VINO DEL SOL - Key Persons
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.
Bobby has spent over 20 years in the food & wine industry, buying in both the On- and Off-Premise channels to then selling the Luxury portfolio for Treasury Wine Estates and then managing a distributor sales team in Manhattan NY for Empire Merchants. His most recent position was as a Division Manager in the North East and Mid Atlantic for Palm Bay International. Bobby lives in CT with his wife Denise and their two loud but loveable children.
Job Titles:
- VP Purchasing & 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.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Strategic Accounts
Carolyn is results driven wine sales professional with over 16 years' experience in the industry. She is done it all from selling on premise with SGWS, trade development and control market management with Diageo, distributor management with Deutsch Family Wine & Spirts and most recently, Strategic Accounts Lead for Treasury Wine Estates. Carolyn thrives in a team environment where she collaborates to deliver wins for the team! Carolyn is based outside Philadelphia PA with her husband, Ed and daughter, Francesca.
Job Titles:
- Compliance & Accounting Specialist
Crystal, a native of Southern California, has 9 years of compliance experience, the last 3 in wine - specifically state label registration. She has been a resident of Arlington, TX for over 20 years, is a huge baseball and pop culture fan with an affinity for all things Star Wars and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Job Titles:
- Director of Retail
- Director of Retail Chain & Midwest Sales
Job Titles:
- Western Regional Sales Manager
David, a Southern California native, has been working in the wine and spirits industry for over 15 years. During college, he developed a passion for food and wine while managing fine dining restaurants and traveling as a touring musician. Prior to joining Vino Del Sol, David has worked in distributor management in California, and most recently as the Western Regional Manager for Peju Napa Valley. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with his girlfriend to attend concerts while hunting for various collectibles.
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager
- Southeast Sales Manager
Gaston has been a proud Floridian for more than 25 years. Born in Mendoza, Argentina his passion for food & Beverage guided his career as a Bartender, Server, Cook and Management building his way up to GM and Wine Program analyst/buyer for Texas De Brazil, among others for over a decade. H then directed his passion into the beautiful side of Wine and Spirits Distribution as a Sales Consultant and eventually District Manager in South Florida for Winebow Distributors. Gaston is a husband, father of 3 teenagers, and two Golden Doodles. He's a Fort Lauderdale resident.
Job Titles:
- EVP
- National Director
- Sales Manager
- EVP 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.
Job Titles:
- 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.
Job Titles:
- Customer Support & Accounting Specialist
Lisa is originally from Kansas but has been a resident of McKinney, Texas for several years. Lisa is a huge wine fan. Her favorite white wine is Sauvignon Blanc with a big fondness of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc's (Marlborough Region). Her favorite red wines to enjoy are Malbecs and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager
- West Coast Divisional Sales 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.
Job Titles:
- Customer Support & Accounting Specialist
Maria joins Vino del Sol with 10 years of experience in the wine industry. Maria previously worked for a local wine importer where she managed multiple key accounts as well as the distributor network for the Midwest region. Maria is a Texas native at heart. She is based out of our Fort Worth office but resides in Dallas with her husband and two children. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children and attending their extracurricular activities.
Job Titles:
- Sales Manager
- South Central Sales Manager
Mark, a native Texan, has seen all sides of the business since he was a teenager; first managing kitchens and bars, working for a liquor distributor, and finally as a supplier for nearly a decade. He brings deep experience in brand building and distributor management, as well as a passion for great juice and its story. He and his three massive rescue dogs call San Antonio home, and in his free time, he enjoys performing in local theatre, playing the drums, and renovating homes.
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.
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.
VP Sales: Mountain West, Air, Seas, & Export Markets
Having grown up on a family vineyard in the Coastal Mountains of Santa Cruz, California, Scott Thomasen has worked in the wine industry for over thirty 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.
In his mid-twenties, Scott was drawn to South America, living in both Venezuela, then Chile, focusing his studies and experiences specifically on the wines of the Southern Cone. It was that time spent that determined Scott's path in working extensively with this amazing part of the wine world in addition to other global locations and of course, his home California…
Scott lives with his children in Denver.
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.