I was raised in Oregon's Willamette Valley back when the local wine scene was just getting started. My parents didn't drink, so wine wasn't exactly on my radar. That changed in 2001 during my senior year of college, at the McMinnville Wine and Food Classic. Standing in the Evergreen Aviation Museum — yes, the one with the Spruce Goose — surrounded by local winemakers who were genuinely thrilled to talk about what they'd grown and made, something clicked. These weren't snobs. They were storytellers.
That same year I moved to Chicago, where I spent the next several years working with nonprofits — and drinking a lot of whatever showed up in the donation box at fundraising events. It was fine. It was not the revelation I was looking for.
For years, I had no idea how lucky I was. Thanks to friends in the Oregon and Napa wine industries, I'd been tasting exceptional wines with exceptional service, and never once saw a bill. It wasn't until a 2010 trip to Michigan that someone handed me a check at the end of a pretty mediocre tasting and I genuinely didn't understand what I was looking at. My friends still bring this up.
That moment stuck with me — not because I was embarrassed, but because it reminded me how much of wine culture is gatekept by intimidation and assumed knowledge. It doesn't have to be.
I eventually decided to go all-in. I enrolled in the WSET program purely for personal enrichment — Level 1, then Level 2, then Level 3, back to back, no breaks. The final exam was in early February 2020. What I didn't know at the time was that I had COVID-19. This was before tests existed, before most of us understood what was happening — I only pieced it together months later when reports emerged that the virus could rob you of your sense of taste and smell.
I walked into that blind tasting with compromised senses and two wines in front of me: a Vinho Verde and a high-quality Burgundy. I leaned on everything I'd studied — color, structure, acidity, effervescence — and I passed. With Merit.
I've tasted wine on bikes in South Africa, Argentina, Portugal, Spain, France, and up and down the American West Coast. I'll say this: there is no better way to understand a wine region than to ride through it under your own power, dusty clothes, vines on either side. But honestly, the best wine experience is whatever gets you genuinely curious about what's in your glass.
I'm an Oregonian at heart, Chicagoan by choice. I return to the Willamette Valley at least three times a year and always come home with a few bottles and a story.
My favorite wines are Champagne, Pinot Noir, a steely Chardonnay, and a bone-dry Riesling. If I had to choose just one grape for the rest of my life, it wouldn't even be a hard decision.
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 3 award, passed with Merit. Comprehensive wine education covering major regions, varietals, and tasting methodology.
From South Africa to Argentina, Portugal to Japan — wine has been the thread connecting more than 50 countries visited across five continents. There's no better way to understand a wine than to drink it where it's made.
Grew up in the Willamette Valley. Returns at least three times annually. Deep personal connection to Oregon wine culture and its producers.
Passionate about experiencing wine regions firsthand — often by bike. Believes there's no better way to understand terroir than to ride through it.
45-minute Zoom sessions, no prior knowledge required. Or dive into the free grape and region guides at your own pace.