11/22 - Eva Bertran, Kelsey Nixon,

Eva Bertran - Executive VP - Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards

As the first sparkling wine house in California’s Sonoma Carneros region, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards was established in 1986. Gloria Ferrer embodies Spanish winegrowing history, time-honored tradition, and centuries-old sustainable practices in creating exceptional sparkling and estate varietal wines blended to pair perfectly with food. With most of our 335-acre estate dedicated to Pinot Noir, we are steadfast in our belief that this enigmatic variety brings a timeless grace to our sparkling and estate varietal wines. The Ferrer family’s culture of generosity is expressed in their commitment to high-quality, affordable wines for everyone to enjoy. Celebrate Spain in Sonoma overlooking our Carneros estate vineyards. Like Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, Executive Vice President Eva Bertran is a dynamic blend of Spanish style, California charisma and Sonoma Carneros sparkling wine expertise. Part of the original team who helped to launch Gloria Ferrer, Bertran left her native Spain--where her own family was in the wine business--and settled in Sonoma 20 years ago. Since 1986, she has passionately promoted Gloria Ferrer wines, expertly leading diverse aspects of the business as enthusiastically as if it were her own family winery.  "There's a real Spanish sense of family here," explains Bertran of Gloria Ferrer's close-knit, collaborative team. "We pride ourselves on taking care of our employees." It's a tradition that began more than a century ago at Freixenet, which proudly employs people who are the third and even fourth generation of the same family to work for the sparkling wine house.

Kelsey Nixon - Cooking Channel's "Kelsey's Essentials"

Just days before Thanksgiving, Cooking Channel’s Kelsey Nixon is talking turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings! As host of the new series Kelsey’s Essentials, airing Saturdays on Cooking Channel at 2:30pm ET/11:30am PT, she inspires a new generation of food lovers with her own fresh take on cooking essentials. Kelsey was also a fan favorite contestant on season four of The Next Food Network Star.  In Kelsey’s Essentials, Kelsey gives her savvy tips on must-have pantry items, the latest gadgets and essential kitchen techniques – from roasting to baking. Her passion is creating recipes that target the beginning cook – breaking down the basics, teaching proper technique and making everyone feel comfortable in the kitchen.  Kelsey Nixon got her start in the food media industry when she created Kelsey’s Kitchen, a college cooking show at Brigham Young University, emphasizing fast, fun and affordable meals. After graduating with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, she attended Le Cordon Bleu – Hollywood, where she earned her professional culinary arts degree. In 2008, she was a contestant on The Next Food Network Star, where she was voted ‘fan favorite,’ and went on to star in the Food2 web series Kelsey and Spike Cook, with Spike Mendelsohn.