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FIRST ANNUAL LOS ANGELES FOOD & WINE
Featured Panelist and Personalities
ERIC RAILSBACK,
ANDREA ROBINSON, MS
ROBERT SMITH, MS
RN74
TV Host & Author, Wine & Food For Everyone
Picasso at Bellagio Las Vegas
Eric Railsback was recruited by the Mina Group in 2009, while his talents as a sommelier caught the eye of Rajat Parr. Though only 26 years old, he brings over a decade of restaurant experience with him as a wine professional, spanning such programs as the Wine Cask in Santa Barbara, as well as Gordon Ramsay and Mozza in L.A. Eric’s particular affection for the wine and culture of the old World has led to multiple trips abroad, where he has honed his command of the French language, while working harvests for such illustrious producers as Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, and Weingut Emmerich Knoll in Austria. He currently heads a team of talented sommeliers at the renowned, Burdundian hot spot, RN 74, in San Francisco.
Andrea Robinson is one of only 17 women in the world to hold the title of Master Sommelier and the first woman to be awarded Best Sommelier in America. Her food and wine TV series, Daily Tastings, which she hosts and co-produces with her husband John Robinson, airs daily on www.AndreaWine.com. She is the author of 5 topselling books on wine and food including Everyday Dining with Wine, which won the prestigious IACP cookbook award. She is also a 3-time James Beard Award winner, honors graduate of The French Culinary Institute’s Classic Culinary Arts program, and host of her own video wine course on www.andreawine.com. Her most recent book, Andrea Robinson’s 2011 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone, released in the fall of 2010. In addition, Andrea has created her own ground-breaking wine stemware series called The Oneä. After 3 years of designing, testing and tasting, Andrea has developed one perfect white wine glass and one perfect red wine glass to optimize all white and red wines.
Master Sommelier Robert Smith grew up working and learning about the service industry in his family’s restaurants scattered across Dallas, Texas. He worked in all areas of hospitality, and enjoyed the personal interaction the service industry created. Incrementally learning about wine and food, he moved from his family’s restaurant to Las Vegas to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and study Hotel Administration and Economics. He worked at small, boutique restaurants and began to take notice of the intricacies of the wine industry. Robert set out to learn more about wine at one of Las Vegas’ premier restaurants and was successful in landing a position at Spago in Caesars Palace. Working alongside now Master Sommeliers Ken Fredrickson and Keith Goldston, Chef Julian Serrano took notice of Spago’s service staff and eventually led him to the Bellagio’s Picasso restaurant where he remains today.
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