Meet our Judging Panel 

The true measure of any 

wine is its taste. 

Sur Lucero 

Sur is the 14th Krug Cup recipient, passing all three sections of the Master Sommelier exam on his first attempt. Previously National Director for Wine Education at Jackson Family Wines, he has been wine director or sommelier at restaurants such as The French Laundry, The Little Nell, Cyrus, Meadowood, and Daniel Boulud. In 2011, Wine & Spirits Magazine named Sur one of the Country's Top New Sommeliers. 

Robert Emery holds the Diploma from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, and is a student with the Institute of Masters of Wine, having passed the Theory portion of the MW exams. He was most recently General Manager for a winery in Napa Valley and previously a Manager for Total Wine & More. Robert has also traveled extensively in over seven countries in pursuit of a greater understanding of wine, judging numerous wine competitions throughout his career.

Vanessa Conlin 

Robert Emery 

Vanessa was head of sales and marketing for several of Napa’s most prestigious estates including Arietta Wines, Dana Estates, and Realm Cellars. Previously, she was a retail buyer and wine bar wine director in New York. She’s a Napa charity auction Chairperson, holds the WSET Diploma, and was the recipient of the Niki Singer Memorial Scholarship from the International Wine Center. Vanessa is a student in the Master of Wine program and has passed the Theory portion of the MW exams. 

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