00 /BACKGROUND
MORE ABOUT ME.
The useful professional details are elsewhere on this site. This page is for the person behind them.
01 / STORY
I grew up in a farming community, working on my grandparents’ dairy farm...
BUT LET’S BE HONEST.
THAT’S NOT
THE STORY
YOU WANT
TO HEAR.
02 / THE QUICK VERSION
I’ll make this quick.
I enjoy meeting new people.
I’d love to meet you and get to know you.
In the meantime, here are a few quick highlights.
03 / A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME
Enough biography.
Here’s the short version.
SKI EVERY MOUNTAIN
I’m an avid skier.
I chase powder from coast to coast. Totally worth it. My next goal is using my IKON pass internationally. Swiss Alps? Italian Dolomites? Andes Mountains in Chile? Mt. Fuji in Japan? I'm ready.
TRAVEL THE WORLD
I love to travel.
Domestic. International. By planes, trains, and truck/camper. I want to learn more about the world and see it all.
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
PROUD
ROCHESTERIAN.
Ask me for my “Best of Rochester” list:
pizza, restaurants, bars, and more.
WINE
Wine is where place, people, and practice meet.
Every bottle contains a story.
Wine has always interested me because each bottle reflects a special place in the world: a unique mix of climate and soils, a set of traditions with a rich history, and a product of choices made by the farmer and winemaker. I’ve approached wine from several directions: conducting wine-related research, teaching Wine Ecology at the university level, working in and around wineries, and continuing my education through WSET certifications (Level 2).
I also tend to "travel by terroir." When I visit wine regions throughout the world, I immerse myself in the terroir because I want to understand more than what is in the glass. I want to know the landscape, the food, the culture, the history, and the people behind it. Wine has become a way I collect stories from around the world; stories with a sense of place, identity, and change.
Since 2017, I've been the "Mary Poppins" at Weis Vineyards; when Peter Weis needs help, I can be found pouring wine at festivals until the (seasonal) wind changes. I spent the summer of 2020 working inside the tasting room and production facility.
HOME / OFF THE CLOCK
My wife and I have two
American Foxhounds.
Of course, they're adorable. I'm married to Dr. Serenity Sutherland.
I've come to understand that life involves constantly learning new things. I still can't surf (it's more of a portable raft at this point), but I enjoy being out on the water.
04 / I'M AN EXTROVERT
THAT’S ENOUGH ABOUT ME.
I’d rather
hear about you.
I enjoy meeting new people. Say hello.
START A CONVERSATION ↗Want the rest? Buy the rights.