One of our beloved Brand Ambassadors is Isabel Freeman. We caught up with Isabel on food and wine pairing, “must do’s” in the Napa Valley, and her journey to becoming one of the top wine influencers. Planning a trip to Napa? Make sure to reach out to Isabel for fun travel tips or highly curated travel experiences.

Let’s start by talking food and wine pairing! You love to cook and you love wine. If you had a day to yourself, to cook and enjoy a leisurely meal, what would you make and what wine would you pair with it?

I do love cooking. I enjoy getting in my kitchen and preparing a meal for my husband and friends. To start I open a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy a glass while getting all the ingredients ready. Risotto is one of my favorite dishes, so usually I want to make risotto. A shrimp risotto, mushroom risotto, or prosciutto with brie cheese is always a great idea. This dish is delicious, fairly easy to prepare, and pairs well with a Cabernet Sauvignon which is my favorite varietal.

What are the top 3 things you MUST see and do in the Napa Valley?

Napa has so much to offer. Besides wine tasting and restaurants, of course, I would recommend:

1) Hot air balloon ride above the vineyards: you can see the best views over the Valley with an exciting experience of being high up in the sky.

2) Wine Train: it is a luxuriously vintage experience with their elegant 100-year-old railcars. The Wine Train preserves a piece of Napa Valley history in a three-hour tour as you take in some gorgeous views from the Valley with a sunset if you do the dinner ride. Also, the food and wine are incredibly delicious.

3) Hot Springs in Calistoga: this is a perfect way to relax in mineral pools or get a massage at a spa. After a long day of wine tasting, this is all you need to relax fully.

Tell us about @napavalleytip?

My name is Isabel Freeman, content creator for Napa Valley Tip (www.napavalleytip.com). I’ve always loved traveling to study others languages and cultures, and always dreamt of living in another country. In August 2015, I chased my dream and moved from Brazil to San Francisco, California to improve my English. After a couple months in California, I met a very special person named Brendon Freeman (my husband) who was born and raised in Napa, California, which is a city in the Napa Valley located about 100 km (60 mi) from San Francisco. At the time, I had never even heard of the Napa Valley, but after visiting for the first time I absolutely fell in love! After moving and settling in, I started doing a lot of wine tastings and quickly got a job at a very special winery called Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Next, I decided to share my adventures around here by creating the Napa Valley Tip Blog.

Nowadays, after more than 4 years in the United States, it is clear that chasing my dreams by moving from Brazil to California to create my best life was the right decision. That’s why I always say you should listen to your heart and do what makes you happy!

As one of the top and well-known wine influencers, what else do you want people to know?

I do love wine for sure and that is the reason I started my blog. I also offer personalized tours, arranging itineraries, making all the reservations for hotels, restaurants, wineries, and could be a translator since I speak Portuguese as my first language, and I also speak Spanish and English.

We’re honored to hear that Wake Up Wine has a spot in your kitchen. What’s your experience like?

I have both amazing decanters (PRO S and PRO). They are easy to use and make a positive difference on the wine. The PRO S has Bluetooth speakers, which is amazing when you have friends over to share great wines and music. Wake Up Wine is an awesome and creative invention, and after using just once you’ll always want to use it with every bottle to decant your white or red wine. I highly recommend it for all the wine lovers out there!

It’s hard to know whether Michael Speakman chose wine, or if wine chose him. There’s no denying he’s dedicated to Westerly Wines—a wine business he acquired in January 2018. But, there’s a sense of right-place-right-time throughout Michael’s story that warrants wondering about the universe’s role in his rapid rise in such a crowded industry.

A friend introduced Michael to the Westerly wine brand and asked him if he had any interest in getting into the wine business. Michael told him “no, no, no.” His friend gave him a bottle of Côte Blonde and told him to have a nice meal and a glass of wine. The next morning, Michael called his friend and asked him how he could get into the wine business. A week later, he was in escrow with Westerly Wines.

As the new owner and CEO, Michael brought renewed excitement and commitment to Westerly Wines while continuing its tradition of producing some of the best juice in the Santa Ynez Valley (located in Santa Barbara County, California). Westerly Wines specializes in premium, handcrafted wines from the Happy Canyon AVA.

Michael entered the wine business to make wine. But, he also wanted to make his wine “give back to the community.” Westerly Wines partnered with The Navy SEAL Foundation and Green Beret Foundation.

Westerly Wines and Wake Up Wine also teamed up to cross-promote each other and participate in some wine events together.

WAKE UP WINE: What was “the moment” when wine became your thing?

MICHAEL: The first time I had a bottle of Westerly 2014 Côte Blonde. I fell in love with Westerly and Côte Blonde!

WAKE UP WINE: You’ve had a baseball cards trading business, then ran a Beanie Babies licensing company, and then established a successful real estate business. Now Westerly Wines. How is this is the next evolution of Michael Speakman? Both personally and professionally?

MICHAEL: Next Evolution? This is just fun!!! I love all aspects of being in the wine business, from the wine making process to the wonderful people. It truly is a blessing to be involved in wine and Westerly!

WAKE UP WINE: Tell us about your wines. Is there a common thread that runs through all the wines?

MICHAEL: Most all our wines are from the Happy Canyon AVA, back part of the Santa Ynez Valley. A special place that is producing amazing Bordeaux style wines. “Happy Wines comes from Happy Canyon!”

WAKE UP WINE: Do you have a specific vision for the label at this point? What can people look forward to at Westerly Wines?

MICHAEL: The Westerly label has been around for 20 years now, and we will always carry on with the same look. However, we will be adding a couple new designs. We are working with some local Santa Barbara artists that have created some very hip artwork. These new designs will be on the market early 2020!

WAKE UP WINE: Between you and Joyce, who does what at Westerly Wines?

MICHAEL: Good Question! We split the work up 95% – 5%… My wife handles the 5% of the romance and fun of the wine business and I handle the 95% of the hard work! Just kidding, we both have a blast!

WAKE UP WINE: Why did you choose (to partner with) Wake Up Wine?

MICHAEL: The Wake Up Wine Decanter works amazing! We use it at all our wine events and the people that see it for the first time are intrigued!

Megan Dufresne is a wine enthusiast, an interior designer, and founder of MC Design—a full service Commercial and Residential Design Firm transforming spaces across the United States and Mexico.

Read our Q&A with Megan below to learn more about her story, her love for wine, and to be inspired by her beautiful home.

When did your knack for design move from interest to passion?

Prior to starting my own Firm, I worked at Modern Luxury Interiors California Magazine, and as the West Coast Home Furnishings Manager for House Beautiful.

I founded MC Design in 2007 to be able to spread my love of all things beautiful (and organized) to as many people and places as I possibly could.

Being around fabulous design every day brought me an insurmountable amount of joy and fueled my passion for interior design. Eventually, I knew interior design was the next step in my career, and honestly, I love it more now than I ever could have imagined.

For you, what is the perfect day?

They say that if you love what you do, then you’ll never work a day in your life. But since running your own business means that every day is a workday, once you come to accept that, it makes life a lot easier.

So my perfect day consists of waking up without an alarm, going to the gym, doing a little bit of work, shopping, and then spending time with friends, eating delicious food and drinking amazing wine.

What’s your favorite wine?

In summertime I’m a “rose all day” kind of girl, and I’m a huge fan of Ferrari Carano’s Dry Sangiovese Rose.

I’m also really into Champagne these days, and although my go-to is Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut, I recently tried a Bereche & Fils Brut Reserve and it was wonderful, so maybe that will become my new favorite.

What’s your favorite place in the world to drink wine?

I find it most fulfilling to drink wine with people that fill my soul, so I guess anywhere that I’m surrounded by great friends and family. The location isn’t what’s most important to me (although a killer view never hurts).

Why Wake Up Wine?

My husband and I entertain quite often, which means that we’re constantly opening bottles of wine. Wake Up Wine ensures that our guests are not waiting around with empty glasses while the wine takes its time to breathe and become drinkable. Having a decanter that speeds this process up ensures that the wine is always flowing—as it should be at any good entertainer’s home!