Somm-antic Drift
I was born and raised in West Texas where I also received a degree in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management from Texas Tech University. While studying at Texas Tech, I started a job as a server at a local country club and in the tasting room of Pheasant Ridge Winery, one of the oldest wineries of the Texas High Plains. The strong West Texas winds then blew me across the Atlantic to work at the historic Leander Club in Henley-on-Thames in England. While at Leander, I was able to sample many great wines and foods that I had never been exposed to in Texas.
After the Leander Club, I came back to Texas, working as a Banquet Manager for Lubbock Country Club. The winds then blew me away to the Grand Hyatt Kauai where I was able to work at one of the top resorts in the world.
From there Hyatt took me to San Antonio then to Austin and then back full circle to Lubbock to work at the 4-Diamond Overton Hotel and Conference Center where I developed the wine program from scratch to the pages of Wine Spectator with an Award of Excellence.
After a few years back home, I moved on to Dallas to be the Catering Director at Royal Oaks where I am able to work closely with another sommelier, Zsolt Varga on the wine lists for Catering and Dining. While working at Royal Oaks, I received my Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers and both my Wine and Spirit Education Trust Level 2 and Level 3 awards and am currently studying for the Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist of Wine certificate.