Wow, easier to say the three I don't like. Stylistically, I tend to like wines with one foot in the Old World and one in the New World; wines which express a sense of place and are good food companions. Classically-styled Cabs, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Nerello Mascalese, as well as succulent whites and rosés are all in my wheelhouse.

As far as spirits, I love Scotch (even the smoky ones!) tequila, mezcal (even the smoky ones!) fine brandies & any well-crafted cocktail with a balance of sweet, sour & (often) bitter. The Siesta is an Italian spin on the Margarita that I’m loving right now.

1986 Domaine Leroy Richebourg. Most Memorable Wine: 2005 Penfold's Grange, enjoyed with a group of industry friends over dinner, on the deck, late autumn, at my last home (which was in the middle of a vineyard).

As someone with an Italian family background, as well as two parents who lived in Paris for 20 years, I was exposed to wine at a very early age. I was drinking a small glass of wine (diluted with half water) with dinner from the time I was five years old. This taught me the enjoyment of wine with food, but hardly a deep appreciation of fine wine (the wine I was given was rarely fine, and was, after all, mixed with water!) Fine wine appreciation was to come later… Cut to college, where the wines were still not fine, but where I honed my wine & food pairing skills during multi-course dinner parties, where each course had its own wine, and where the success of the pairing was often a main topic of conversation. To this day, I love finding those "Ah ha!" pairings where the food and wine are both made more enjoyable by the pairing than they would be on their own. Though wine has been my avocation since college, it took a long time for me to find a way to make it my vocation, with stints in such far-flung professions as live action special effects filling in the time. Finally I just jumped in, moved to Sonoma in 2002, started working in a tasting room, and never looked back. For the last 10 years I've worked in the Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ as a Wine Slinger. This afforded me countless opportunities to talk wine with people from all walks of life (since the wine bar is a tourist magnet) and to find tasty pairings with our BBQ-based menu, which wasn't always easy (hint: Riesling!). Now, as a Wine Scout, I look forward to nurturing longer term relationships with my clients as they follow their unique path on the Wine Road. I can find you many wines in your comfort zone that you've never had before, and I can also make recommendations on what you may like next…