Rodney Scott
Pitmaster Rodney Scott has been cooking whole-hog barbecue over wood coals since he was 11 years old. For the next 25 years he worked with his family in their barbecue stop in Hemingway, SC until 2017 when he opened Rodney Scottâs BBQ in the North Central neighborhood of Charleston, SC. In the same year the restaurant was named one the 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit Magazine and in 2018, Scott was awarded the James Beard Foundationâs award for Outstanding Chef: Southeast. In 2019 Rodney Scottâs BBQ opened a second location in the Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham, AL and in the summer of 2021, a third location in Atlanta, GA bringing whole-hog, South Carolina-style barbecue, along with his famous âRodneyâs Sauceâ to another part of the South. In 2024, another location opened on the fourth floor of Chiefâs on Broadway, bringing whole-hog barbecue to Nashville in collaboration with Eric Church.Â
Rodney has been the subject of a full episode of the award-winning Netflix series, Chefâs Table and worked as a judge on Food Networkâs BBQ Brawl for two seasons. His cookbook, Rodney Scottâs World of BBQ, published by Clarkson Potter was released in the spring of 2021 to great fanfare. His hard work, friendly manner and respect from his peers has offered Rodney many opportunities to travel around the world and cook alongside chefs and pitmasters in New York City, Belize, Uruguay and Australia.Â
Ray Isle
Ray Isle is the Executive Wine Editor of Food & Wine and the Wine & Spirits Editor for both Travel + Leisure and Departures. For Food & Wine he writes the monthly âWine Flightâ and âBottle Serviceâ columns; he also contributes regular magazine and online features on wine, spirits, and wine travel to all three brands. His articles about wine, beer, food and spirits have appeared in a wide range of national publications. He has been nominated twice for a James Beard Award, has twice won the IACP Award for Narrative Beverage Writing, and his work appears in The Best Food Writing 2017. He speaks regularly on wine at live events and is a frequent guest on national media, appearing on programs such as Today, CNBCâs On the Money & Squawk Box, NPRâs âAll Things Considered,â and American Public Mediaâs âSplendid Table,â among others. Follow his wine exploits on twitter @islewine and on Instagram @rayisle.
Femi Oyediran
Femi is a sommelier and the co-owner of Graft Wine Shop in Charleston, SC. He discovered his passion for wine while working at one of Charleston's most celebrated dining destinations, The Charleston Grill at the Charleston Place Hotel. During his time at the Grill, he made the rare achievement of passing the first three levels of the Court of Master Sommeliers within two years. He is also a two-time national finalist for the Chaine des Rotisseurs Best Young Sommelier in America competition and the winner of the 2017 & 2019 Top Somm Blind Tasting Competition of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. He was awarded Wine Enthusiast Magazineâs 2018 â40 Under 40' and was selected as âSommelier of the Yearâ by Food and Wine Magazine in 2019.
Julia Coney
Julia Coney is a Washington, D.C. and Houston, Texas-based wine writer, wine educator, and consultant. Julia is the Wine Consultant for American Airlines in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. Julia is the recipient of Wine Enthusiast's 2020 Social Visionary Award Winner for her work in writing and speaking on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the wine industry. Wine Industry Network has named her one of Wineâs Most Inspiring People for 2022.
Julia is the Founder of Black Wine Professionals, a resource for wine industry employers and gatekeepers, professionals, and the food and beverage community. Their goal is to lift up the multifaceted Black professionals in the world of wine.
Julia is the Wine Columnist for Sweet July Magazine and a former Contributing Editor at VinePair. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, Thrillist, The Tasting Panel, Plate Magazine, Forbes.com, WineEnthusiast.com, The Washington Post, Seven Fifty Daily, Â Wine Searcher, the Financial Times, JancisRobinson.com, Glamour, Essence, and numerous print and digital publications. Julia is a 2019 Fellow of the Professional Wine Writers Symposium at Meadowood Napa Valley.
Julia has spoken at conferences such as TEXSOM, SommCon, wine2wine, Assemblage Symposium, The Culinary Institute of Americaâs Summit for Sommeliers and Beverage Professionals, Jackson Family Wines Rooted for Good, and Bâtonnage Forum. Julia is an experienced wine judge and has judged wines at TEXSOM, FLIWC, Wines of Michigan, and the Portugal Wine Challenge.
She is a lifelong Francophile and hopes all her assignments involve French wine. You can find her on all social media at @juliaconey.
Wanda Mann
Wanda Mann has been writing about wine for over fifteen years. She is the East Coast Editor for The SOMM Journal and Tasting Panel magazines. Wanda's writing has also been published in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, NAPA Magazine, Saveur, and other publications. An in-demand speaker, Wanda has been featured at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and Charleston, the Women in Wine Leadership Symposium, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, and the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival. She is also an ambassador for Star Wine List. Wandaâs wine expertise has landed her media appearances on television and radio. Wanda's love of wine was kickstarted by her professional chef father, two years of study abroad in Spain, and her previous career as a professional events planner. Wanda serves on the board of the Society of Wine Educators and is a past president of Les Dames d'Escoffier New York.Â
Miles White
Miles White co-owns and operates Graft Wine Shop with his business partner / old friend Femi Oyediran in his hometown of Charleston, SC. After traveling the world working at wineries and his dream restaurants in his early 20's, he decided it was time to return home to the Lowcountry and bring his love of all things wine / music / food to the good people of Charleston. Although wine is his passion, he finds love in all things food & beverage, namely frozen drinks, long neck beers and foods his doctor tells him to avoid.
Anthony Giglio
Anthony Giglio is one of the most entertaining wine and spirits authorities on the planet. He is a writer, educator and storyteller who motivates countless imbibers to trust their own tastes and relax the rules.
Anthony is the Wine Director for The American Express Centurion Global Lounge Network, and a longtime Contributing Editor to Food & Wine Magazine. Giglio has written 11 books, including the annual Food & Wine Guide, several editions Mr. Boston Official Bartenderâs Guide Cocktails in New York, and Passport to Italian Wine.
Throughout his career, Anthony has attracted countless admirers who appreciate his sense of humor as much as they do his insight and his perspective, which is that wine is best regarded as a pleasure, not a problem. His memorable knack for storytelling, coupled with his uproarious sense of humor, makes him one of the most sought-after speakers in the wine world and beyond.
Anthony is currently a wine reporter for CBS News Radio, as well as the longtime âOnline Sommelierâ for the Food & Wine Connoisseur Club. He has written for numerous publications, including New York, Esquire, Details, The New York Observer, Robb Report, Worth, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Travel + Leisure, Departures and Parade.
He has appeared on NBCâs Today Show, Food Network, CNBC, and FOX Business News and has been featured several times in The New York Times. Giglio has been invited twice to speak at The Moth, a Peabody Award- winning not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling.