WINE JUDGES
Michaela Rodeno
Experience: California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: First Year
What are your tips for others?
Focus, focus, focus. Judging demands total concentration on each wine under tight time limits.
Franelle Rogers
Rigo Romero
Experience: 20+ Years in the Beverage Industry; Currently with Churrascos Restaurant; CMS: Introductory Sommelier
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 11 Years
What are your tips for others?
Try different varietals until you find your favorite one there's so many good options just have fun doing it. Salud!
Anne Rondou
Timothy Rondou
Experience: 20+ years in in wine industry, founding member of Rodeo Uncorked!
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 22 Years
Favorite part of judging Rodeo Uncorked!
I enjoy the comradery with our wine world. I enjoy the process of digging in, tasting the many wines and coming up with the great ones. I enjoy finding great value in wine as well.
Jennifer Rossi
Experience: Founder/winemaker at The Cause Urban Winery, founded in 2019. Holds French Wine Scholar, Specialist of Texas Wine level 2, and WSET level 3 certifications.
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 2 Years
Why work in wine?
You can never know everything about wine! It is so fun to explore new wines and regions, and it is fun to experiment while making wines.
Fred Salumunek
Experience: Wine Educator at the Texas Wine School, wine distribution
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 12 Years
Terri-Ann Samuels MD
Eric Sandberg
Experience: Teaching: 2019-25, Retail: 2022-25
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 5 Years
KaitlIn Saragusa
Experience: Years of experience on the supplier side but no longer in the industry
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 11 Years
Favorite part of judging Rodeo Uncorked!
Doing it for the kids!!
Mike Sarubbi
Experience: WSET 2 Texas Wine Ambassador
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 17 Years
Favorite part of judging Rodeo Uncorked!
Judging wine for the Houston Rodeo is a challenging, critical, and rewarding yearly experience. This weekend starts the new rodeo season and has a tremendous impact on the wine makers and leads to dollars raised for scholarships.
Justin Scheiner, PhD
Experience: Ph.D. in Viticulture; WSET: Level 3 in Wines
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 2 Years
Why work in wine?
I engage wine as both a researcher and as a consumer. As an agriculture researcher, there is not another crop with such an emphasis on quality, and this is tied directly to the where and how the grapes were produced. It's a very complex and intriguing relationship. Most importantly, how many other scientists get to actually drink the product of their research!
Jamie Shamburger
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 1 Year
Rhett Shumpert
Experience: Lifelong enthusiast across a broad range of varietals; saddled with label - Industrial Consumer...
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 11 Years
What are your favorite books and movies?
I like fiction and fantasy; we get enough reality on a daily basis. Jim Butcher, Lee Child, Charles Todd, Isaac Asimov
Leon Sierra
Experience: 20+ Years in the Beverage Industry; CEO & Founder of Mid-State Wine
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 21 Years
Karin Singley
Experience: AWS: Certified Wine Judge; SWE: Certified Specialist of Wine
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 22 Years
What are your tips for others?
1) Try every wine that is offered to you. This is the best way to learn, and many times to be pleasantly surprised. 2) To truly understand a region or a wine, go to the source. Get on a plane and immerse yourself in that region's wine, food and terrior.
Rob Smith
Experience: 20+ Years in the Beverage Industry; SWE: Certified Specialist of Wine; WSET: Level 2 in Wines
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 4 Years
What are your favorite books and movies?
A Hedonist in the Cellar by Jay McInerney
MarkAnthony Staha
Experience: CMS: Introductory Sommelier; WSET: Level 2 in Wines; Certified Sherry Wine Specialist; Founder, Culinary Wine Specialist
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 4 Years
What are your tips for others?
Don't limit yourself to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. True appreciation comes from exploring beyond the familiar — let each new white wine remind you that discovery is part of the journey. Stay calm, taste widely, live fully, and drink on.
Effie Stees
Experience: Envy Wine Room; CMS: Introductory Sommelier; WSET: Level 2 in Wines; French Wine Scholar; Specialist of Texas Wine
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 8 Years
Why work in wine?
Wine has always been my passion. I fell in love over wine. It's my story
Woodie Stephenson
Experience: 15+ years in the wine Industry; 10+ years working with the Boisset Collection; Society of Wine Educators: Certified Wine Educator. Wine & Spirits Education Trust: Diploma in WIne and Spirits. Wine Scholar Guild: Bourgogne Master; French Wine Scholar; Italian Wine Scholar; Spanish Wine Scholar. Burgundy School of Business (Dijon, France) Master?s of Science - Wine Business
Rodeo Uncorked! Judge: 9 Years
Why work in wine?
I enjoy learning more about culture, science and geography. I like working in agriculture to create a more sustainable future and to support farmers and farm workers