Ilona Thompson

About the Author Ilona Thompson

As Drink Me’s very own Wine & Spirits Specialist, Ilona brings you the latest guides, must-know lists and thirst quenching stories to crave your imbibe indulgence.

Ilona is a serial entrepreneur with several successful ventures under her belt. Awestruck by the beauty of California wine countries, she moved to San Francisco Bay Area to pursue her passion for food and wine. She splits her time between visiting wine regions worldwide, attending a diverse variety of tastings and taking professional educational courses. She studied at the Culinary Institute of America and holds a California Wine Appellation Specialist certification.

Ilona covers numerous high profile wine events, such as Auction Napa Valley, Aspen Food and Wine Classic, Cayman Cookout, Nantucket Wine Festival, New York City Food and Wine Festival, and many more. She interviewed many of the most elusive, fascinating, highly notable chefs, vintners, distillers, winemakers and wine personalities. She is an editor for www.palatexposure.com and has contributed to such publications as Brenner Brief, Chic Metropolitan Magazine, Glass of Bubbly, Preiser Key to Napa Valley and Snooth. She also writes extensively about artisan spirits and wine tourism.

Fun Fact: Ilona is one of only 31 people followed by Robert Parker on Twitter.