The Team

Board of Directors

Aengus Wagner - President

Born and raised in Big Sur, Aengus Wagner spent his adolescence in Marin, where he discovered a passion for running in the hills above San Anselmo before going on to captain the nationally competitive Santa Barbara Condors Ultimate Frisbee team. He later returned home to Big Sur to join the famed Nepenthe Restaurant, where he has worked for 30 years and now serves as Wine & Service Director.

Driven by a passion for community, California wine, and hospitality, Aengus became a founding member of the Big Sur Jazzfest in 1996, helping lay the foundation for the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival. Through decades of work alongside iconic winemakers, chefs, and local organizations — including Relay for Rachael and Big Sur’s Outlaws softball league — he has become a leading force in fundraising efforts that support the Big Sur community through its ongoing challenges. He cherishes the opportunity BSFW provides to bring people together through food, wine, and hospitality while giving back to the place he calls home.

Elsa Rivera - CFO

Elsa Rivera is the Festival’s CFO of The Big Sur Food & Wine Foundation. She puts her heart into community service, events and other fun projects. Her networking brings out the best in people who truly want to champion their passion, vision and creativity. 

Elsa is the Executive Director of The Big Fashion Show, the Blue Water Project Director for G.I. Josie, surf mentor for Groundswell Community Project and a founding collaborator in The Big Share for Big Sur. She is a Rotarian and was voted one of ten Outstanding Women of 2017 by the Monterey County Commission on the Status of Women, recognized for her work in helping the Big Sur and Palo Colorado communities during the Soberanes Fire.

Her love of the Big Sur community as extended family, her passion for dance, the arts, and great food and wine, inspires her to be a connecting force for the Big Sur Food & Wine Festival and all of the Foundation’s projects.

Matt Peterson - Vice President & Wine Director

Born into a household of food and wine professionals, Matt learned early the importance of hospitality, great cuisine and the wines that accompany. He joined the wine industry almost as soon as he was eligible in age, starting out in wine distribution where he still resides today.

Currently representing portfolios of some of the finest imports and domestic wines on the market, from companies like Swirl Wine Brokers and Wine Wise. Additionally, he's a sommelier at Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, and works as a consultant for a few local wine programs. Through the years, he worked as a veteran sommelier at Pebble Beach Food & Wine, The Central Coast Wine Classic and The Gourmet Fest. Matt's education and inspiration drew him to join Big Sur Food and Wine in the early days.

The festival continues to hold a special place in his heart, and using his experience in the wine world to support and strengthen this small community remains one of his proudest accomplishments. He is especially proud that his daughter, Athena, has become a second-generation contributor to BSFW, helping continue a meaningful family legacy.