Luminaries

Michele Duval
Executive Director of New England Wine Festivals, Michele Duval joined the Wentworth-by-the-Sea Hotel in New Castle, NH shortly after its grand re-opening in 2003 and developed the six-week long Winter Wine Festival there.  Spurred by the success of that Festival, New England Wine Festivals was formed to bring the same great food and wine events to the spectacular settings of Rockland/Camden, Maine in the Summer and Bar Harbor, Maine in the fall.

Formerly chef/owner of the landmark and national award-winning restaurant The Cape Neddick Inn in York, Maine, her signature is New England regional cuisine that spotlights the best local products and traditions. Awarded 'Chef of the Year' from the American Culinary Federation, Michele was also the first woman chef of Maine to be invited to the renowned James Beard House in New York where she prepared a 5-course wine dinner.

She has also been honored by numerous 'Wine Spectator Magazine' Awards of Excellence and 'Sante Magazine' awards for Best Wine Dinners in the Northeast and Best Menu for Wine and Spirits.  Michele Duval's passion for food and wine has brought her to tour extensively in Napa, Caneros, and Sonoma, California and to befriend many vintners from the world’s wine regions. Her travels have also brought her to Hungary's wine country where she indulged in sampling rare Tokay wines -- and to one memorable afternoon as a guest of Nathan Rothschild at Waddeson, his summer home -- where she drank Lafite-Rothschild all one delicious English countryside afternoon.

Michele is proud to bring all her experience to heighten your pleasure and fun in enjoying fine food and wine, showcased in one of America's most spectacular settings -- downtown Bar Harbor, Maine at the Bar Harbor Club and Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina.

If you have any questions about the Winter Wine Festival events please feel free to contact her at michele.duval@wentworth.com or you can visit her new blog at blog.newenglandwinefestivals.com.

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Ken Free - E. & J. Gallo Winery
Ken Free is East Coast Director for national accounts – specifically hotels and fine dining- for E. & J. Gallo Winery. He has been with E. & J. Gallo for the last 9 years, and active in the food/wine/hospitality community for the last 15 years.

Prior to joining Gallo, Ken managed growing, harvesting and marketing for a large farm in NJ.  He grew a very broad array of herbs, flowers, and produce and marketed in NYC which resulting in discovering the intimate relationship between food, wine, presentation, and hospitality.  After a couple of years in the catering industry, Ken ultimately joined the Gallo Winery in 1998.

Ken enjoys virtually all wines from all regions, but is particularly fond of Italian Reds, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast Pinot Noir, and Dry Creek Zinfandels.  He resides in Baltimore, MD.

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Seth Box
Moet Hennessy Italian Portfolio

After finishing university and working in his family’s business for a year and a half, Seth decided to return to northern California where he graduated and followed his passion for wine.  A PR job led to what was to be a temporary, one time experience working harvest, and ended up as a production career that would span three continents and six years.

While in Napa, Seth worked as a cellar hand at Joseph Phelps and as assistant wine maker at the much smaller Sawyer Cellars.  Three years later, he was offered a position as assistant wine maker in New Zealand’s famous Marlborough district, and shortly after, a full time wine making position at Ceretto, one of Italy’s most respected wine producing family’s.  By the second year in Italy, the Ceretto family decided for the first time in its three generations of wine making to allow a non family member to represent them in foreign markets.  Working side by side with the youngest Ceretto son, Seth worked on the US, UK and emerging export markets until being hired in 2005 to manage Moet Hennessy’s Italian portfolio in the US.

Seth holds dual degrees in International Relations and Economics and is fluent in Italian.
All wine making experience was learned first hand, working with talented senior wine makers and augmented by additional course work in wine making and sensory evaluation.