Hello!

I want to inspire you to explore the world of wine by sharing my passion, knowledge, and experiences.

I am in the twilight of a long career in Information Technology, and currently work as an IT analyst for local government.  I’ve been married for more than 35 years, and my wife and I have two (wonderful) adult daughters.  I live in the foothills of Northern California.

Tasting at Shafer Vineyards

How did I get interested in wine?

  • A wine appreciation class in college
  • Fun fact: That same semester, a computer science professor begged us to “become an expert at something, but nothing related to computers.”
  • Checked that one off the list.  One of my good friends once told me, “You’ve forgotten more about wine than I will ever know.”
  • A short stint at a chain liquor store
  • Fun fact:  One of my co-workers was a college-trained winemaker and daughter of a winery shareholder who had a well-stocked wine cellar.
  • 1975 Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon was an epiphany wine.
  • A year buying wine for a farmer’s market-type grocery store
  • Fun fact:  I was a wine consultant, and it was fun talking to other people about wine! 
  • Wine sales were actually a big part of the store. Unfortunately, little else was successful.
  • Three years as a wine consultant at a high-end wine and specialty foods store before embarking on my career in IT
  • Fun fact:  I maintained my connection to the store and managed the owner’s wine cellar for over 25 years.
  • I worked for store credits, which allowed me to build a small collection.