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Yanina Barros Agente de Representación, Logistics Yanina Barros works in Mendoza and manages our South American logistics. She is in continuous contact with all the wineries and oversees their orders and consolidations. Yanina is our boots-on-the-ground to ensure outstanding quality control. Yanina has worked in logistics for over ten years, mainly in the wine industry. |
Michele Burger Director of U.S. Distributor Operations Michele, a native of Northern California with over 35 years in the wine business, has been in Sales, Operations and Customer Service. As one of the original employees of Central Coast Wine Company (now Henry Wine Group), Australian Wine Producer Penfolds (US Operations Office) and Epic Wines, she has extensive experience in building a solid operation and connections with her customers. Michele lives on the Monterey Peninsula in California with her husband. |
Frank Bevacqua Northeast Sales Manager With over 20 years experience in the wine and spirits industry, Frank started his career with a premiere NJ Wholesaler. His passion for wine led him to Aveniu Brands where he skyrocketed their Argentine and Spanish portfolio. Frank is a determined Sales Manager who loves being in the street in the center of the action. Frank lives with his wife and daughter and their lovable dog Bacon in Manalapan Nj. |
| Mark Clinard Mid-Atlantic Sales Manager Mark has been in the fine wine business for 30 years, working for industry standouts like The Click Wine Group and Rosemount Estate. Originally from DC, he grew up in Europe where he learned about Mediterranean wines and their history. Graduated from Guilford College with degrees in Biology and Business and went straight to work for a NC wine distributor in 1989. Mark resides in Leesburg, VA with his bird dog, Belle. |
Alejandro Darago Agente de Representación, Mendoza Alejandro, an Argentine industry insider and the former Sommelier of the Alvear Palace Hotel (the highest-ranked hotel in South America), forms the heart of our Argentine selection team. Ale lives in Mendoza where he oversees winery relations, customer visits, quality control, and our logistics. Ale co-founded Vino del Sol in 2004. Read more about Ale. |
David Festenstein Midwest & National Off-Premise Chain Director David is a passionate sales leader with over 25 years of experience in the alcohol beverage industry across wholesale, retail and supplier channels. For the last 15 years, David has focused on selling highly-acclaimed, world-class wines where he successfully generated new business in both National & Regional Off-Premise chains. David lives in his home town of Chicago where he is huge sports fan and enjoys spending time with his family, friends and his Westie named Joey. |
| Matt Hedges President Matt fell in love with wine while studying abroad in Argentina, and started Vino del Sol as a result. Matt, a National Merit Scholar, received his MBA from Ole Miss, who honored him with their Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. Matt handles Vino del Sol's administration, finance, IT, and marketing. He is a proud recipient of Wine Enthusiast's 40 Under 40 Tastemaker award. Read how Vino del Sol began. |
Mark Hirsekorn Southeast Sales Manager Mark Hirsekorn grew up in Houston and developed his passion for wine in 2001 when he began working in a fine dining restaurant during college. During this time he realized that he wanted to have a career in the wine industry. Mark spent many years in distribution in Florida with Stacole Fine Wines. He now lives in Orlando with his girlfriend and 2 dogs where they enjoy spending their free time on the lake. |
Clarilea Hyde Controller Clarilea is a Louisiana native with a natural fondness of wine and spirits. She moved to Texas in 1994 to continue her education and develop her career. With 20 years experience in a Controller role Clarilea brings a vast knowledge of industries including distribution, advertising, rental and manufacturing. In her recreational time she enjoys exploring the Caribbean, 5k runs and boot camps. Clarilea has two children attending college and resides in Arlington, Texas with her husband and younger daughter. |
| Kevin Millman SVP Co-National Director of Sales Kevin is a tenacious sales manager who enjoys nothing more than being out on the street in the middle of the action. Kevin came to Vino del Sol from Winebow & Billington Imports where he was an integrate part in building the Argentine and Chilean segment into the powerhouse it is today. Prior to the supplier side of the business, Kevin spent many years working in wholesale calling on all channels of trade. Kevin lives with his wife and daughter in Atlanta. |
Vanessa Mylan Compliance Coordinator & Sales Support Vanessa is an admin extraordinaire; she handles Vino del Sol's compliance, sales support, and many other miscellaneous administrative tasks. Vanessa has 10 years’ experience in the wine industry and previously worked at Compli, Inc as an Alcohol Compliance Account Manager, and before that in the restaurant industry. Vanessa lives in the Central Coast of CA with her husband and two children. |
Lauren Patricio Marketing Operations Specialist Lauren was destined to work in the wine industry. At an early age she started accompanying her father to work at Epic Wines and learned her way around the business. While attending college she worked in all aspects of operations and was mentored by some of the best in the business. Her attention to detail and critical thinking eventually led her to become the director of the marketing department. Lauren lives in La Selva Beach, California. |
| Marc Pearlman Western Divisional Manager An avid wine enthusiast from for over twenty years, Marc has spent the past decade in distribution working in the Pacific Northwest. He comes to us in 2015 from his most recent role as VP of Corporate Sales at Vehrs Distributing in Washington and Oregon. Originally from Boston, he is now calls Seattle his home. |
Isaac Perez New England Sales Manager Isaac was bit but the wine bug in college and since then he has worked in many facets of the wine industry. His 14 year career ranges from retail, restaurants and Supplier Regional Manager. On the Supplier side of the industry, he has worked for Palm Bay and most recently Frederick Wildman. To him, wine is not only fun to drink, it’s fun to share. |
Rich Potenza South Central Sales Manager Rich began his career in the wine industry over 20 years ago, working for an East Coast distributor before relocating to Southern California. He held positions as a restaurant and hotel wine buyer, as well as the general manager for two of the largest retail wine stores in San Diego. In 2006, Rich joined Epic Wines where he was one of the top-selling sales representatives for VDS wines in California. In 2013 he moved to Texas and became Vino del Sol's Texas Field Manager. |
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Thane Prichard EVP Sales Thane Prichard, aka "The Gaucho," is a writer, wine educator, horseman, and avid fly-fisherman who travels between Argentina and Northern California. He has worked in the wine industry for the past 20 years. He has represented such wineries as Silver Oak, Dunn Vineyards, Geyser Peak, Bonny Doon, Cavit, Grgich Hills, and many others in international distribution. In 2004, Thane co-founded Vino del Sol and is the national director of sales. |
Kent Smith California & Arizona Brand Manager With many years of retail and restaurant experience under his belt, Kent moved to the distribution side of the wine business in 1997 with Epic Wines. He first worked in the California market before becoming Epic's Western Regional Manager. Kent has represented Vino del Sol wines since 2005. Kent lives in San Diego and Arizona. |
Scott Thomasen VP Sales: Mountain West, Air, Seas, & Export Markets Scott Thomasen has worked in the wine industry for over twenty five years in roles ranging from vineyard management to warehousing to retail/wholesale sales. During this time, Scott completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees, with emphasis on the international wine industry. Scott previously represented Vino del Sol while working for Epic Wines. Employed by Vino del Sol since 2010, Scott and his family relocated to Denver. Scott is also in charge of air, cruise, and international sales. Read more about Scott. |
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Brett Wells VP of Purchasing and Sales Support Brett's passion for all things food and wine started at a young age and eventually led him to become a classically trained chef at Le Cordon Bleu. Brett is a certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers with over 20 years in the wine industry. Prior to joining the Vino del Sol family, Brett was the Wine Buyer for BevMo! where he developed and managed the company's private label brands. Brett lives with his wife and daughter in Idaho. Read more about Brett. |