The Sonoma Table
Les Dames d’Escoffier Sonoma County
Newsletter June 2024
It’s been a real honor to serve you as the founding president of our chapter.
When I sat down with the original paperwork for the ratification of the chapter I had no idea of the odyssey that I was choosing to embark on. I chose women to join me in the foundation of the chapter based on their leadership personalities that I revere. I gleaned knowledge from members from other chapters and shared with our founding members in order to support, mentor and lead.
I am not going to lie. It hasn’t been all peaches and cream. In fact, just the opposite. But, I’m a tough cookie and I am used to an uphill battle. What I came to find out and what my fellow board members found out is that so many of you had never been in an organization like LDEI and while you were excited to be asked to join, you had no idea what you were getting involved with. For those of us who had served in leadership, it became an awesome challenge to support the education of what it means to be a Dame in every way possible.
It has been such a pleasure to see that transition in many of you. It has also been a great pleasure to be able to connect a Sonoma Dame with a San Francisco Dame or a New Orleans Dame and so on. What a wonderful opportunity to be able to do that, to connect the dots and see that growth. That feeling of connectivity and collaboration helped me grow into this current leadership position and I wanted more of that feeling. You could say I caught the bug.
For four years I have been able to share the trials and tribulations of our chapter with other chapter presidents. I have been supported and have supported. I have met women like me who multitask and work too hard but feel the pull to work even harder. What a great organization to be able to find common ground in doing good for others in our industry. Now, I get to move into other roles and learn new ways of doing things. Shift to the left and let someone else take the lead.
It is with great pleasure that I pass the torch onto Dame Liza Hinman, our incoming president for 2024 - 2026. Liza is a fantastic leader, Dame, chef, mother, and friend. Liza is one of our founding members and took a chance on the birth of our chapter and the opportunity to build this legacy of LDEI in our region. I can’t wait to continue to work with her to achieve our chapter goals. I encourage you to reach out to Liza and learn how you can be of service alongside her.
This month our chapter will execute its biggest effort yet, our fundraiser. Next month we celebrate our 4th anniversary of the chapter and induct new members. I am so excited for what the future brings for our chapter. From a blossoming idea in 2018 to a powerful engine with 50 members in 2024.
Thank you for your membership, your leadership and your friendship.
Dame Doralice Handal
Founding President 2020-2024
Member Spotlight
Dame Lisa Stavropoulos, Treasurer & Communications Co-Chair
Dame Lisa Stavropoulos has been working her way through the wonderful world of wine by taking it seriously. First step was to give up her corporate jobs where she spent the first 16 years of her career. Next up was to move to Napa Valley and begin her wine journey by helping wineries, such as Chappellet, The Hess Collection, Lynmar Winery, Joesph Phelps, etc., with direct-to-consumer marketing at a time when the channel was in its relatively nascent stage.
Lisa holds the belief that one cannot become a true wine professional without experiencing other global markets. To taste wine is one thing, to live it is another. She moved to Argentina in 2006 at the perfect time, when Malbec was gaining world popularity. Over the next couple years she helped launch South America’s first and only collective tasting room and concierge service, Vines of Mendoza. Lisa led the marketing team for this wine, hospitality and tourism company and made sure that wine tourists left with hearts full, smiling faces and suitcases full of Malbec.
In 2010, she felt a calling to the wines of Greece, as they reminded her of where Argentina’s wine industry was a few decades back. Lisa visited Greece on multiple trips, where she immersed herself in studying, traveling and working in the world of Greek wines. The more she dove in, the more she felt the need to share the mountaintop vineyards, multiple courses of Greek delicacies, her ancient soils, and all-around incredible experiences with fellow wine loving, foodie and travel buffs. Greek Grape Wine Tours was born and now is an award-winning luxury travel company. Last year she was voted "Best Wine Tour in Europe”. Good job, Lisa!
Greek Grape Wine Tours curates intimate (6-10) person tours and gives travelers a 10-day adventure traveling through Greece’s wine regions. Thanks to Lisa’s personal relationships with Greece’s top winemakers and chefs, travelers are guaranteed unique wine and food experiences, as well as visits to some of the most important ancient sites in the regions. Guests recall feeling comfortable, safe and relaxed with Lisa’s great experience. She is detailed, efficient and organized, which leaves the guess work out of the planning process. It is no wonder why her company is winning travel awards!
Thinking back, Lisa believes she might have been destined for hospitality during a job interview in San Francisco, after leaving the East Coast. The CEO asked her, “what has been your favorite job” and she quickly replied, “being a waitress”. He was dumbfounded. She went on to explain that as a waitress, you have complete control over the customer experience. You can’t make the food, you can’t change the décor, but for the limited amount of the space and time that you have, you completely control the customers’ perspective.
Lisa recollects a memory of her third waitressing job, in Chicago, at Gino’s East Pizzeria. During one lunch shift, she vividly remembers a family that was at her table. She handed them the bill, and they said, “Oh my gosh, this has been so pleasant.” They were from Iowa or some small town, she recollects. “We were so nervous to come to Chicago, the big city! We expected everyone to be rude, and you made us feel at home!” Lisa smiled as she remembered the exchange and knew she had been bitten by the hospitality bug.
What have you enjoyed about being a dame?
The connections with so many wonderful, talented women that I never would have known. This has been a launching pad to meeting a whole bunch of great women.
The mission, to educate, and mentor and give scholarships to women in these thriving industries. It aligns with my values. I think anyone in hospitality, fine beverage and culinary has similar values, you want to produce, you want to please.
Since joining our chapter, Lisa has hit the ground running in all things Communications and also serves on our Board, and soon to be Treasurer. We are so grateful for her leadership and are blessed to have her in our chapter. Thank you for all you do Dame Lisa Stavropoulos!
—Written by Dame Emily Haws
Upcoming Events and Reminders
June 25-July 15: Les Dames Sonoma Annual Fundraiser, “Birds & Bubbles!” Silent Auction - begins June 25th at 12pm. Stay tuned for revised date of in-person event!
July 7: Brunch Fundraiser for Jimtown & Then Sum, Dragonfly Farm, Healdsburg
July 11: Julia’s Table, Flamingo Resort, Santa Rosa 5pm-7pm
July 13: Kendall-Jackson Farm to Table Dinner - Spanish Theme!, 5:30-8:30pm, Fulton
July 16: Member Meeting, Sonoma Community Center, 276 E Napa St, Sonoma
July 27: Fete Blanc, Comstock Winery, Healdsburg
July 27: Anderson Valley Wine Growers Barrel Tasting
July 1st- Gayle Sullivan
July 2nd- Samantha Carpenter
July 23rd- Domenica Catelli
July 25th- Tracey Shepos
July 26th- Cynthia Ariosta
July 27th- Lise Aisemont
July 29th- Felice Thorpe
July 31st- Jenn Malinowski
“With enough butter, anything is good.”