Femi Oyediran

Co-Owner/Sommelier, Graft Wine Shop

Femi is a self-professed 'music junkie' who likes to share the gift of a great glass over the sounds of a great album, while living in one of the greatest cities on earth. He discovered his passion for wine while working at the Charleston Grill, a restaurant that he says “endlessly rewarded your curiosity for wine & commitment to hospitality” under the encouragement and mentorship of the former Wine Director, Rick Rubel. During his time at the Grill, he made the rare achievement of passing the first three levels of the Court of Master Sommeliers within two years. He is also a two-time national finalist for the Chaine des Rotisseurs Best Young Sommelier in America competition, and the winner of the 2017 & 2019 Top Somm Blind Tasting Competition of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival. He was awarded Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2018 ‘40 Under 40' and was selected as ‘Sommelier of the Year’ along with Miles by Food and Wine Magazine in 2019.

Gabriela Lifsher

Harvest Intern, Crocker&Starr Wines

Gabriela Ximenes Lifsher grew up in Northern California. After working over a decade at San Francisco’s Michelin starred restaurant, Fleur de Lys, she moved to the Napa Valley in 2015, to join the sales team at Rudd Estate. In 2020, she pivoted to wine production and is now currently working in her second year as a harvest intern for Crocker & Starr. She is also enrolled in the WSET, Level 4, Diploma in wines.

Lena Wellington

Harvest Intern, Inglenook

Lena Wellington is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY with a Bachelor's in Food Business Management. She arrived in Napa in July of 2021 to gain a deeper understanding of the wine she had been selling whilst working in restaurants the past 4 years. This is not only Lena's very first harvest but also her first time in California. She hopes to use the experience she gains a Inglenook to help her in her future as a hospitality professional.

Imane Hanine

Harvest Intern, Matthiasson

Imane Hanine is a first-generation New York City native with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography & Urban Studies and over 15 years of hospitality & production under her belt, she arrived in Napa in 2018 in pursuit of diving deeper into a career in wine and getting her hands dirty in the vineyard and cellar. Imane is now working her third harvest for her longtime heroes at Matthiasson Family Vineyards, which serves as a leader in upholding values and practices rooted in environmental and social sustainability, responsibility and equity. She aims to gain the experience and experience to guide her in her future endeavors in winemaking and wine writing.

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