STEVEN KOLPAN is a professor in wine studies at The Culinary Institute of America. He is the author of several books, including Exploring Wine and WineWise, winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Beverage Book of 2009. In 2007, he was chosen as Wine Educator of the Year by the European Wine Council. Mr. Kolpan is the wine columnist for Salon.com and The Valley Table and has written more than 100 wine articles for many magazines, newspapers, and websites.
MICHAEL A. WEISS has been professor of wine at The Culinary Institute of America for more than two decades. He is the co-author of the classic Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Complete Guide to Wines of the World. In 2007, he was honored as Wine Educator of the Year by the European Wine Council. Weiss was awarded the Diploma of Honor from the Corporation des Vignerons de Champagne and inducted into the Confraria, or Brotherhood of Porto.
The late BRIAN H. SMITH was professor of wine at The Culinary Institute of America for more than two decades. Along with Steven Kolpan and Michael A. Weiss, he is the author of the classic Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Complete Guide to Wines of the World. Smith is also the author of The Sommelier's Guide to Wine.
Founded in 1946, THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, as well as certificate programs in culinary arts, Latin cuisines, and wine and beverage studies. A network of more than 45,000 alumni has helped the CIA earn its reputation as the world's premier culinary college. The CIA, which also offers courses for professionals and food enthusiasts, as well as consulting services for the foodservice and hospitality industry, has campuses in Hyde Park, New York; St. Helena, California; San Antonio, Texas; and Singapore.