Tony Correia is widely recognized as a leading authority on the valuation of vineyards and wineries, and other agricultural and rural properties. He has been an instructor of valuation courses and seminars throughout North America and is a frequent speaker on agricultural properties; valuation, taxation, and estate planning issues; water rights, and the wine industry and vineyard and winery markets. Tony has also qualified as an Expert Witness in many local, State and Federal courts in California, Arizona, Nevada and Illinois. Tony was also recognized as one of four top leaders in the wine industry at a gathering of the Top 50 Leaders in the Wine Business in Napa, California.

Tony is currently Principal and Owner of The Correia Company. After undergraduate work at Saint Mary’s College of California and Syracuse University, Tony graduated from California State University, Fresno with a major and post-graduate work in English and a second major in Russian. Prior pursuits include former lives as a grape grower, partner in a large commercial real estate brokerage, and various government positions including a tour as an IRS examiner, and as a military intelligence analyst, cryptanalyst, and linguist. He now lives in San Juan Bautista with his wife Stephanie and enjoys travel, photography, great literature and music, fast cars, slow cooking, gardening, the study of wine, and the pursuit of knowledge.

Phil Markert began his career in the retail grocery industry 45 years ago, where he worked as a stock clerk in an independent liquor store while attending high school in North Torrance.  His career with the Safeway organization began in 1982, where Phil worked as a bagger in a Torrance store.  He quickly advanced through the retail ranks, serving as clerk, head clerk, grocery manager, assistant manager and store manager.

His entrance into the liquor business began in early 1988 when he was introduced to Fine Wine at a restaurant in Santa Monica during a food and wine experience with friends and family that forever changed the landscape of how wine is sold in grocery stores.  At this dinner, a 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet was served – the first 100-point wine rating given by Robert Parker to a California wine.   Seeing the dinner guests enjoying and talking about it, the idea came to light that there is a correlation between what customers buy at a restaurant and at a grocery store in the same marketing area. Weeks later, with the support of senior management, the birth of the ‘Fine Wine Program’ took place in Santa Monica Ca.

Phil was promoted to store manager of the Belmont Shore Vons in 1991 and moved the Fine Wine Program to the Belmont Shore.  The program included everyday low pricing, expanded wine selection, local specialty foods, community events, in-store chef demonstrations, bottle signings, winemaker dinners at local restaurants, full-service staff, a newsletter and home delivery service.

From 1994 to 2002, Phil moved to the Vons Division office in Arcadia, and was promoted to Fine Wine Sales Manager.  His job was to rollout the Fine Wine Program to fifty Southern California stores, duplicating what he had accomplished in his store.

In 2002 Phil was promoted to National Category Director of Wine and relocated to Pleasanton.  Phil took his experiences from the Southern California program and applied it to twenty-one states across the country, leading a team of people to become the largest wine retailer in the United States.  In 2007, Phil was promoted to Vice President, General Manager for Alcohol and Tobacco and applied his Neighborhood Marketing approach to Beer, and Spirits.

In 2010 Phil left Alcohol and was promoted to VP of Merchandising/Operations for Non-Perishables for the company. His responsibilities included overseeing the merchandising/marketing and the execution at retail. He also led the company’s clustering initiatives, and the Premium store project.

In 2014 Phil was appointed as the company’s leader for Perishables and Non-Perishables of our LOCALIZATION initiative and Neighborhood Marketing efforts.

In 2015 Phil returned to his roots in SOCAL as the LQ. Sales Manager for the newly combined Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions Division of the Albertsons companies. In 2017 Phil took on the additional responsibilities of VP of Marketing/Merchandising of Pavilions. In 2019 he went back full time in alcohol as the Director of Liquor for AVP

Phil supports a wide variety of organizations serving local communities, including City of Hope, Susan G Komen Breast Cancer foundation, and the Christermon Scholarship Foundation. Phil has a passion for fitness and loves Food, & Wine, – hence the workouts!

Mario co-founded Zepponi & Company in 2009, an M&A Firm specializing in the Beverage Alcohol industry, which joined BMO Capital Markets in June 2024. Prior to Zepponi & Company, Mario practiced law as a corporate, real estate and food and beverage attorney. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and his law and MBA degrees from the University of Notre Dame.

Callum Williams is Senior Economics Writer at The Economist, an author and a speaker on economics, politics and global trends.

As Senior Economics Writer for The Economist, Callum’s economic insights are highly sought after. Callum has a unique perspective on the intersection between the economy, markets and politics. He is a regular contributor to The Economist‘s podcasts and seminars, and he has been interviewed by the BBC, Fareed Zakaria and Sky News. Audiences value his no-nonsense style, and come away from his speeches feeling more clever than when they arrived.

At The Economist, he covers global economic trends including artificial intelligence, the future of work, inflation and globalization. In October 2023 Callum authored a highly popular “special report” on the future of globalization, which focused on the risks and opportunities from industrial policy and AI.

He can speak on a wide variety of topics. Living in San Francisco, he has an inside view of the AI boom, bringing rigorous data-driven analysis to the topic. He can talk about the relationship between stock markets and the surge in inflation. In 2023 he argued, against the consensus, that the world economy would avoid a recession.

He is also the author of The Classical School: The Birth of Economics in 20 Enlightened Lives (2020), which explores the history of economic thought.

Callum has studied at Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard, where he was supervised by Amartya Sen.

Melanie Mann, is the Principal Category Merchant for Wine at Whole Foods Market. With a relentless dedication to sourcing wines that weave compelling narratives and uphold impeccable quality, Melanie stands at the forefront of crafting a wine selection that resonates with the values of Whole Foods Market’s discerning customers.

In her role as the leader of the team responsible for curating all wines stocked in over 350 stores across the United States, Melanie’s passion for her work shines through in the rich diversity of wines available to Whole Foods Market patrons. Alongside her colleagues she shares a common commitment to delivering a truly memorable wine experience.

One of the pivotal areas of focus for Melanie and her team is the organic and biodynamic sector. Wines crafted with certified organic grapes or eco-certified practices hold a special place in their hearts. However, it’s not merely about certifications or flavors; it involves probing into a winery’s practices related to worker responsibility, social responsibility initiatives, environmental impact, and much more.

Kaleigh has 10 years of NIQ experience and considerable background working with clients in multiple categories.  She has been involved with the Beverage Alcohol category for the last six years working on Thought Leadership, industry insights, and client specific business questions and projects.  Kaleigh brings a unique skillset of analytic capabilities, as well as commercial selling story creation, and has significant background in bringing consumer insights to the forefront in support of sales trends.  She has been pivotal in the NIQ strategy and tactics for Beverage Alcohol as the industry changes and develops.