Kelly Wheeler
Senior Instructor

Kelly taught his first wine class in 1972 while pursuing dual MS and MBA degrees at Michigan State University.  Since then he has continued to expand his passion for and knowledge of wines. Kelly is an enthusiastic student of the world of wine and is currently a Certified Specialist of Wine and a Certified Specialist of Spirit s with the Society of Wine Educators; and a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. 

Bill Reynolds
Wine Instructor

Bill has been involved with the Atlanta Wine School for more than four years as a student, volunteer and instructor. He has taught consumer classes on introduction to wine appreciation and food and wine pairing as well as the primarily industry focused Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) courses.

Debbie Ruskin
Wine Instructor

As a former restaurateur, catering business owner, and wine wholesale rep, Debbie is firmly grounded in the culinary arts. For the last three years, Debbie has been taking courses at Atlanta Wine School, as well as assisting instructors. In 2008 she began teaching her own courses, as well as conducting private events.

Ophelia Santos
WSET Instructor

Ophelia Santos, D.W.S., is a veteran of the food and beverage industry and a respected educator. She is the founder/director of WineWise, Atlanta’s first Approved Program Provider for WSET certification classes. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Law & Diplomacy from Tufts University and a level 4 Diploma with Merit from WSET.

Melissa Pelkey-Hass
Chef Instructor

Melissa was born with a whisk in her hand. Over the years, her love for cooking and competition has been carefully crafted into an award-winning obsession. Melissa uses her culinary skills to compete in cooking and recipe competitions locally and nationwide. Her craft has earned over 320 State Fair Blue Ribbons, 160 Red Ribbons and titles.

Jack Crawford
Chef Instructor

Chef Jack turned his passion for cooking and great food from a hobby into a career. After graduating with honors from the culinary program at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Jack jumped into the exciting and diverse world of event catering. Working for the top caterers in the city, he learned to create and execute restaurant-quality dishes in locations as diverse as home kitchens to the wing of an airplane.

Jordan Lynn Traylor
Chef Instructor

Chef Jordan was raised in Southern California but has lived all over the world. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta Ga pursuing a degree in Economics and International Marketing and is an honors graduate of Culinary Arts School at Le Cordon Bleu. After college she moved to Italy to work at a B&B in Piano di Sorrento and also, the Michelin Starred restaurant Il Buco in the heart of Sorrento. Sharpening and expanding upon her passion for Mediterranean cuisine and Italian culture.