About

Don’s passion for wine began after college, when he moved into a small seaside town on the East Coast next to a wine shop. While working for a major airline’s marketing department, he had the opportunity to travel to Europe frequently with customers and lead tours as part of his job. Thus began his tour leading experience and entry into wine. He found the Europeans really knew how to live based on their love of wine and food. The seed was planted. With uncertainties in the airline industry after many years he decided to pursue a career in the healthcare field in medical devices and equipment. He eventually moved into advanced diagnostic testing systems in Cardiology and to Seattle from here it was an easy transition from cardiology to red wine. He then took his natural curiosity to the wine industry and set–up a wine tour business for a company 12 years ago with a partner. He then had the opportunity to purchase a well know group tour company 2011, Seattle’s first true wine tour company (vintage 2005), when the original owner approached them about a buy out. “He said wanted to sell to someone with a good reputation”. He did. He and a partner purchased the company in Seattle in 2011 and Don became the co owner. In early 2016 he sold his interests in that group tour company, after receiving glowing reviews on Trip Advisor and helping to earn it SIP magazines best wine tour company in the NW award in 2015. Not resting on his laurels he continues to take classes to enhance his knowledge of wine, as well as spirits and beer all at NW Wine academy where he has enjoyed courses for the last 7 years plus. He has just recently earned his level I sommelier’s certificate, an Advanced WSET and has also been certified as a “French Wine Scholar”  with” honors” which allows him to teach. He jokingly says he is studying to be a wine snob, but will never get there. His new wine tour company, has the benefit of his education and devotion to making the wine tour experience, both informative and fun. He says he is not a wine expert, his professors at NW Wine Academy, such as Reggie and Lenny and or some of the master sommeliers he has met are the real experts. He feels that the wine knowledge is very helpful for assisting clients in determining why they like what they like and in pairing foods and wines, to this end he has taken 5 courses in Food and Wine pairing alone. He thinks the pretense and snobbery are uncalled for in the business. He thinks a down to earth approach is more helpful and more fun and it is more his style anyway. Wine is to be enjoyed.  So Let’s Enjoy it!