I worked the Hospitality industry for 23 years running hotels and working with celebrity chefs in highly regarded restaurants in NJ & NY. Many of the early years in hotels and restaurants allowed me to self-pay for my education to gain my Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology and a degree as a Clinical Scientist at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ and Kean University. The relationship with Biochemistry created a passion for wine. I became a Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Sommeliers Society of America in 1999, WSET in 2012.
While working in NYC decided to become that Sommelier that mentored, teach, and inspire other Somms towards South American Wines. During this time, I met Dr. Nicolas, his wife Elena and daughter Laura and immediately understood the message of a Pioneer Family that wanted to do so much for South America. Dr. Nicolas was very inspiring, Elena very supportive and proud of her Wine Country, and Laura was enthusiastic about applying her science to research and development in many aspects of wine growing and winemaking.
I promoted Catena Zapata during the 1990’s buying their wines and showing them to other winemakers and wine industry people with lots of success. In 2003 I went to the importer for Catena in USA as a Supplier & Relation’s Manager and the rest is history. I participated in the collaboration in educating Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wines about Argentina to make them ambassadors not just for Catena but for the wine producing counties in South America.
I joined Winebow in 2009 and have performed several positions, South America Brand Manager, Director of Portfolio Sales Management also assigned to Direct the Catena Task Force (CTF), South America Portfolio Specialist and coming back in April 2022 to lead the CTF.