John Scharffenberger

John is a 25 year veteran of the gourmet food and beverage industry. He currently consults to Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, the ultra premium chocolate company he founded in 1996 and sold to Hershey Foods in August 2005, and is involved in Forestry and Sustainable Cacao farming projects with Mayan peoples in Guatemala.

Previously, John founded Scharffenberger Cellars, an ultra-premium sparkling wine producer, which he sold to LVMH in 1995. He currently serves as a trustee of Pacific Horticultural Foundation and board advisor to the College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley. John recently co-authored a book with Robert Steinberg, “Essence of Chocolate”, which will be published in Fall 2006.