Michael Pinsky

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he grew up in the wholesale aspect of the alcohol beverage business. Working summers and after school at his uncle’s business, he could drive a fork lift before he could drive a car.

He graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with minors in History and English. He then joined the family business and within 2 years found that his true passion was and remains wine.

He took his first wine course in 1974. He is a graduate of the German Wine Academy in Kloster Eberbach. His wine studies have taken him to France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Greece, and of course, California.

Michael left the family business in 1981 to join Chateau & Estates, which at that time was Seagram’s premium wine division. He was recruited by Vintage Wine Merchants and joined them for a short time before returning to the family business.

In 1994, Michael made the decision to leave the family business and move to California, where he took on the job of creating a tasting room for Steltzner Vineyards. He left there to eventually open a store in Santa Rosa, before moving his business to Sonoma.

In 2003, Michael left the retail trade to go into the wine brokerage business.

Some of Michael’s accomplishments include, writing for 3 publications in Maryland; having his store recognized in a national publication as one of the best in Maryland; he was the keynote speaker at the Premier Wine & Seafood Festival for the International Wine & Food Society. He has taught 2 thirteen week World of Wine Classes for the adult education program at Chesapeake Community College.

He has put together numerous tastings and dinners for the various organizations he has been associated with throughout his career. From trade tastings for Chateau & Estates and Vintage Wine Merchants, to dinners with the top chefs in the D.C. & MD area with Les Cents Chevaliers du Vin, food and wine have always been a passion into this, his 51th year in the business.