It all began junior year abroad in Italy. I took an introductory course on wine – how it’s grown, how to taste, and most importantly, how to indulge the senses. I was hooked. It wasn’t that my judgment was clouded by the spellbinding effects of being under the Tuscan sun, but a real passion was born. When I returned stateside, more specifically, to my university in Sonoma, California (the cradle of California wine country), I continued to pursue my wine education.

In the early years of my career, after graduation, I worked with an Italian wine distributor. Getting to really know the wines – and their accompanying stories – meant frequent trips to Italy. I learned the ‘terroir’ of the country, region by region, province by province. While my love for Italy and its wines is intense, I began to spread my wings both domestically and internationally. California wines, along with wines from the Pacific Northwest rose to a prominent position in my portfolio, as did wines from other parts of Europe and South America.