An award-winning author, speaker, wine consultant, television host, and founder of the new multi-media company, Thirsty Girl, Leslie Sbrocco’s entertaining approach makes exploring wine, travel, and food fun.

Sbrocco’s first book, Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine (William Morrow), has been excerpted by two national magazines - Redbook and Family Circle - and won the coveted Georges Duboeuf Best Wine Book of the Year award. Her second book, The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide, (William Morrow) was released to wide acclaim and she is currently at work on her third book, Adventures of a Thirsty Girl.

Her work has been published in outlets such as Epicurious.com where she was the Tasting Notes columnist for five years, O the Oprah magazine, Coastal Living, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping and Glamour among others. Prior to completing Wine for Women, Leslie was a columnist for The New York Times online and General Manager/Co-founder of WineToday.com, a site of The New York Times Company.

Leslie’s current television project is as host of the PBS series Check Please! for which she has won a coveted James Beard award, two Tasty Awards, and three Emmy awards. Sbrocco is also a featured judge on the PBS national series, The Winemakers, and a regular guest on NBC’s Today Show, where her humor and passion resonates with viewers.

A sought-after speaker, Leslie has spoken at events ranging from O magazine's “Hi Gorgeous” tour to the American Dietetic Association national convention. She has been the keynote speaker at many wine events including the Boston Wine Expo, Pinot Noir New Zealand, and the Washington D.C. International Wine and Food show. Her corporate clients include RedPrairie, Cisco Systems, Ketchum, Southern Wine and Spirits, Target, Jackson-Lewis, Vineyard Bank, AOL, The Wall Street Journal, Liberty Mutual, and Fleishman-Hillard. She is also a wine educator for Crystal Cruises and Holland America Cruise Lines.

Leslie has built wine programs for and consulted with companies such as Harry & David, the Kimpton Hotel Group and Virgin America Airlines.

Sbrocco is a respected judge at a number of the largest wine competitions both domestically and globally including the Concours Mondial, The Argentina Wine Awards, and San Francisco and Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competitions.

Carla Hall is a co-host of ABC Daytime’s upcoming lifestyle series, “The Chew,” seated alongside restaurateurs and “Iron Chef America” stars Mario Batali and Michael Symon, entertaining expert Clinton Kelly and health and wellness enthusiast Daphne Oz.

Hall is best known as a competitor on Bravo’s "Top Chef," where she won over audiences with her fun catch phrase “Hootie Hoo” and philosophy to always cook with love.

Hall is the owner of Alchemy by Carla Hall, an artisan cookie company that specializes in creating sweet and savory "petite bites of love." Hall’s approach to cooking blends together her classic French training and Southern upbringing for a twist on traditional favorites. Hall is committed to health and balance in everyday living.

A native of Nashville, TN, Hall received a degree in Accounting from Howard University, but traveling through Europe awakened her passion for food, and inspired a new career path. Hall attended L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland where she completed her culinary training, going on to work as a Sous Chef at the Henley Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. She also served as Executive Chef at both The State Plaza Hotel and The Washington Club and has taught classes at CulinAerie and her alma mater L’Academie de Cuisine.

Hall is a true believer that, "If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation."

Hall lives in Washington, DC with her husband Matthew Lyons and stepson Noah.

Kathy Casey is a celebrity chef, mixologist and pioneer in the bar-chef movement.

She played a key role in bringing Northwest cuisine and women chefs to national prominence and, as one of the first female executive chefs in the United States, she was named one of Food & Wine's “hot new American chefs.” She has also been touted as being the original Bar Chef.

Kathy is the owner of Kathy Casey Food Studios® - Liquid Kitchen™, an international agency specializing in delicious creativity: food, beverage and restaurant/hospitality concept consulting; product development; and food and beverage promotions through social media. An accomplished writer, she is the author of nine cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-nominated Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table.