Steve founded USA Wine West in 1996 and has been the driving force behind successfully growing the company without compromising its personable character and high standard of service.
He began his foray into the business of wine while working the grape harvest in the Rhinegau in 1976. Since then, he has worked in vineyards and wineries in California, Hungary, France and New York. His work experience extends to virtually every level of the wine industry, as a retail wine buyer and bottle duster, a wholesale/import operations manager, a wholesale sales representative in San Francisco Bay Area for six years, and in winery sales and marketing. Steve is also a licensed attorney and specializes in wine law, assisting wineries, retailers and importers in their contractual, regulatory and licensing issues. Steve is owner/winemaker at Maine Coast Vineyards, LLC, a bonded winery with a two-acre estate vineyard in Falmouth, Maine. He brings all of these experiences into play as director of USA Wine West.
He currently focuses on compliance and business development, and assists and advises portfolios in developing their U.S. distribution and marketing strategies. Speaking French and German well enough to tell bad jokes, Steve’s infectious enthusiasm and larger than life personality are intrinsic to the spirit of the company.