About
I started my wine industry career in 1983 at the age of 18. I worked for Quilceda Creek Winery in Snohomish Wa seasonally until 1995. You could say I cut my teeth on a lot of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon over those years and got to try many of Al Golitzen’s early Quilly experiments from the 70s.
But my obsession with wine didn’t take hold until after moving the California. On one serentipitous day we were introduced to an amazing bottle of 1996 Latcham Vineyards Zinfandel from El Dorado County. And our California wine adventure began. We haunted the little wineries of Gold Country, Apple Hill, Fairplay, Amador and Lodi for 20 years, visiting every winery at least once a year.
In 2017 we moved to Suisun Valley and began exploring this area. I started working in the cellar and tasting room at Mangels Winery and that’s where I am now.
I have run a personal website called PantomimeHorse.com for over 20 years. This is where I keep my own ratings on wines, but other use it as well. There are over 6500 ratings on the site.
I am a WSET 1 and WSET 2 (with distinction) credential holder. I am currently just finishing WSET 3.
Above you can see example of some of the art I produce. I am a bird photographer from way back usually shooting DSLRs with long lenses, but recently I just started shooting landscapes with my phone. And then I process them through software to blow out the contrast and color and turn them into interesting art.