(PD) - Ben Pearson was the go-to person for wine in Sonoma County as the wine buyer at Bottle Barn, where for more than 20 years he served customers ranging from the novice looking for a $5 bargain to the vintner searching for the once-in-the-lifetime $3,000 bottle.

A ubiquitous presence within the local wine industry whether on the business side, with media promotion, at wine judging competitions and through a weekly radio show, Pearson’s influence extended beyond Sonoma County’s borders with his education and guidance of thousands of wine consumers.

He died over the weekend while on vacation with his wife in Mendocino County. Pearson was 56.

His body was discovered Saturday on a trail by Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Search and Rescue Team at 9:25 a.m., according to Lt. Greg Stefani.

Pearson and his wife, Laurie Cederberg, were staying at a vacation rental. On Friday, he went for a walk on the trails along the north side of Little Lake Road with the intention of returning within the hour.

By 8:30 p.m., Pearson had not returned and Cederberg checked the area to look for him, police said. She was unable to locate him and called the sheriff’s office. Deputies searched the area until 3 a.m. but were unable to locate him.

Foul play is not suspected and an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death, Stefani said.

Pearson was a professional wine judge for more than 15 years at competitions including the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, West Coast Wine Competition ande North of the Gate Wine Competition.