North American Wine Hosts

David Akiyoshi followed his father’s path to become a second-generation winemaker. His father worked as a Lab Researcher in the UC Davis Enology Department for 25 years and then he worked for Gallo Winery until he retired. David attended UC Davis originally as an engineering student, but after taking a winemaking course, he changed to major in Enology and studied the academic theory of winemaking. After graduating in 1981, he was hired by Robert Mondavi Woodbridge to eventually become the Director of Winemaking. Working with the Mondavi family and their talented winemakers, he was able to experience the world’s winemaking regions where he developed his own artistic mastery of winemaking. In the simplest of terms, his winemaking respects the variety, the vineyard and the vintage. He currently works and lives in Lodi, CA as the Director of Winemaking for LangeTwins Winery and makes eponymous wines for Naked Wines.

Born in Syracuse, New York, Nancy Bailey spent a good portion of her school years overseas in England. Her interest in food and wine was sparked by family travels abroad. After attending Hamilton College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and The Fletcher School at Tufts University earning a Master of Arts degree in international relations, Nancy ventured to California where she discovered a true passion for wine country living. She lent her many marketing talents to well-known brands as Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery, Champagne Perrier Jouët, and Kendall-Jackson. Her creativity and communication acumen placed her in high demand when she went on to work as a freelance marketing consultant for a number of Sonoma County wineries. Before accepting her current role at Gary Farrell in 2011, Nancy was General Manager of Wine Creek LLC (Quivira Vineyards & Winery, La Follette Wines and Torbreck Vintners) for 4 years.

Theresa Heredia joined Gary Farrell Winery team as winemaker in 2012. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, before becoming a Ph.D candidate in chemistry with an emphasis in enology at UC Davis. She left the program to follow her calling as a hands-on winemaker. Coming off a long stint as winemaker at Freestone Vineyards in Sonoma County, Heredia brings considerable experience working with cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and small-lot, single-vineyard wines. During her tenure at Freestone, Heredia’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brought the Joseph Phelps-owned winery significant critical acclaim. In early 2012 she was named “Winemaker to Watch” by the San Francisco Chronicle, reflecting her interest in wines that offer a pure expression of their vineyard site and her willingness to experiment with different winemaking techniques.

Paul Wagner, Wine Instructor, Napa Valley College Renowned Wine Expert and Author Paul Wagner, wine expert extraordinaire, has been an instructor for Napa Valley College’s Viticulture & Enology department for the past 17 years, is a regular columnist for Vineyards & Winery Management Magazine and is the president of Balzac Communications & Marketing.

Under his grandmother’s influence, John Aver developed a passion for wine at an early age. John ventured into planting vineyards and making wine which evolved into a professional venture for both John and Carolyn. The highly-rated wines from Aver Family Vineyards feature Rhône varietals crafted from grapes that John grew on their estate using holistic farming practices. The Rhône region, especially Châteauneuf-du-Pape, produces his favorite wines.

Join Liz Barrett and Elizabeth Filippi, Certified Specialists of Wine awarded through the Society of Wine Educators, on an insider’s journey through the rich history and culture of wine, beer and cuisine of 5 countries along the beautiful Rhine river.

For more than 7 years Liz managed AmaWaterways’ Wine Cruises and helped build it to the award-winning level and experience it offers today. Elizabeth holds the degrees of Advanced Certified Sommelier with the International Sommelier Guild, French Wine Scholar with the Wine Scholar Guild, and is also pursuing her Italian Wine Scholar advanced certification.

They will be your co-hosts on the ship to combine their incredible passion and expertise for shining a light into the world of European wine culture with their fellow adventurers on board the elegant AmaSerena. This unique sailing is sure to dazzle all the senses and create extraordinary travel memories that will last a lifetime.