hernández ’04, MPA ’11 Eduardo Hondal ’88, MS ’00 Samuel C. Jackson MPA ’90 Jaime N. Machado ’01, MBA ’10 Michael P. Maher ’97 Ana L. Martínez, CPA MAcc. ’92 Franklin Gentle McCune ’05, MS ’08 Michael R. Méndez ’03, MA ’10 Alberto Padrón ’98, MBA ’09 Frank Javier Peña ’99 Enrique Piñeiro ’03 Alicia M. Robles de la Lama, Esq. ’98 A. Celina Saucedo ’99, MPA ’11

Jack González ’97 SPRING 2012 | 49

GO.FIU.EDU/2011BOWL

The FIU Panthers went to their second bowl game in two years – and brought a few thousand friends along for the ride to St. Petersburg, Fla., where the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl was held at Tropicana Field. “This was our largest away game tailgate to date, with more than 1,000 people in attendance,” said Duane Wiles, interim executive director of FIU Alumni Relations.

A contingent of more than 600 Panthers boarded buses at MMC and hundreds more drove up with friends so they could witness the matchup against Marshall University. FIU lost to Marshall 20-10, but fans had a great time at the bowl game festivities, including the Panther Pit tailgate with food, music, games, prizes and performances by the FIU Marching Band.

Spotted in the crowed were the Four Horsemen, Michael Maher ’97, Frank Peña ’99, Alberto Padron ’98, MBA ’09 and Eddie Hondal ’88 MS ’00 – as well as a famous Panther, Danny Pino ’96, the star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Photos by Samuel Lewis

Psychology senior Patricia Martinez gives a shout-out to wide receiver T.Y. Hilton during what was #4’s final game as a Panther.

50 | SPRING 2012

FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg greets Marcel Navarro ’93, an FIU Board of Directors member, and his wife Susana Navarro ’94. Joining them are the couple’s children, Aly, AJ (middle) and Alex.

The FIU Marching Band pumps up the crowd as it makes its way through the Panther Pit Tailgate into Tropicana Field.

Duane Wiles, interim executive director of the FIU Alumni Association, pulls doubleduty as he greets fellow tailgaters and dotes on his son Julian.

Flag bearer Kevin Cruz, a biology junior, leads the FIU Cheerleaders onto the field.

Criminal justice senior Ceasha Wilson and recent business management grad Jamesha Richardson ’12 strike a pose at the Panther Pit Tailgate.

SPRING 2012 | 51

FIUWine Count ry Weekend GO.FIU.EDU/WINEWEEKEND

The FIU Alumni Association’s first Wine Country Weekend brought together alumni from around the country for a three-day tour of Napa and Sonoma during harvest season. During the October 2011 trip, travelers visited alumni-owned vineyards and wineries and enjoyed wine lectures by Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Professor Chip Cassidy ’75 and California wine expert Clark Smith.

They were treated to a reception at Uncorked at Oxbow, a Napa wine tasting salon owned by FIU alumna Celeste Carducci ’77 and a soiree at B Cellars winery, owned by FIU alumnus Duffy Keys ’75. Host hotel for the weekend was the Flamingo Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, whose marketing is led by FIU alumnus Dan Brown ’77.

52 | SPRING 2012

Photos by Eduardo Merille ’97 MBA ’00

Making FIU connections in California

By Deborah O’Neil MA ’09 GO.FIU.EDU/BROWN On any given day at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort, a Hollywood film crew might arrive for a two-month stay or a mother might give 48 hours notice for a 100-person quince.

As the director of sales and marketing for the retro-inspired Santa Rosa hotel, Dan Brown ’77 helps make it all happen.

The Flamingo has been host to many memorable events, from weddings and reunions to the filming of the movie Bandits and most recently, filming for the new movie, The Five Year Engagement. Brown even got to be part of the cast, appearing in a scene with Jason Segal and Chris Pratt.

“What I like about the hotel business is you are able to meet people from all over the world,” he said. “You see them enjoying themselves with family, friends and associates and you get to be part of that experience. It’s really a joy to provide people a beautiful setting for that special moment in their lives.”

After graduating from FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Brown was selected for the Hyatt Management Training program. “I’m forever grateful to FIU for having the major hotels come down and recruit students,” Brown said.

He went on to spend five years working for Hyatt in Chicago and San Francisco and later moved into marketing for resorts like the Red Mountain Resort and Spa in Utah and Loews Coronado in San Diego.

When the FIU Alumni Association decided to organize a wine country weekend travel excursion, Brown was happy to help with the planning. The Flamingo served as the host hotel for the harvest season getaway. Brown reconnected with his hospitality classmate Celeste Carducci and his former professor Rocco Angelo while meeting other alumni also working in California wine county.

“This has been great,” Brown said. “We are finding out who is in our own backyard and making those connections.” n SPRING 2012

| 53

Cruise with FIU in 2012-2013 The FIU Alumni Association is pleased to announce two spectacular voyages to the Mediterranean and New Zealand/Australia for the 2012-13 travel seasons. You’ll be sailing on Celebrity’s award winning ships – the Equinox and Solstice. FIU President Mark Rosenberg and FIU Foundation President Howard Lipman will be your hosts on our Mediterranean cruise. Bill Draughon, associate vice president of University Advancement, will host the New Zealand/Australia cruise.

A donation will be made to the FIU First Generation scholarship fund for every cruised booked through Cruiseland/Cruise Planners.

For more information or to book your cruise, contact FIU alumnus Bob Zweig ’85 at Cruise Planners/Cruiseland – 866-946-2732 or Bob@Cruiseland.com and request the FIU Alumni promotion that features a $200 shipboard credit per stateroom. Space is limited so please reserve your stateroom soon.

More PANTHER getaways Alumni can explore exciting destinations around the world through the FIU Alumni Association travel program.

History Comes Alive

Breathtaking scenery

LAND JOURNEYS

Eastern Mediterranean, 11 nights roundtrip

New Zealand/Australia, 12 nights

Departing on July 23, 2012 from Rome, Italy, on Celebrity

Departing on March 16, 2013 from Auckland,

Equinox

New Zealand, on Celebrity Solstice

Hosted by FIU President Mark Rosenberg and FIU Senior

Hosted by Associate Vice President of Advancement

Vice President of Advancement and Foundation President

Bill Draughon

Normandy & Paris Tuscany-Cortona Treasures of East Africa Treasures of India & Nepal

Howard Lipman

Your “Down Under” New Zealand and Australia cruise will overflow with natural and cultural wonders plus unique

LAND & CRUISE JOURNEY

sounds and tastes on this grand voyage of discovery.

wildlife. The grandeur of New Zealand’s countryside and

China & Yangtze River

Step back in time as you explore the eternal city of Rome.

the stunning World Heritage Fjordland National Park will

Admire Greece and all its ancient glory from the Acropolis

enthrall you. Enjoy one of the world’s most popular and

to the breathtaking beauty of the Greek Isles. See history

cosmopolitan cities – Sydney, Australia, with its beautiful

come alive where continents converge and cultures cross in

harbor and iconic Opera House. Take a helicopter ride

Turkey’s spiritual heart – Istanbul. Visit the ruins of Pompeii

to look for great white sharks off world famous Bondi

and drive the scenic Amalfi Coast high above the glistening

Beach and experience one of the seven natural wonders

Tyrrhenian. Ports of call include: Santorini, Greece, Istanbul,

of the world, the Great Barrier Reef. Ports of call include:

Turkey; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Athens, Greece;

Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Dusky,

For information about dates, pricing

Mykonos, Greece; Naples/Capri and Rome, Italy.

Doubtful and Milford Sounds, New Zealand, and Melbourne

and itineraries please contact Bill

and Sydney, Australia.

Draughon at 305-348-3961 or

Your senses will come alive with a kaleidoscope of sights,

RIVER JOURNEYS Rhone River Waterways & Canals of Holland & Belgium

Draughon@fiu.edu or visit the FIU 54 | SPRING 2012

Alumni Association travel page at fiualumni.com.

Class Notes 1970 Frank M. Souto ’74 is president of FMS & Associates, LLC, a company based in Racine, Wis., that consults with credit and collection companies. He also represents the Texas-based business of his designer brother-in-law, Silvio Menéndez, Wild Timber Designs, which manufactures a variety of wood products. An Alumni Association Silver Pride Inductee, Souto works with alumni associations at different universities across the United States to raise additional funds for those associations.

1980 Jesus Romero ’81, MS ’83 was included in Barron’s magazine’s listing of the top 1,000 financial advisors in America for the first time this year. A Merrill Lynch financial advisor with more than 50 years of experience, Romero specializes in the handling of wealth and liability solutions.

Keren Peters-Atkinson ’88

recently was promoted to chief marketing officer of Madison Commercial Real Estate Services. She previously served as the company’s director of sales and marketing. In her new position, PetersAtkinson will direct the traditional and online marketing plans for Madison’s 10 companies and 12 joint ventures, as well as those of related entities nationwide. She also will continue to write the company’s awardwinning weekly work/life advice e-newsletter and blog, “Monday Mornings with Madison,” which can be found at mondaymornings. madisoncres.com.

Ivan J. Parron ’94, JD ’05, principal partner of the Miami Beach-based entertainment, media and sports law firm Parron Law, was admitted to the New York State Bar. Parron is already admitted to practice law in Florida and Washington, D.C. Luis Marcelino Gómez ’95, MA ’98, Ph.D. ’01, a senior lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, published his fourth short-story collection, Cuando Llegaron los Helechos (When the Ferns Arrived), last November.

Ginelle Santamaria ’99 and Michael Joaquin Alvarez welcomed their first baby, a son named Michael Joaquin Alvarez II, last Oct. 9.

2000 Larry Fleurantin, Esq. ’00, an Honors College graduate and the principal attorney at Larry R. Fleurantin & Associates, published an article titled, “Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies in Immigration Cases: Finding Jurisdiction to Review Unexhausted Claims the Board of Immigration Appeals Considers Sua Sponte on the Merits.” The article appeared in a 2010-’11 issue of the American Journal of Trial Advocacy.

Maria Arbiol ’03 and Luis Lopez del Castillo ’04

1990 José Tomas ’92, MS ’03

was elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest HR association. Tomas serves as president of Latin American and Caribbean operations and global chief human resources officer for the Burger King Corporation.

Gabriel Albelo ’93, president of the Miami-based TransAmerica Training, was honored by Oracle University last fall with a National Special Recognition and Marketing Collaboration Awards for his and his company’s outstanding track record in selling, supporting or delivering Oracle training. He is a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

were married last July 9 at Viña Casas del Bosque, a vineyard in Santiago, Chile.

The couple first met in FIU in 2002 and currently reside in North Carolina, where she is finishing a degree in educational leadership at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and he works in the Raleigh office of Wasserman Media Group as a Hispanic marketing consultant.

Al Rego MBA ’04 recently was promoted to vice president of Clinical Operations at Miami Children’s Hospital. Rego, who has been with the hospital for more than two decades, now oversees its pharmacy; clinical laboratory; departments of radiology, dietary and environmental services; and patient and guest relations.

Rosanna Fiske MS ’94

was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanic business executives in HispanicBusiness magazine’s October 2011 issue.

The associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and director of the Global Strategic Communications master’s program at FIU was among 30 Hispanic executives selected in the Corporate Influential category. She was chosen for the impact she has had inspiring other Hispanics in their in communications career paths.

“I am honored to have been selected by HispanicBusiness as one of the leading Hispanic business leaders,” she said. “As a Hispanic faculty member in the leading communications program for Hispanic students, it is especially rewarding to be part of such a distinguished group of diverse executives and academics.”

Fiske was the first Hispanic woman president of the Miami chapter of Public Relations Society of America. She has received a number of industry and academic awards, including an FIU Torch Award, the 2010 Public Relations Professional of the Year PRemio Award by the Hispanic Public Relations Association for her many years of service to advance the profession, as well as her community.

At FIU, Fiske has been instrumental in helping shape the school’s Global Strategic Communications program into the largest graduate communications program in Florida.

Currently, she also serves as the chair and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America.

Alumni Association Member

SPRING 2012 | 55

Susan (Novoa) Carvajal ’06, MS ’09 and George Carvajal ’08 were married on Sept. 23, in a ceremony that was dressed up in blue and gold.

The bride and groom reached out to FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg and the FIU Alumni Association to inquire about some FIU goodies that could help enliven the ceremony, since their wedding’s colors were navy blue and gold. FIU holds a special place in the couple’s hearts: the pair met at FIU in 2006 playing intramural soccer with their respective Greek organizations.

“We bleed Blue and Gold,” Susan said. “We both worked on campus and we lived in the dorms, so it’s no surprise that the majority of our love story was written with FIU as its stage.”

To make their special day even more so, FIU sent beads and pompoms their way, as well as a very special guest: Roary.

Lourdes Cristina Cortizo ’07 married Edward Joseph Acevedo at Gesu Catholic Church in Miami last Aug. 20.

They reside in Arlington, Va., where Lourdes is a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C., and Edward is a professional staff member for the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs under the leadership of U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ’75, MS ’87.

Norma Watkins ’08, a professor emerita at Miami-Dade College, has written a memoir titled, The Last Resort: Taking the Mississippi Cure. In her book, Watkins tells the story of a childhood at Allison’s Wells, a popular Mississippi spa proper white people run by her aunt, and of a one-woman battle against the hypocrisies of segregated society.

Jenifer Merille ’11 and Eduardo Merille ’97, MBA ’00 had quite the blessed December 2011. On Dec. 12, Jenifer earned her degree in education and crossed the stage nine months pregnant.

Eddie, who is FIU’s director of marketing and new media, snapped this picture of her at Commencement with FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. Less than two weeks later on Dec. 23, baby Melody Blas Merille arrived just in time for Christmas. Melody was welcomed by brother Luke, 4, sister Mila, 2, and by her abuela, fellow FIU alumna Marianela Merille ’75, MS ’77.

Alumni Association Member

Build something larger than yourself.

This is what it means to be a member of the FIU Alumni Association.

Give Back.

Connect.

Enjoy.

56 | SPRING 2012 fiualumni.com/join • 305-FIU-ALUM

VIP:

Very Important Panther

Eric Pfeffer ’77 • Founder and President of The Pfeffer Group, LLC • Former Chairman of Wyndham Hotels Worldwide • Lifetime Member, FIU Alumni Association • Bachelor’s in hospitality and tourism management Q. What are your fondest memories of FIU? A. The relationships I developed with international students from South America, the Middle East, India and Greece come to mind. As it turns out, this understanding of and getting used to multi-cultural mentalities, customs and other idiosyncrasies early on in life gave me a competitive advantage as I climbed the corporate ladder.

Q. How did FIU prepare you for your career?

A. I was a veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces and a foreign student, so when I came here I was ready to work. I felt that FIU professors gave me an immediate understanding of the basics of hotel and restaurant business and its marketing, operational and financial aspects. Their advice was very instrumental in my decisions.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

A. I was told to work in the industry while I studied it and to keep an open mind. I once faced a crucial decision and I approached Professor Rocco Angelo for advice. During graduation, I was offered a management trainee position at The Plaza in New York and, since I was already a front office manager at the Howard Johnson Golden Glades, I was also offered the assistant manager position of the flagship Howard Johnson in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Rocco’s advice turned out to be prophecy. He said to me, “Don’t be blinded by the glamour, someone has to be the president of Howard Johnson.” Within 15 years, I was named president of Howard Johnson Hotels.

Q. Why is it important to be involved with your alma mater?

A. First, keeping in touch with the past, with those who had an impact on your life, is a great foundation for continued success and happiness, regardless of your goals or purpose in life. Second, I always keep in touch with the faculty to stay up to date on the young graduates coming out of school for recruitment purposes or as a source of current information.

Q. What is your proudest accomplishment?

A: On the business side, the fact that I was able to succeed in the corporate world, retiring from the highest position at Wyndham Hotels Worldwide (the largest franchiser of hotels in the world), and establishing The Pfeffer Group. The company allowed me to go from being a “corporate animal” to an entrepreneur. When we started, we were doing only consulting and we’ve since ventured into a number of partnerships, including The Pfeffer Group Retail Division, financial investments and a residential real estate private fund. On the personal side, my daughters Jacqueline and Jessica give me a lot of pride and joy.

Photo by Doug Hungerford

SPRING 2012 | 57

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58 | SPRING 2012

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