A d v a n c e d  S o m m e l i e r

Born in Oklahoma I made my way to Hawaii almost 18 years ago. Needless to say wine was never a part of my life until a brief stint in LA had me working in a top Italian restaurant. It was then and there that I found my love and passion for wine. Something about the fact that the best grapes come from the vines that struggle the most really resonated with me. Coming back to Hawaii it was hard to find good wine and people who shared my passion. Derrin and I shared a similar back grounds, we didn’t have the resources or privilege of wine being a part of our life or travel. Working in the same restaurant we started studying more and drinking more wine, pushing to try more wines from all over the world. We became slightly obsessed and we would save our money to buy and have wines that most people would never have the opportunity to. With both of us leaving college early we chalked it up to money well spent on our education. I was fortunate to pass my Advanced Sommelier exam with the Court of Masters and this where learning has truly begun. We have taken our wine education very seriously and everyday strive to learn something or try something new. It is with this relentless passion to find something great, that we will be able to bring that experience to people!

A d v a n c e d  S o m m e l i e r

Born and raised as a fourth generation family member on Maui, I never knew what I would be doing in life. I grew up with a simpler understanding of things, which is hard work above all is what makes you successful, which is why at a young age I started to work in the pineapple fields and got my first restaurant job when I was 16. Over the years I worked my way from Dishwasher to the General Manager in one of the best restaurants in Hawaii for one of the most well known Chef's in America. It was during this experience I met Jonathan and we soon realized we shared a lot of similarities in our curiosity for beverage and the pursuit of knowledge to be better hospitality professionals. We experienced countless wine tastings and food pairings to supplemented our education, which made our hunger for knowledge grow. Through these tastings I realized the world of beverage is a vast topic with never ending educational opportunities as my curiosity had become passion. As I studied and tested through the Court of Masters over the years I experienced both victory and defeat, but I never gave up my desire to attain my Advanced Sommelier and in 2020 I did just that. My journey ahead is still long with so much more to learn, but with each passing day and each person I meet, my knowledge and my passion for sharing that with others grows stronger.