COTTAGE - Key Persons

Katelyn Peil is a wine industry veteran who spent most of her career curating award winning wine lists and educating the staff as a Wine Director for Heavy Restaurant Group, known for their flagship brand, Purple Café and Wine Bar. She initially fell in love with the culture of food and wine as she was traveling the world and dove into her own wine education through the international sommelier guild, wine and spirit education trust, certified specialist of wine and the court of master sommeliers. She keeps her palate sharp as a wine judge for numerous regional competitions and is a previous winner of Sommelier of the Year in Seattle Magazine's Washington Wine Awards. (Also a Vino FC member!)

Kelyn Rowe is a 12 year veteran of the MLS as a professional soccer player most recently playing and retiring with his hometown team the Seattle Sounders. While the league halted play for multiple months during the pandemic, he traded his boots for books and leaned into his passion for wine and earned his WSET level 2 wine certification, with distinction. Kelyn began Vino FC to build a community inclusive to all to share his love and knowledge of wine while celebrating and enjoying the diversity of wine styles and regions of the world.