When did you first become interested in wine? (When was your first taste? How was the experience?)
Both of my parents were wine drinkers, so I was exposed to it at a young age, and my first taste was like most everyone else's -- I thought it was awful! Being probably eight or nine at the time just meant I needed time to develop my palate... I really began to get into wine while working in the restaurant business during college. I had a co-worker who knew a fair bit about wine and listening to him talk about it made me begin to see there was something to this wine stuff...

What brought you into the wine business?
While in graduate school I was consumed by an interest in wine -- so I decided to drop out of school and work at getting into winemaking. I had family friends developing a vineyard, who introduced me to a winemaker friend of theirs, and that led to working harvest and then five years working in cellars making wine before returning to restaurants in 2002.

Do you have a favorite varietal or region?
I don't think you can work with a big wine program with so much diversity and quality in the world of wine and have just one single favorite. But if I had to pick one I have a personal attachment to Syrah based wines from the Northern Rhone.

If you don't order wine at a restaurant or bar, which beverage do you choose?
Beer! Always...

What's your least favorite drink?
Vodka, it embodies all of the worst aspects of the modern wine world - what is in the bottle is almost irrelevant; it is nothing but marketing, PR and packaging.

What's your best wine-drinking memory? What was the occasion?
Drinking Krug with my wife after asking her to marry me -- a combination of a truly special wine and a special moment.

In your opinion, which country, other than the U.S., makes the best wine? Why?
France makes the world's greatest wines -- a perfect combination of subtlety, complexity and ageability that is unmatched in the rest of the world. Plus France has a culture of wine that allows for amazing artisanal and individual expression in winemaking, a benefit of many generations of working the land and making wine from one's own vineyards.

What are your thoughts on recent trends within the industry?
I love that people are embracing so many new and diverse wines, I am concerned over how much "big" red wine is being made with obvious residual sugar, high alcohol and high oak to achieve scores.

What is the first thing someone learning about wine should know?
The most important thing to know is how to lift a glass and enjoy... The depths of the beverage and its culture are there to explore, but never forget it is supposed to be about PLEASURE!

What are some of your favorite food and wine pairings?
The classics -- oysters and Chablis, caviar and Champagne, foie gras and Riesling Auslese...

Do you think any rules should be adhered to when pairing?
Yes -- I am a firm believer that "everything goes with everything" is dead wrong when thinking of pairing food and wine to create a greater experience together than apart. But I believe just as strongly that you can forget pairing entirely and just enjoy -- it doesn't have to be a science experiment!

What are some of the benefits of drinking wine?
Too numerous to list -- health, conviviality, sensuality...

What wines should no home be without?
Champagne

Do you have any favorite wine gadgets? Are there any new ones on the market? If so, what are they and where can people get them?
My favorite wine gadget is a corkscrew -- there are always new "toys" on the market, some are fun, few are essential.

What are your three best tips, tricks or techniques for wine lovers?
Taste as much wine as you can to form your own opinions, always remember that a critic's opinion is just that, an opinion, and embrace the diversity in the world of wine -- don't get locked into the belief that there is only one "right way/right wine"