Born and raised Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Practiced law in Washington DC following graduation from university and law school. Taught law at Georgetown University and then both at Moscow State University and the Institute of State and Law (Tbilisi, Georgie) as a Fulbright Scholar. Additional time served at Yale Law School, Moscow and St Petersburg resulted in a doctorate in law, after which I decided life was too short to be consigned to a life of vodka, potatoes and litigation. Following various positions in wine importing and distribution, in 2010 I established Tastingworks, a professional strategic management consultancy for wineries keen to establish or improve their penetration in the US market. A member of the Council of the IMW from 2015 through 2021, currently co-chair of the Governance Committee and the Diversity, Inclusion and Transformation Committee. Time outside of work finds me primarily in front of the keyboard.
Primary area(s) of work: Strategy
Industry sector(s): Author, Consultant, Distribution, Educator, Journalism, Marketing, Marketing research, PR, Wine business strategy, Wine judge, Winemaking
Wine styles: Champagne, Madeira, Natural, Orange wines, Sparkling wine, Still wines
Wine region expertise: Armenia, Austria, Burgundy, Champagne, Georgia, Germany, Loire, New York, Oregon, Tuscany, Virginia, Washington
Market expertise: North America
Specialisms: Wine varieties, Fermentation, Maturation and blending, Wine styling, Blending, Elevage / maturation, Packing and labelling, Sensory evaluation , Branding, Distribution, History of wine, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Importation, Marketing wine, New business development, Restaurant wines, Routes to market, Supplier/customer relationships, Training, Wine tourism, Wine judging