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Vineyard and Winery Consulting
I came to wine from restaurant kitchens in 2008, and have worked in vineyards and cellars ever since, with a focus on Italian varieties in addition to California classics. That time was also spent on the market side, in retail, wholesale, opening tasting rooms, and managing small wineries through every step. That time shapes my advice, and the work I like best connects a belief that starts in the vineyard through the winery to the market.
For wineries and vineyards
Consulting for new and small producers, from vineyard decisions through the cellar and out the door, includes pruning (Simonit & Sirch trained), from minimal winemaking and custom crush to varietal-specific techniques and knowing when to intervene. I work with the classics as well as Italian grapes, and I can help with the business side, from brand launch to distribution.
For producers, importers, and consortia
Education and US market perspective for those bringing Italian wine to American audiences: trade and staff training, regional masterclasses, and clear storytelling about grapes, places, and history. Growing and making Italian varieties myself, combined with years in retail, wholesale, and wine writing, gives me a practical sense of how these wines are understood, and sometimes misunderstood, on this side of the Atlantic.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and happy to talk about projects wherever grapes are grown or Italian wine is poured. I also work with a network of colleagues for larger projects.
Press
San Francisco Chronicle
Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Grape Collective Interview
Slow Wine
Podcasts:
Wine Talks with Paul K.
Indie Wine Podcast
Let's talk volcanic wines
Aglianico discussion
Sagrantino discussion
Sangiovese tasting
The versatility of Barbera
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2026 Wine Writers' Symposium Fellowship
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Custom crush winemaker and GM
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Italian Wine Scholar
A few favorite grapes to work with:
AGLIANICO An ancient grape that can compete with hillside Cabernet Sauvignon in terms of structure, longevity, and capacity for length and finish. It has great stomatal control, so handles heat well, provided you have cool nights, but color bleaches easily in zone 4. Very thick skins handle rain quite well, but it is very late ripening, requires thoughtful pruning. The wine is also known for "shutting down" after bottling for maddening periods of time. Aglianico is for those with patience and a vision.
NEGRO AMARO Ok, so this one may be a stretch, but hear me out. It does not need long aging and can work as a stainless red or quick barrel turn. It makes great rosé. It does not like direct sunlight (no VSP) and actually prefers a canopy without shoot thinning, and it is relatively mildew resistant. It loves heat, has a wonderful soft texture with striking and unique aromatics. It grows like Grenache and can be head pruned, and looks happy at 100F. A bit of strategic blending can create a more structured wine, but a long fermentation can bring out beneficial tannin for a bit of gritty framing and grip. The bunches are very small (at least on the one FPS clone), and the fruit on weak canes can have useful herbal tones as well, so no fruit thinning needed with little concern for tannin management.
SANGIOVESE Soil types and water-holding capacity are an important key to limiting Sangiovese's productive nature, while in the cellar it responds best to Burgundian technique. A good heat spike towards the end can help dig out spice elements. Clonal mixing can be desirable as well. Water-holding soils can promote overcropping, and while tight planting can sound good, it depends on the vineyard site. If water is limited I advise taking the old Zinfandel route and using large spacing with the goal of dry farming - ripening time will be about the same. Though not common it can even be head pruned and responds well to spurred pruning with low disease probability.
MOURVEDRE Young Mourvedre vines can be remarkably productive and produce massive clusters of grapes with underveloped phenolics if not shoot thinned and sometimes fruit thinned. But, this productivity can become an asset if one plans on a lighter, Pinot Noir-styled wine, which can be done. Serious Mourvedre may be best with one cluster per shoot though, and though the skins are very thick it can be mildew prone. Like Barbera this is a grape that can be reductive, but that gives an opportunity to push it a bit and lean into meaty/gamey territory. Heavy oxygenation at pressing then extended barrel aging on lees with periodic oxygen can work well.
SAGRANTINO Imagine the rich fruit of Zinfandel or Primitivo with the tannin of Tannat, rich floral tones, brooding forest floor notes, and serious noble texture that guarantees ageability. It all exists in Sagrantino. The challenge is sky-high brix, even at veraison, and waiting for endless tannin to mature while the brix rise even further. Gentle handling is key, and I endorse rigorous lateral removal to reduce leaf surface area after seed hardening to shift sugar production to older, less vigorous leaves. The vines like clay, and it is an aggresive grower, but it is susceptible to pruning wounds making fixed cordons problematic. From silky and suave (Antonelli) to massive and hulking (Tabbarini and Milziade) Sagrantino can do it all.
BARBERA The perfect gateway Italian wine for many, Barbera's dense and stable color plus low tannin and ample fruit has many fans. In the winery controling reduction (or using it effectively for complexity and leaning into a touch of funk) and creating a layering effect with different clones or multiple fermentation techniques are key in preventing a one-dimensional fruit bomb. It is adaptable to pretty wide soil types, and is forgiving in the winery, plus it can work well with some new oak, though a gentle hand is best to avoid a monolithic wine. It is also a good candidate for low SO2 winemaking.
CARMENERE If you want the full-bodied experience of Cab Sauv (perhaps a little less complex but with more red fruit) and have ample light and heat, skip the middleman and go straight to the source. Pyrazine management is key - which does NOT mean burning all the jalapeno out, but Carmenere can provide all the tobbaco and pepper-inflected red fruit notes you can handle, provided you are comfortable with high pH winemaking. Warm, sandy soils work particularly well by maximizing aromatics while moderating tannin that can be clunky otherwise. A dash of Cab Franc can add nuance and a second layer of fruit and spice as well.
VERMENTINO This should be California's white grape. Easy to grow, productive, ultra-flexible. Super crisp 12% laser is easy, mid-weight rich lemon curd is no problem, or ripe skin contact orange wine is a piece of cake. It doesn't need heavy bottle prep, no real reduction issues or cold stabilization challenges unlike SB. In the current white wine craze, Vermentino (and maybe Falanghina) just makes good business sense.
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