A leading wine educator, international wine judge, wine writer, and sommelier, Robin Kelley O’Connor recently joined Italian Wine Merchants (IWM), where he’ll be adding his thirty years of experience, authority and passion to seminars, dinner events, sales, offerings and wine education. In addition. Mr. O’Connor was previously Lead Specialist & Head of Wine, Americas for Christie’s Auction House. He is a Christie’s trained charity auctioneer. Prior to Christie’s, he was Director of Sales and Education for Manhattan wine and spirits retailer Sherry-Lehmann, winner of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2010 Wine Retailer of the Year Award. Preceding Sherry-Lehmann, he was Trade Liaison and director of trade and consumer education in the Americas for the Bordeaux Wine Bureau (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) for 20 years. Robin holds Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and Certified Wine Educator (CWE) certifications from the Society of Wine Educators and passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Certified Sommelier exam. O'Connor served as president of the Society of Wine Educators from 2003-2007, is on the board of directors of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food, and has been a regular panelist at the Food and Wine Magazine Classic in Aspen for 20 years. As a popular wine educator and spokesperson, he has conducted over 2,500 seminars; written for the Trenton Times, Santé Magazine, Wine & Spirit; and served as senior editor for Kevin Zraly’s Complete Wine Course 25th Anniversary Edition. For over a year during 2008-2009 he traveled around the world with Kevin visiting over 20 Countries, 80 wine regions, and 500 appellations and tasted more than 7,000 wines. Among his many professional honors, Mr. O’Connor bears the distinction of induction into the wine world’s most prestigious institutions, including the Commanderie du Bontemps de Médoc- des Graves et de Sauternes-Barsac, the Jurade de Saint-Emilion and Les Hospitaliers de Pomerol.
Michael Rossi - Chef , The Ranch Restaurant
Michael Rossi - Chef , The Ranch Restaurant
THE RANCH Restaurant features true American regional cuisine. We’re cooking from scratch with the finest ingredients possible to capture the rustic style of wine country and the freshest flavors of the farm. We honor California’s great ranches, farms and dairies, the artisan bread bakers and cheese and wine makers. Our seasonally driven menu showcases the freshest produce in season- as nature intended. The emphasis is on farm to table, fresh organically grown fruits and vegetables from local farms and from our own ranch in the Santa Ana Mountains.
You can look forward to mountain lamb flown in from Colorado; steaks and beef from the highest quality ranches in the U.S. and seafood sourced from those who ensure the sustainability and the bounty of our oceans. The dining experience is in an atmosphere of comfort and truly old-fashioned genuine hospitality. THE RANCH’s wine program features an extensive and complete cellar and a world class selection of wine served in a friendly "non-intimidating" style. The restaurant's bar features a large selection of wines by the glass along with selected hand-crafted draft beers and the latest in mixology with fresh ingredients and great flavors. Don’t fret, there is also plenty of cold longnecks in THE RANCH Saloon to cool down with after dancing the two-step, line dancing, or learning the California state dance, the "west coast swing" to your favorite country artists!