MEET SCOTT

Wine culturist, wine educator, and sommelier.

From restaurants to sales to the vineyard to the classroom…I've spent my adult life working and studying wine. 

I speak Italian, mind you poorly, thanks to two years in Northern and Central Italy while earning a master’s degree and being fully immersed in the culture. The goal while there was to travel as much as possible, meet as many producers as possible, and soak in all the traditions and history of Europe. This transformed my understanding of wine and sparked a newfound passion for sharing what I've learned. Today,  I'm a Denver-based wine educator and consultant. I’ve held teaching engagements at MSU Denver's School of Hospitality and taught several master's courses at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, plus led dozens of large-scale seminars at the Keystone Wine and Jazz Festival, Crested Butte Wine and Food Festival, and Steamboat Food and Wine. 

Some fun facts:

I’ve worked in Panzano in Chianti, harvesting Sangiovese and working side by side with i Chiantigiani while learning the complete winemaking process. These are my forever friends.

I once hit a golf ball across the Douro River, forever deemed “the river hero,” by Gillyane Robinson of Taylor’s port.

Paula, my wife and business partner, inspires me every single day. I want to be like her when I grow up.

In a bustling dining room, I dowsed an unassuming restaurant guest, literally firehose style, from head to toe with champagne as it rocketed out of my hands….PSA folks- the pressure is real.

I’m in the kitchen daily studying the interaction between foods and wine…my favorite pairing is still potato chips and bubbles.

Some of my favorite wine memories include drinking cheap rosé on the banks of the Rhone River out of plastic cups and Grand Cru Bonnes Marres straight from the barrel.

All of this to say I take wine seriously, but I strongly believe wine education should be approachable, unpretentious, and above all, experiential. ​​​​​​​I bring fun to the subject knowing that wine can be complex, but wine education doesn't need to be. I'm a staunch advocate for exploring regions and grape varieties that are rarely spoken about encouraging discovery and continued biodiversity. This is why I’m most proud to be an official Italian Wine Ambassador and one of only 12 US-based VIA educators teaching the Italian Wine Maestro curriculum.