Upcoming Speakers & Events

From Sunday, November 1, 2026 to Monday, November 30, 2026 November 1, 2026 November 30, 2026 The Lodge at Woodloch

Join us for a full month of culinary adventure that will excite your senses. All November long we will celebrate local food and wine makers, master distillers, and world-renowned food & beverage authors. We will showcase cuisines and culinary talent through wine tasting presentations, Chef-led Dinners, cocktail making classes, and drink specials, alongside activities like cooking demonstrations and live entertainment.

Pocono Mountain Maple Farm
November 9th, 23rd, & 30th
Nestled in the Pocono Mountains, Pocono Mountain Maple Farm is a family-owned sanctuary built on generations of agricultural heritage. As Pennsylvania’s largest organic maple farm, its 450 acres reflect the Bentler family’s dedication to responsible stewardship of the land. Through stories of maple farming, conservation, and sustainable living, they inspire guests to foster a deeper connection with nature and the natural resources that support our daily lives.

Beth Dawson, Moka Origins Master Chocolatier
November 2nd
Beth joined Moka Origins full-time in early 2020 and saw immediate similarities with her passion for sustainable farming and premium food. Taking simple ingredients and making them beautiful is what she does best. She now works full-time crafting chocolate and discovering the subtle flavors of single-origin coffee. She spearheads our limited batch research and development and is proud to introduce a new specialty chocolate to our friends and subscribers every month.

Mike Riego, Owner of HB Wine Merchants, Importer of Fine Wines
November 4th - 6th
Mike started his adventure in the wine business first by working in restaurants while attending college. Another of his part-time jobs was working at a fine wine retail shop in Western Maryland. The owner of the shop noticed his interest in fine wines, so he introduced him to the great wines of Bordeaux and the 1982 vintage along with fine German wines from the 1976 and 1983 vintages. Exposure to such great wines and vintages induced a career path diversion to fine wine. After college Mike moved to Delaware and took a job with a wholesaler selling to bars, restaurants, and retail stores. He focused on selling fine wine, and after two years resulted in him being promoted to Wine Manager, and then onto Division Manager. Still wanting to know more and travel more, he was recruited by an importer and supplier of fine wines and spirits based in New York. He had a five state Mid-Atlantic territory, that grew to eleven states, then the East Coast. This career path took Mike to Europe, California, South Africa and Chile as he visited the wine estates he represented and learned more about each of the various wine producing regions firsthand.
In 2010, Mike joined one of his old friends and colleagues who had started his own Wine Import company in 2000. He helped build the portfolio and the territory of coverage from 14 states to 46 states in three years and became a partner in this firm. In 2018, Mike purchased the balance of the stock and is now the proud owner of HB Wine Merchants, one of the few national independently owned and operated wine importers in the US. The focus remains the same, Old World Wines that are family owned and operated that offer fantastic quality and value while representing authenticity and typicity of the area where they make wine. All of the producers work sustainably and most farm organically and use no herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards. Now some 34 years later Mike is enjoying the freedom to represent and select the wines that he is passionate about from producers that share the same love of wine, and bring them to market and share them with customers and friends.

Erin Schorran, Winegrower
November 14th
Erin Schorran is the dedicated winegrower behind Galen Glen Winery, nestled in Pennsylvania's scenic Lehigh Valley. With nearly a decade spent traveling the wine world, Erin returned to Galen Glen with a deep appreciation for the unique terroirs and winemaking traditions that have inspired her career. Eight vintages ago, she brought that vision to life by establishing three new vineyard plantings, setting up a standard of excellence that has shaped Galen Glen’s reputation. Erin’s commitment to sustainable viticulture and quality-driven production is at the heart of Galen Glen, where she continues to craft expressive, award-winning wines reflective of both her passion and the land she cultivates.

Jeff Tkach, Author and CEO of the Rodale Institute
November 15th - 16th
Jeff Tkach, CEO of Rodale Institute, is a nationally recognized leader in regenerative organic agriculture on a mission to reconnect humans with the earth. With a lifelong commitment to the intersection of agriculture and human health and over 20 years of leadership experience, Tkach effectively leads a global team focused on delivering health and prosperity to farmers and communities through regenerative organic agriculture. He advances Rodale Institute’s globally renowned research, technical assistance, and advocacy efforts, driving the adoption of regenerative organic agriculture at scale in the U.S. and beyond. Tkach is a thought leader featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Newsweek and more, and is the author of The Farm Is Here, which emphasizes the global movement for regenerative organic agriculture and its deep connection to soil health and human well-being. In all his endeavors, Tkach is committed to shaping a bette future in food and farming.

Jennifer Clair, Culinary Instructor
November 20th - 21st
Jennifer Clair is a culinary instructor and the founder of Home Cooking New York, a recreational cooking school in New York City. Before launching the school in 2002, she honed her editorial chops as a Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and a Recipe Editor at The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of "Six Basic Cooking Techniques: Culinary Essentials for the Home Cook," a cookbook based on the best-selling class at the school, and is the former host of the cooking podcast, "Kitchen Radio." In addition to teaching, she is a board member of Fareground, a food-access non-profit that provides free groceries and community meals to Hudson Valley families. She lives in Beacon, NY with her family.

Johnny Livanos, Founder of Stray Dog Wild Gin
November 20th - 21st
Johnny Livanos, Founder of Stray Dog Wild Gin, is a trailblazer in the world of Greek wine and spirits. Raised in the heart of a bustling New York restaurant Greek-American family, Johnny goes beyond the restaurant scene to craft spirits that tell a unique story. Having worked in his family’s iconic spots like Molyvos and Oceana in NYC, as well as Jose Andres’ Zaytinya in Washington, DC, Johnny’s experience helped shape his passion and expertise in beverage with a focus in Greece.

Johnny graduated from Cornell University’s Hospitality School, where he returns to as a guest speaker to teach about hospitality, Greek wine and spirits, and entrepreneurship. Also an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America, he has always combined a passion for food and flavor and today applies that to the beverage world. Johnny is a two-time guest speaker at Bar Convent Brooklyn where he has lectured tasting seminars on the world of Greek spirits. His brainchild, Stray Dog Wild Gin, is the culmination of years of pursuing exciting endeavors in the beverage world.

In addition to launching Stray Dog Wild Gin, Johnny is also a sales manager with Diamond Wine Importers.

Adriana Soley Livanos, Co-Founder of Stray Dog Wild Gin
Adriana Soley Livanos, co-founder of Stray Dog Wild Gin, is a maverick in the spirits industry. She spent her early years in restaurants and grew up to become one the most well-known bartenders, winning international cocktail competitions. Adriana moved to NYC in 2013 where she pursued her passion for developing brands and worked with some of the most respected companies in the industry. She was twice awarded a visa called “Aliens with extraordinary abilities” by the United States of America.

Adriana is passionate about mentoring and developing other women in the spirits industry and recently became a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow.

The culmination of her life and experience in the hospitality and spirits industry is the launching of her own brand Stray Dog Wild Gin, made in Greece with wild foraged botanicals and donating back to animal shelters.

Daniel Mann, Distillery Owner
November 21st
Daniel Mann is the founder of First Cut Barrel Co., a whiskey-focused company built around helping private clients understand, access, and ultimately own their own whiskey at the barrel level. His work centers on demystifying a broad range of whiskey styles and guiding clients through the process of selecting, aging, and releasing whiskey that reflects their tastes, goals, and identity.

Through First Cut Barrel Co., he works directly with distilleries to source barrels across multiple styles, mash bills, and aging environments, then collaborates with clients to shape those barrels into thoughtful private releases. These projects often involve decisions around timing, blending, proof, and storytelling, allowing clients to participate meaningfully in the creation process without needing to be technical experts.

First Cut Barrel Co. has worked with hospitality groups, corporate teams, athletes, and international brands, creating custom whiskey programs that range from single-barrel selections to fully realized private labels. Daniel’s tastings and presentations focus on building a practical understanding of whiskey, how barrels influence flavor, how styles differ, and why ownership at the barrel level offers a deeper connection to the spirit. His goal is to make whiskey more approachable, more personal, and ultimately more rewarding for those who want to go beyond the bottle and into the process itself.