The Hotel Hanford to Elevate Orange County's Wine "Esperienza" with New Wine and Event Manager

Online, August 12, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Hotel Hanford, Costa Mesa's newest and most upscale boutique hotel, has appointed Cyrille Hanson of Costa Mesa to lead the hotel's wine, beer and spirits program and spearhead a string of events such as winemaker dinners, visiting chefs, customized private tastings, poolside sipping and nibbles, themed tastings and more. Hanson's expertise includes training staff on wine evaluation, history and etiquette; providing in-depth instruction on global wine regions; and coordinating California and international food and wine tastings for special events. The wine expert's appointment along with an affiliation with the Sodaro Estate Winery in Napa Valley positions The Hotel Hanford to become the center of wine appreciation in Orange County.

"My goal is to make The Hotel Hanford the wine experience focal point of Orange County," said Hanson. "I see this role as an opportunity to unveil the mystery and pierce the mystique surrounding wine. I strive to introduce people to a new level of wine appreciation... not only in the art of wine tasting, but also in experiencing the rich diversity of beers and spirits."

Besides bringing a vast network of international winemakers, chefs and other experts associated with wine, beer and spirits to Orange County, Hanson is well connected to a local wine business. Her family owns Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa. Her experiences in the family business were key in launching an impressive 25-year career in the wine industry.

"We are very excited to have such a gifted wine expert full-time at The Hotel Hanford," said Donald E. Sodaro, cofounder of The Hotel Hanford. "Our guests will definitely enjoy Hanson's unique events that celebrate the food, travel and cultures surrounding wine, beer and other tasty libations."

Prior to joining The Hotel Hanford, Hanson was a wine director and retail store co-manager for NapaStyle in Yountville, CA. For Vinfolio in San Francisco, Hanson was an import wine buyer and writer managing imported champagnes, as well as French, Italian, Spanish and South African wines. During this tenure she wrote over 800 daily wine offers including wine region and grape variety articles. Along the way, Hanson also became fluent in French and proficient in Italian.