Wine Consulting
The glass is only
the beginning.
Strategic wine services for restaurants, importers, brands, and publications — grounded in certification, shaped by literature.
Start a ConversationThe Approach
Where expertise meets craft
Most wine consulting is transactional — a list is built, a product is placed, the engagement ends. What I offer is different: the sensibility of a writer applied to the strategy of a sommelier. Every recommendation is grounded in your specific ecosystem: your guests, your story, your market.
With five years in service, sales, distribution, and consulting — and a decade in the classroom teaching people to see the world through language — I help operators, brands, and publications tell better wine stories and build stronger wine programs.
What I Do
Services & Engagements
Brand Promotion & Storytelling
For Importers, Producers & BrandsThe most effective promotion doesn't announce itself. I embed your brand inside writing that readers seek out — essays, cultural pieces, and features that organically introduce your wine to an engaged audience. Whether it's a standalone brand profile or a producer woven into a broader narrative about a region or grape variety, the result is the kind of exposure that advertising can't buy: genuine, credentialed, and lasting.
- Native brand features embedded in cultural and historical essays
- Producer spotlights written for editorial and trade audiences
- Organic brand integration in long-form writing and tasting columns
- Social content and Instagram features for brand launches and releases
- Importer portfolio narratives and brand identity writing
Article Features & Reviews
For Publications & BrandsOriginal wine writing — long-form features, producer profiles, regional deep dives, tasting essays, and scored reviews — crafted for publications, brand content, newsletters, and websites. Every piece is written with the rigor of a trained sommelier and the instincts of an MFA: technically grounded, narratively compelling, and never generic. Past work includes import advisory with Altair Imports.
- Long-form regional features and producer profiles
- Scored tasting notes and structured reviews
- Tasting notes and vintage commentary for menus or catalogues
- Newsletter content and wine education series
- Blog ghostwriting for importers, distributors, and restaurants
Wine List & Program Design
For Restaurants & OperatorsA wine list is a document with a voice, an argument, a point of view. I audit your current program, identify gaps between your concept and your pours, and build something intentional: curated to your price points, coherent with your cuisine, and designed to increase check averages and guest confidence. The goal isn't a longer list. It's a smarter one — and one that reads well.
- Full wine list audit and gap analysis
- By-the-glass program curation for flow and margin
- Menu language, descriptor writing, and list formatting
- Staff training materials and wine education sessions
- Seasonal and rotating list management
Judging & Industry Events
For Competitions & Trade EventsA credentialed palate available for wine competitions, portfolio tastings, trade events, and panel judging. As a CMS Level 2 Certified Sommelier with WSET Distinction and an MFA, I bring both technical rigor and the ability to articulate evaluation clearly — on the panel, in print, or in front of an audience. Available for regional competitions, importer tastings, and industry panels.
- Wine competition judging and scoring panels
- Importer and distributor portfolio tasting events
- Trade panel participation and guest commentary
- Written evaluation and judging notes for publication
- Event moderation and wine presentation support
Private Event Hosting
For Individuals, Brands & VenuesIntimate wine experiences led by a certified sommelier who can also tell the story. I host private tastings, curated dinners, and wine education evenings for small groups — designing the selection, guiding the narrative, and making the evening feel like something more than a pour. Whether it's a dinner party, a corporate hospitality event, or a brand activation, the format is tailored to the room.
- Curated private tastings for individuals and small groups
- Wine pairing dinners with guided commentary
- Corporate hospitality and brand activation events
- Wine education evenings and themed tastings
- Custom selection and sourcing for private collections
"A wine list is a document. It has a voice, an argument, a point of view. The best ones read like a great opening paragraph — they make you want to keep going."
— Nico Antuna CooperDifferentiated
The MFA + CMS difference
Literary Precision
An MFA in Creative Writing means every word earns its place. No bloated descriptions, no empty superlatives. Just language that does its job — persuades, informs, and sticks.
Certified Authority
CMS Level 2 Certified Sommelier and WSET Level 2 with Distinction. Every recommendation is backed by structured training, not just enthusiasm. Your clients and readers can trust the source.
Real Industry Experience
Five-plus years across front-of-house service, wholesale distribution, and consulting — including import strategy with Altair Imports. I understand what actually moves product and what actually serves guests.
Borderland Perspective
Writing from El Paso — a city that exists in the margin between cultures — means a built-in instinct for the unexpected pairing, the undervalued region, the story no one else is telling about wine.