About Chapel Hill Wine Company in Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Growing up in the UK I was very lucky to spend most summer holidays in the south of France, where I was literally surrounded by vineyards and wine at the table from a young age. So it seemed natural to get a job in a wine shop in my first year at college, 17 years later after working in nearly every aspect of the wine business I guess you could say I’m hooked! I spent nearly 10 years working for some of Chapel Hill Wine Company’s biggest suppliers, importing and distributing wine. Then in 2014 Todd finally convinced me to come and manage the store. Wine combines many things I am passionate about, geography, history, art and science, and has allowed me to travel to many beautiful countries in the world. These days I’m always looking for what’s new, unique, and rare in the wine biz. I learn something new every day and that’s what makes this job so exciting. I’m a sucker for all things Portuguese, Spanish, and everything the wild southwestern corner of France has to offer. Oh and all things bubbly, especially Champagne - I just can’t get enough of it!

I come from a big family in Delaware, but when my parents moved my three siblings and I to North Carolina, we all quickly called it home. I studied Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology at Appalachian State University, and I am incredibly grateful for the adventures I had in the beautiful mountains. While breweries dominated in the west, and I took full advantage, I always enjoyed a glass of white wine, although I knew nothing about wine back then! After college, I moved back to my hometown, and I fell into my position at CHWC by word-of-mouth and an interest in learning about this niche in the beverage and agriculture industries. It is unbelievable how much I’ve learned and tasted while working with this amazing team, and I can now say a love for Burgundian and other French wine has taken hold. My instinct will probably always be to reach for an Albarino or crisp Italian white wine, though!

I’ve spent most of the last decade in the beverage industry,  but I’ve  been at the helm of Hillsborough Wine company since 2020. I’m a writer, a prolific home chef, and somewhat obsessive historian, and I’ve somehow found the one job that lets me put basically all of my myriad interests to use. Though I love wines from all around the world, I have a special fondness for those of the Loire Valley, as well as wines from Northen Spain and Austria. I live here in Hillsborough with my wife and our coterie of pets, and when I’m not at the shop you can find me at me painting miniatures at my desk, in a squat rack at the Sportsplex, or in the backyard with my dogs and a glass of wine.

Born and raised in sunny Florida, my partner and I moved to the triangle in 2021 settling in the Cary/Apex area and we love it! I’ve always had an affinity for wine and hospitality - working at wine-centered restaurants and a cheese and shop with a great wine program where I helped teach classes about both and how to pair them. I then worked for 3 years in wine retail, dabbled in the distributing world until I was hired here. With my two main passions for wine and people, here at Chapel Hill Wine Company, I can combine both. Outside of work, I’m either cooking or curled up with a book and my cat in my lap (a glass of wine is probably there in both situations). My palate changes seasonally, but as of now, I’m really into Northern Italian peppery reds and high acid whites.