Internationally Grown Grapes, Wines, Regions, & Special Guests

At the International White Wine Festival

Get to Know the Guest Producers & Wine Regions!

Learn more about our special guests and the wines and regions that they adore and plan to share with you!

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🇩🇪 Special Guest: Lisa Tupetz (Germany)

Founder, Tupetz Wine Connection | Boutique German Wine Importer

Raised in Germany and educated at the prestigious Geisenheim University, Lisa Tupetz brings deep-rooted connections and insider access to some of Germany’s most compelling small-production wineries. Through her California-based import company, Tupetz Wine Connection, she curates a handpicked portfolio of Riesling, Pinot Noir, and sparkling Sekt from families she knows personally—each wine a reflection of tradition, terroir, and modern craftsmanship.

🇩🇪 Why German Wines Matter

Over 65% of Germany’s wine production is white wine
3rd largest Pinot Noir producer in the world (after France & the U.S.)
Known for precision, purity, and balance in cool-climate winemaking
Home to world-class Riesling and increasingly dry, age-worthy styles
Steep-slope vineyards + diverse soils = unmistakable terroir expression

🇩🇪 Signature Traits of German Wine

Taste Lisa’s hand-selected lineup at the festival and discover why Germany continues to redefine modern white wine excellence.

📞 Contact: 805-234-7682 | 📧 Email: lisa@tupetzwine.com | 🌐 Website: www.tupetzwine.com | 📸 Instagram: @tupetzwine

📞 Office: (315) 563-1480 | 📧 Email: amy@fingerlakeswinealliance.com | 📸 Instagram: @fingerlakeswinealliance | 🌐 Website: fingerlakeswinealliance.com

🇺🇸 Special Guest Region: Finger Lakes, New York

Nova Cadamatre, MW & owner of Trestle 31, Presented by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance

American Wine Region of the Year – Wine Enthusiast, 2025

Nestled among deep glacial lakes and rolling hills, the Finger Lakes region of New York is a rising force in cool-climate winemaking. Home to over 140 wineries across 11 lakes, the region blends natural beauty, geologic complexity, and a fiercely collaborative wine community.

From world-class Riesling to expressive sparkling wines, elegant Chardonnay, and vibrant Cabernet Franc, Finger Lakes wines offer clarity, authenticity, and terroir-driven character. The region’s glacial soils—rich in limestone, shale, and gravel—combined with lake-moderated temperatures, extend the growing season and nurture vine health.

🇺🇸 Why the Finger Lakes Matter

Named 2025 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast
Over 140 wineries producing cool-climate white, red, and sparkling wines
World-class Riesling & Sparkling expressions
Dynamic community of independent and family-run wineries
Soils shaped by glacial activity = unmatched mineral nuance
Pioneering spirit, strong community, and global relevance

🇺🇸 Signature Traits of Finger Lakes Wine

Taste what makes the Finger Lakes so distinct at the International White Wine Festival—where terroir, transparency, and innovation converge in the glass.

🇺🇸 Special Guest: Lake County Winegrowers

Elevated White Wines from Lake County

Framed by volcanic ridges and the waters of Clear Lake, Lake County is one of California’s most exciting regions for expressive, high altitude white wines. With vineyards planted between 1,300 and 3,000 feet, Lake County benefits from intense sunshine, dramatic diurnal shifts, and young volcanic soils that contribute to wines with remarkable purity, structure, and vibrant aromatics.

While the region is best known for its world-class Sauvignon Blanc, Lake County’s unique topography and soil diversity also produce vibrant Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Albariño, Viognier, and other character-driven whites that continue to earn national attention.

🇺🇸 Why Lake County White Wines Matter

Cool mountain nights preserves acidity & enhances aromatics
Distinctive volcanic soils create tension, minerality, & purity
A collaborative community of family-run & independent growers
Commitment to sustainability, innovation, and site-driven farming
Increasing awards & recognition from critics for sense of place

🇺🇸 Signature Traits of Lake County White Wines

Discover the vibrant character of Lake County’s white wines at the International White Wine Festival, where elevation, sunshine, and volcanic soils shape every sip.

📞 Contact: (707) 279-2633 | 📧 Email: info@lakecountywinegrape.org | 🌐 Website: www.lakecountywinegrape.org | 📸 Instagram: @lakecountywinegrowers

📧 Email: lorena@vinitacora.mx | 📸 Instagram: @vinitacora_mx | 🌐 Website: https://vinitacora.mx/en/

🇲🇽 Special Guest: Lorena Hernández “Vionda” (Mexico)

Wine Professional | Author & Illustrator | Mexican Wine Ambassador in Northern California

Creator of VINITÁCORA—the most comprehensive wine-tourism guide to Mexico’s wine regions and winner of the 2025 Gourmand Award for Best Wine Guide—Lorena Hernández (Vionda) has spent her career traveling vineyards, documenting projects, and telling the stories behind Mexico’s emerging wine culture. A designer, illustrator, and author, she’s become a leading voice for travelers and wine lovers exploring Mexico’s regions.

Now based in Sonoma, she champions Mexican wine through collaborations with producers, winemakers, and events that bring Mexico’s wines to new audiences.

🇲🇽 Why Mexico Wines Matter

A country of contrasts: from dry desert valleys in the north to extreme-climate highlands
in the center.
500+ active and growing wineries nationwide, with winemakers blending European tradition with a contemporary Mexican identity.
Challenging growing conditions that lead to wines with character, structure, and
unmistakable personality.
Emerging regions (Baja California, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Coahuila, Aguascalientes)
redefining the wine landscape in Latin America.

🇲🇽 Signature Traits of Mexico Wine

Taste Lorena’s hand-selected lineup at the festival and discover why Mexico has become one of the most exciting special guests in today’s white-wine scene.

🇺🇸 Special Guest: Santa Lucia
Highlands, Monterey County, California

Distinguished Coastal White Wines from Monterey County

Sun, Wind & Wine; Wine. The Santa Lucia Highlands is a small but mighty winegrowing appellation in Monterey County that cultivates California’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With generations of family farming, innovation and sustainability as our legacy, our growers and vineyards have earned their place among the state’s most prestigious names for appellation and single-vineyard cool-climate varieties.

The legendary, driving wind pushes south through the Santa Lucia Highlands from the deep, cold waters of Monterey Bay nearly every day like clockwork. The wind’s impact on the grapes and resulting wines is as intense as its perpetual presence. The result: rich, silky and vibrant wines that are delicious at release, and able to go the distance in the cellar.

🇺🇸 Why Santa Lucia Wines Matter

Renown for Legendary Single Vineyards like Garys’ Vineyard, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, Rosella’s Vineyard, Pisoni Vineyard and more
Vineyards on top of elevated alluvial hillside terraces rising 50-1600 feet up the Santa Lucia Highlands mountains from the valley floor below
World-class Chardonnay & Pinot Noir from single-vineyard stunners to satisfying appellation blends from some of wine’s most well-known producers
Windswept hillside terrain creates distinctive growing conditions that shapes deeply flavored white and red wines with mouthwatering verve
Generational farming families with a deep respect for the land, sustainable winegrowing and agricultural roots
One of the world’s true coastal cool-climate growing regions