Life is but a stage and each must play his part, here's to life!

The wine soaked, career biography of your Artisans on Web host.
Education: C.S.U., San Francisco, Bachelor of Arts U.C. Davis, Master of Science, Enology & Viticulture
Language: English, studied: Italian, French, Spanish
Interests: Wine, Music, Fine Dining, Literature, Current Events, Computers, Golf, Tennis, '75 Dino Ferrari, Travel, '64 Vespa GL

A native Oregonian who moved to California by way of Arizona in his youth, I became interested in a wine career as a pre-med undergraduate at San Francisco State University. After completing undergraduate studies I attended the University of California at Davis, earning a master of science degree in viticulture and enology in 1975.

My life as a budding vintner began in 1975 while managing a 30 acre Chardonnay and Cabernet sauvignon vineyard in the mountains above Napa Valley. In 1977 I moved on to gain practical experience in other aspects of wine production. First working under winemaster Philip Togni at Cuvaison as Assistant Winemaker; then for Warren Winiarski at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in the cellar; for Jim and Barbara Spaulding at Stonegate Winery as Winemaker/Vineyard Manager; and for Robert Mondavi Winery as Assistant Grape Buyer.

In 1981, I was hired by William Hill Winery as a winemaking consultant, and was quickly promoted to the position of Vice President and Winemaker. During my winemaking stint at William Hill, I built production from 5,000 to 40,000 cases, established two additional product lines, and was responsible for an annual capital and production budget of more than two million dollars. We renovated an old warehouse into a modern, fully-equipped winemaking facility. To aid growth, I projected winery development and production needs at annual production levels to 160,000 cases. In my role as Winemaker, I was also involved in marketing activities for the United States and Canadian markets.

I founded Artisan Wines in 1984, and soon brought in well-known designer Jeffrey Caldewey to create its distinctive marketing image. In addition to producing and marketing Napa Valley wines under its own label, the firm created and marketed two negociant brands, and a line of French wines made for the American market. Production of all brands reached 12,000 cases and selected national distribution.

Under my guidance, Artisan Wines evolved into Global Wine Company in 1989, which focused on negociant activities, new brand development and marketing and brand development for a new California winery. In addition, falling under the spell of life in the Caribbean, I established Nevis Island Wine Company with Michael Todd, a wine distributorship in Nevis-St. Kitts, the British West Indies.

In March of 1991 I moved to Manhattan completing a marketing program on Madeira for Wilson & Daniels, an international wine broker and Premium Port Wines, U.S. brokers for Croft, Warres, Smith-Woodhouse & Blandy's. Since that time I have gained experience and developed contacts in New York by working in retail; as a sales representative for a medium sized New York distributor in Manhattan and from 1994 to 2001 developing New York City distribution for Tricana Imports, an importer of Italian wine that has expanded to include the wines of France, Australia, New Zealand, California, Virginia and Spain.
In Tricana Imports I finally found the right time and place to bring the fascination with all things Italian, begun in the early 1980's, to a full ferment with much travel, buying, selling, eating and drinking and finally breaking through the language barrier with the help of of a lively school in Manhattan called Parliamo Italiano.

I have written wine and travel related articles for the GrapeZine magazine and also served as its' associate publisher, written for the Long Island Wine Gazette, developed the first American Wine Guide website for the Mining Company and since 1996 have been curating the talents of various artisans in the ongoing creation of this Wine Web Portal called Artisans on Web where we have now added an expanded selection of artisan wines from small producers around the world.

With the help of my old friend and now partner Gavin Gracey, Artisan Wine Company is once again producing California red wines under the Harvest and CruVinet labels with distribution in New York, California, Florida, New Jersey and Ohio.

In the summer of 2002 I drove the vintage 1975 Dino Ferrari from Manhattan to San Francisco and began the work of bringing the imported wines we had made successful in New York to northern California under our distribution company Global Wines.
The Ferrari makes special wine deliveries and the Vespa goes very well up and down the hills of San Francisco.

With an old friend and wineman John Sambrooke, in the fall of 2003, for excitement and travel yours truly has joined the club of "flying winemaker". Consulting on winemaking in a remarkable new appellation being founded on the northern shores of Lake Ontario, Prince Edward County, for Black Prince Winery. All hail the Black Prince!

Once entangled in the tendrils of the vine, one never really leaves.

Wine Career related travel: Madeira, Oporto and the Douro valley of Portugal, Italy, France, Australia, Hawaii, Canada, Washington, Oregon, Hudson Valley of New York, Long Island, N.Y., Finger Lakes of New York, New Mexico, Texas, Spain, and a four letter country that begins with CandendsinA.