About

I began working at the Oxford Liquor Shoppe in 2002 to make ends meet. Little did I know when I started there that it would begin a lifelong passion and redefine my adult life. I came in knowing nothing about wine; in fact, I really didn't even drink alcohol up until that point in my life. I figured I could make some extra cash, the hours were flexible around my other job and if nothing else, I could learn about wine! When I started trying wine, I didn't know anything and didn't have a lot of disposable income, so I started off on the basics, like Yellow Tail and Penfolds. Both are well-known brands and affordable, but I worked my way up from there little by little, first exploring Shiraz, then going grape by grape, trying different wines and figuring out my specific tastes. Before long, I had tried almost every affordable bottle in the shop!

I think everyone who truly loves wine has a defining moment where it takes over your life. For me, it was when my wife and I visited Napa Valley in 2007 for the first time. Out in the vineyards, learning how wine is made, enjoying various culinary delights and sipping some of the best wine I had ever had changed me. I became a certified wine nut! I immediately signed up for winery mailing lists when I got home and wanted to know everything I possibly could about wine. I became obsessed with tracking down top-rated wines for a chance to taste them and learn about them. This led to further trips to Napa Valley, the Santa Rita Hills, New York, Bordeaux and Italy. It also led to a very expensive wine-buying habit and a nice little wine cellar with a wife who complains about it but who is more than happy to drink it!

In 2012 I became a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers. One of the great things about wine is that there is something for everyone. I truly believe that drinking great wine doesn't have to be an expensive proposition. There are great bottles of wine at every price point, and people have to find out what they are comfortable with. I still work at Oxford Liquor Shoppe (part-time) and it keeps me plugged in with the most important people in selling wine: the customers. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than to recommend a nice bottle and share my knowledge of wine with others. Of course, drinking it isn't too bad either!