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Peter Granoff

In his more than 30 years in the wine business, Master Sommelier Peter Granoff has worn lots of hats. From schlepping boxes and busing tables to receiving the "Sommelier of the Year" award from the James Beard Foundation and launching Virtual Vineyards (the first U.S. entity to sell wine on the internet), Peter has traveled the world to immerse himself in almost all facets of the wine industry. He is an adjunct member of the faculty at the Culinary Institute of America's new Professional Wine Studies program, and is internationally known as a speaker, wine educator, wine competition judge, and provider of free wine insulting. His goofy sense of humor and unconventional approach to the business of wine bring a refreshing change of pace to San Francisco's wine shops.

 

Debbie Zachareas

By developing many of San Francisco's most innovative wine programs, Debbie Zachareas has helped to shape the city's wine culture. In addition to conceiving and developing one of San Francisco’s most innovative and extensive wine programs at bacar restaurant, she also helped develop Ashbury Market's wine program, and EOS restaurant and wine bar. Nationally recognized by magazines such as Food and Wine and Saveur and as a wine competition judge, Debbie brings a passion for teaching and enthusiasm for new wines to her customers at the wine merchant.

 

Bo Thompson

Bo Thompson brings an abundance of wine experience to Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant from his involvement with some of San Francisco's most beloved and wine savvy restaurants like the Fog City Diner and Greens. In addition, he has an extensive e-commerce background after many years as a senior wine merchant at Virtual Vineyards, which morphed into the original Wine.com, one of the pioneers of online wine sales. Bo has also been called upon to lecture at Napa Valley's prestigious Copia: the American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts. His credentials additionally include editing a popular wine reference book and heading up his own consulting business that helped clients in the Wine, Publishing and Restaurant industries.

 

Jeff Prather

With decades of experience in the food and wine business, Jeff Prather shares his wealth of knowledge through engaging, and often amusing, wine content for the website and wine shop. Having been an actor in his earlier years, Jeff is a natural as one of our entertaining tasting class instructors. After opening the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley in 1995 as the Restaurant Director and Cellar Master, Jeff served as Director of Wine Education at Shafer Vineyards, Flora Springs Winery, as well as the historic Beaulieu Vineyard. After serving as Senior Wine Merchant for the original Wine.com with Peter Granoff and Bo Thompson, Jeff was the managing Director of Azalea Springs Winery. Jeff became known for his decade of work as Wine Director for Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle which merited him several awards, including four James Beard Award nominations, Restaurant Hospitality Magazine’s Best American Wine List, Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence, and Restaurant Wine Magazine’s Wine Marketer of the Year nominee. Jeff judges at wine competitions and is a frequent speaker and guest sommelier at national wine events. As a writer, he has been published in several magazines, was a correspondent for the Microsoft Online Network (MSN), a contributor to Oz Clark’s Microsoft Wine Guide CD-ROM and is co-author of the book “Northwest Wines.”