WILSON DANIELS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the Private Client Group Services
- VP - Private Client Group Services
Adam Schneider is Vice President of the Private Client Group. Adam holds a Bachelor's degree in Government from Harvard University with a citation in French and a MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. He also holds a Certificate in Food & Beverage Management from Cornell and WSET Level 3 in Wine with Merit.
After completing his MFA, Adam spent ten years in entertainment and media working for companies including William Morris Endeavor and Paramount Pictures before joining Christie's as their sole Wine Specialist on the West Coast in 2021. At Christie's, Adam shepherded many important wine collection sales including Fine Wine from the Cellar of Quincy Jones, the Ruan Collection, and the Exceptional Collection of Danny & Donna Arnold. He also regularly organized top client dinners and tasting events with leading wine producers and spirits brands.
Adam enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and is an avid collector of contemporary art. He is currently a member of LACMA's Modern & Contemporary Art Council and in the past, he has been a member of the Whitney Contemporary Patrons, the MoMA Junior Associates, and the auction committee for Project Angel Food's Angel Art Gala.
Job Titles:
- Portfolio Director, France
Job Titles:
- Portfolio Director, Italy
Job Titles:
- Portfolio Director, New World
Job Titles:
- North Central Regional Manager
Job Titles:
- Operations Director
- Operations Director for Bertani Domains
Andrea Lonardi is the Operations Director for Bertani Domains, where he oversees the viticulture, winemaking and marketing teams for each of the wineries under the Bertani Domains umbrella, including Val di Suga. His philosophy is centered on implementing progressive techniques guided by extensive experience, allied with a deeply felt respect for tradition.
A dynamic and influential young winemaker, Andrea is a graduate of University of Bologna with a degree in Agrarian Sciences. He began his career in the wine business working in wineries in France and California.
Upon returning to Italy, Andrea joined a leading Italian wine producer in their marketing department and later as their Director of Viticulture. In 2012, Andrea joined Bertani Domains, a new joint venture focused on producing wines with a clear sense of place and an innovative approach.
Job Titles:
- Pacific Northwest Regional Manager
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Western Division
- Vice President of Sales for the Western Division
- Western Division
Andy Lum is the Vice President of Sales for the Western Division. Based in Denver, CO, Andy previously served as the Rocky Mountain Regional Manager for three and a half years, transforming the region into a top-performing territory. His unmatched ability to share his wine knowledge and energy has allowed him to create best-in-class relationships with our distributor partners and accounts with the entire Western Division.
Prior to joining Wilson Daniels, Andy founded and managed his own fine wine distribution and import company in Colorado. Prior to that, he was a Regional Sales Manager for Chateau Montelena, where he successfully managed 20 states.
Originally from Michigan, Andy has a degree in Engineering from the University of Michigan and moved to Colorado shortly after graduation. When he's not overseeing the Wilson Daniels Western Division team, he enjoys a ‘mountain lifestyle' of fly fishing and snowboarding.
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales - New York Metro
Job Titles:
- Member of the Marketing Committee
- Owner
Antonio was born at the foot of the Etna volcano, in Catania, Sicily, in May 1974. He is married to Sabrina, also from Sicily, whom he met in New York. Together, they have a one year old beautiful daughter called Matilda Ines (born in New York!) and a three year old Golden Retriever called Frankie.
After childhood in Sicily, Antonio moved to Switzerland in 1989, at age 15, to attend the International School of Geneva. The year before, in 1988, his father Giuseppe, a chemist by degree, founded Benanti Winery, reviving an old family tradition, with the ambition to make very fine wine on the beautiful slopes of one of the world's most active and tallest volcanos.
In 1992, at the aged of 18, Antonio moved to London, England, to study Business Administration and then worked for five years in the financial sector, before earning a Master degree in Business Administration at the Imperial College, also in London.
After a total of 15 years spent abroad, Antonio returned to Sicily for good at age 34 and started working alongside his father, a visionary of many interests and talents. Back then, Benanti had already achieved some remarkable notoriety and recognition among connoisseurs and his involvement with its activities happened very naturally, out of pride and passion.
Together with his twin brother Salvino, he assumed ownership and leadership of the winery in 2012. That year, the Benanti family decided to focus its entrepreneurial efforts exclusively on the winery. The last eleven years have seen the Benanti brothers develop the winery on all fronts and help it gain a very solid international reputation, certainly building upon the foundations laid by their father Giuseppe but also bringing their own vision. Their aim is to make Benanti one of the finest wineries in the Old World.
Antonio also served as President of the prestigious Etna DOC Consortium between 2018 and 2021. He is a certified sommelier and a WSET3 candidate.
Antonio, Sabrina, Matilda Ines and Frankie are fond of traveling, mountain hiking, beautiful islands and New York City.
Job Titles:
- East Central Regional Manager
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Sales
Job Titles:
- Director of National Accounts - Central U.S
In the heart of Chianti Classico, Castello di Volpaia dates back to the 12th Century, and today is a close-knit winemaking co...
Job Titles:
- Director of National Accounts - Western U.S
- National Accounts
Job Titles:
- Director, Media Relations and Communications
Job Titles:
- New England Regional Manager
Familia Torres celebrates 150 years of innovative and authentic Spanish winemaking!
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales - New York Metro
Hélène Georges was born in 1994 in Fréland, a mountain village in the heart of the Welche region, located upstream of the Alsatian vineyards.
After obtaining her bachelors degree, she studied agriculture sciences in Bordeaux. Hélène chose to specialize in viticulture-oenology in order to obtain her Oenology National Diploma through the ISVV (Intsitute of vine and wine sciences) of Bordeaux.
Her first internship was in Germany, where she studied the influence of the vines age and the water content on physiological factors for Riesling.
Jack Daniels (left) and Win Wilson, co-founders of Wilson Daniels
Jack Daniels co-founded Wilson Daniels with the late Win Wilson in 1978. During his 25-plus-year tenure, Wilson Daniels grew to become one of the premier wine marketing and sales companies in the country, representing the portfolio in all 50 states. Under Jack's direction, the company focused on limited-production, high-end, single-vineyard-designated wines from around the world. Wilson Daniels has been privileged to continuously represent Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in the United States since 1979, when Win Wilson and Jack Daniels first met Aubert de Villaine.
As an active participant in his community, Jack has served on the St. Helena City Council, the Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation Board and has been a speaker and panel member for many wine industry marketing and sales forums, nationally and internationally. Jack's professional achievements include being recognized, with Win Wilson, as one of the 10 most influential people in the wine business by Robb Report.
Jack has also been awarded the prestigious Order of the Mérite Agricole by the French government for contributions to French agriculture in the U.S. Jack is a member of La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, L'Ordre de Côteaux de Champagne and Chevalier de la Confrérie de Tokaji.
Today, Jack sits on the board of Wilson Daniels.
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Finance
- Vice President - Financ
James DiCicco is Wilson Daniels' Vice President of Finance, having previously served 10 years as CFO of wine importer Frederick Wildman. Although numbers have long been his professional focus, James has acquired a robust appreciation for fine wine, and enjoys enhancing his knowledge of the industry at every opportunity. In addition to a great passion for his work, James has become known and respected on our team for building strong, lasting relationships with his co-workers and business associates. He is a Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from The State University of New York at Albany, and a Master's Degree in Accounting from C.W. Post Long Island University. James lives in Dix Hills, NY with his wife Sue, and his three kids (when they come home to visit): Jake, Dylan, and Lizzie.
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales - Upstate New York
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Operations
- Executive Vice President of Wholesale and Operations
- Operations
Kevin Murphy is the Executive Vice President of Wholesale and Operations at Wilson Daniels. A Connecticut-native and graduate of University of Richmond in Virginia, Kevin's passion for the fine wine business began when he managed a retail wine boutique in Richmond. Kevin transitioned to the wholesale tier of the industry in 2004, where he learned to navigate the business operations of the beverage distribution industry at Roanoke Valley Wine Company. Kevin returned closer to home in 2006 to manage the inventory of Frederick Wildman & Sons, a historic, New York City-based importer and wholesaler. Kevin joined Wilson Daniels in July 2015 to begin the company's business operations in New York and New Jersey. Kevin is known for his relaxed attitude and his funny wit. He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey with his wife, Katia, and twin sons, Kai and Aiden.
Job Titles:
- Southern Division
- Vice President - Southern Division
- Vice President - Southern Divison
- Wine Director
Kim Wood has been in the wine industry for almost 20 years. His initial interest began just after college when a fortuitous conversation led him to join the wine team at Pappas Bros Steakhouse in Dallas. While there, he spent his days studying to be a sommelier and his evenings working with one of the most comprehensive wine lists in the country. In 2008 he passed his Advanced Sommelier certification, on the first attempt, and was recruited the following year join the wine program for Jean Georges Steakhouse in Las Vegas. The next few years saw continued success when he was promoted first to Lead Sommelier then to Wine Director of Aria Resort and Casino. He also continued to expand his wine knowledge as well and he passed two of the three portions of his Master's Exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers.
As Wine Director Kim oversaw a team of 14 sommeliers whom, as a group, wrote and managed wine lists in 7 gourmet restaurants showcasing the cuisine and hospitality of world-famous chefs including Jean Georges Vongerichten, Michael Mina, Masa Takayama, Sirio Maccioni, and Julian Serrano. In addition, he oversaw the wine programs at 15 casual restaurant, lounge, and club venues located within Aria. In 2015, to further understand the wine industry, Kim left Aria and decided to pursue a career in wine sales. He began working for Lux Wines, a division of E&J Gallo, where he developed a thorough understanding of the supplier role in the three-tier system form one of the wine world's most influential companies. In 2017 Kim began working for Wilson Daniels, one of the oldest and most respected wine import companies in the states representing wines from 42 family owned wineries.
Job Titles:
- Vice President - Northeast Division
- Vice President of Sales for the Northeast Division
Kristin Butke is the Vice President of Sales for the Northeast Division, overseeing the continued growth within the fourteen states that comprise the Northeast. She previously served as Regional Sales Manager for Wilson Daniels from 2018-2020, and was awarded the Wilson Daniels "President's Award" in 2019 for her stellar performance.
Prior to her time with Wilson Daniels, Butke worked at European Cellars/Eric Solomon Selections as the Northeast Regional Sales Manager from 2010-2014 where she successfully grew sales in the supplier's largest national market. From 2006-2010, Butke was a lead Sales Representative with Martignetti's United Division, managing a key on-premise route in downtown Boston. Her love and appreciation for wine emerged during her first role in market sales and events at a winery in Montevarchi, Italy, where she lived and worked for five years.
Kristin lives in Boston with her husband, Ricky, and two children, Amelie and Winslow. She is passionate about wine, speaks fluent Italian, is an avid runner, and has recently picked up gardening.
Job Titles:
- South Central Regional Manager
Job Titles:
- Southeast Regional Manager
Job Titles:
- Associate Manager - Private Client Group Services
Job Titles:
- Midwest Division
- Vice President - Midwest Division
- Vice President of Sales for the Midwest
Marc Nuara is Vice President of Sales for the Midwest division. Marc's love and appreciation for food and wine began at a young age, with a Tuscan-born father who celebrated Italian culture from the roots up, introducing Marc to the homemade wine, which he would enjoy at the family dinner table the moment he could hold his own cup. These deep-set family traditions encouraged Marc to study culinary arts and hospitality at Kendall College, where he first began his formal wine education.
Marc worked as a beverage director in Chicago's fine dining scene for several years before transitioning to sales in 2012. Prior to joining Wilson Daniels, he managed the Midwest region for Frederick Wildman and Sons, Paul Hobbs, and Opici Wines. His hallmark is building and growing strong relationships with wholesalers, key accounts, and colleagues alike. When he's not overseeing the Wilson Daniels Midwest sales team, he enjoys relaxing at home with his wife Stephanie and daughter Vivian, as well as cooking and golfing.
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales - Connecticut
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Business Development
Michael Traverso is Vice President of Business Development. Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration & Marketing from University of Southern California, and earned a Sensory Evaluation of Wine Certification from University of California, Davis. Joining Wilson Daniels in 2016 as a Senior Brand Manager and Director of Italian Estates, Michael was instrumental in growing the Wilson Daniels Italian portfolio. He was rehired in 2021 as the Director of E-Commerce & Portfolio Development and was promoted to his current role as Vice President in 2022.
A Sonoma County native, Michael's passion for food and Italian culture began at a very young age while working at his family's retail grocery store. Michael's wide range of interests include cooking, collecting wine and rare whiskey, traveling, gardening, hiking, and swimming. He recently completed his Business Law Certification through Cornell University. Michael lives in Healdsburg with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children Hugo and Isla.
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales - Long Island
Job Titles:
- South Atlantic Regional Manager
Curious and tireless, Pietro Riccobono, at the age of 38 and with a degree in Oenology, has already experienced 20 harvests, encountering various wine denominations and great personalities from the world of wine who have enriched his background. He has travelled to many wine regions abroad, but it is Italy-with its richness and biodiversity-that he has chosen as his professional home. Pietro is well-acquainted with the diverse grape varieties and territories of Italy, from Sicily to Puglia, Basilicata to Abruzzo, Marche to Friuli, and Tuscany to Veneto. For the past 10 years, he has been working at Angelini Wines & Estates, where he currently serves as the chief winemaker. There, he collaborates in crafting wines with distinctive character, including renowned wines such as Amarone Classico della Valpolicella and Brunello di Montalcino. In Montalcino, he has played a key role in the development of Val di Suga, highlighting the specific characteristics of the different slopes and the myriad nuances that Sangiovese, is capable of communicating.
Job Titles:
- President
- Role of President
Rocco R. Lombardo was appointed to the role of President at Wilson Daniels in June 2015. He immediately undertook the restructuring of the National Sales Organization, developing a foundational sales structure split into four divisions with a focused effort on in-market activities. Wilson Daniels launched its wholly-owned distribution businesses in New York and New Jersey in September 2015, expanding to Connecticut in Spring of 2018. The Wholesale business was then launched on the West Coast with the acquisition of the Galaxy Wine Company based in Portland, Oregon in July 2018, and operations were extended to Washington in January 2022.
Under Rocco's direction, the company has seen a strategic expansion of its portfolio and robust growth in both sales and the workforce employed. Rocco has promoted a sense of family both inside and outside of Wilson Daniels. During his time at the company, he has added world-renowned family-owned vineyards to the portfolio, doubled the size of the salesforce, and cultivated a strong sense of comradery among colleagues. These actions, among many others, have led to Wilson Daniels's recognition as a front-runner in the fine wine industry.
Rocco has worked in the wine industry for nearly three decades in a variety of leadership capacities, including President at Frederick Wildman & Sons. In 2011, Rocco was inducted into the Commanderie de Bordeaux. When he's not leading the Wilson Daniels family, Rocco enjoys family life at home with his three children-Rocco Joseph, Julia, and Michael-and Nancy, his beautiful wife of 29 years.
Job Titles:
- Rocky Mountain Regional Manager
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Marketing
Scott Ehrlich is the Vice President of Marketing at Wilson Daniels. His extensive background in the wine industry includes senior roles in the luxury sector at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Constellation Brands, and Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. He brings an enduring passion for wine to his role at Wilson Daniels, including a WSET III certification. With a BA in Economics and International Relations from Brown University and an MBA from Stanford University, he manages a bi-coastal team of eight brand and public relations professionals. Outside of work, Scott lives in Napa Valley and enjoys tennis and volleyball, fine dining and travel.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing
Shannon Coursey is the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Shannon moved to New York City in 2000 to further her career in business and marketing within the music industry. Immersed in the culture of New York, she quickly realized her passion for food, wine, and travel, and by 2006, had accepted her first role in wine sales. After four years in key account sales with a New York wholesaler, Shannon took the opportunity to move to the supplier side of the industry. Working for esteemed importer Vineyard Brands, she drove business to achieve record sales for the company in New York.
In 2015, Shannon brought her talent for developing fruitful relationships and driving sales to the Wilson Daniels family. Leading a strong team of regional managers, Shannon managed the 14 states that comprise the Northeast Division for 3+ years. Under her leadership and her relentless commitment to finding strategic ways to move business forward in pursuit of the company's goals, the division experienced record sales growth.
In 2019 she was promoted to Senior Vice President - National Sales Manager, overseeing sales and distributor relationships at a National level, and in 2023 she was named Executive Vice President - Sales & Marketing, ensuring continuity between the company's sales goals and market positioning.
In her free time, Shannon enjoys traveling with friends and family, running with ‘Team For Kids', hiking various mountains around the world, and keeping her Spotify playlist fresh.
Job Titles:
- Senior Brand Manager, New Zealand and Spain
Job Titles:
- Director of National Accounts - Eastern U.S
Job Titles:
- Director of Education
- Wilson Daniels' Director of Education
William Davis is Wilson Daniels' Director of Education. Working in the Texas and Colorado hospitality markets since the age of 15, William has racked up an impressive array of accolades and certifications over two decades in the industry. In addition to Advanced Sommelier with The Court of Master Sommeliers (on his first try!), Certified Wine Educator (CWE), Advanced Certification with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and certification in wine and spirits serving, William is a member of the Guild of Sommeliers, and an Ambassador for l'Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux, a Bordeaux wine school accredited by the Bordeaux Wine Council. He also earned the distinction of two-time regional champion in the Central (2012) and Central-Great Lakes (2013) Top SOMM competition and served as co-host for several years on WineGuysRadio before starting up TerroirRadio to provide mentorship for industry newcomers and veterans alike.
Davis is no stranger to talking about wine in front of a crowd-he's led seminars and talks at Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta, Taste of Vail, the Denver International Wine Festival, the James Beard Foundation's Cruise Series, and the Park City Food and Wine Classic. As Director of Education-a new role created to facilitate interdepartmental operations and discover new methods for delivery knowledge-William will distribute his expertise more evenly across the board with his signature outgoing demeanor and willingness to lend a hand wherever it's needed. In the meantime, William is currently pursuing two of the most prestigious degrees in the industry: the Master Sommelier (CMS) and Master of Wine (IMW).
Originally from Texas and raised in London, England, William is a graduate of University of Texas in Arlington, where he majored in Economics and participated in soccer. He lives in Denver, Colorado, where he enjoys kicking a round ball around with old people like himself, and watching Arsenal and the Colorado Rapids win every game they can.
Job Titles:
- Southwest Regional Manager
Winston "Win" Wilson Jr. co-founded Wilson Daniels with Jack Daniels in 1978. Fro m the beginning, they had a straightforward yet ambitious vision. They wanted to represent the most prestigious wineries from every major wine-producing region in the world. Win and Jack's vision has ensured that the Wilson Daniels LLC. portfolio stands unrivaled in the U.S. wine industry. Win focused on selling the wines and Jack on operations and marketing. Their first collection of winery clients, Chappellet, Cuvaison and St. Clement, all hailed from Napa Valley. In 1979, Win and Jack were approached by Lalou Bize-Leroy and Aubert de Villaine, co-directors of the highly regarded Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which became their first imported winery in January 1980. In 1980, Wilson Daniels also became the exclusive importers of Domaine Leroy of Burgundy and the heralded Italian estate Biondi-Santi of Tuscany.