Mollie Battenhouse found her way into the food and beverage industry by supported herself through art and business school by working in restaurants. Post-college, the pace and energy of restaurants beckoned, and Mollie made it her mission to assemble a stellar resume. She enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America and graduated at the top of her class. She worked at acclaimed restaurants like Payard Patisserie and Bistro and Pondicherry in New York City. Battenhouse's wine career began with a part-time job at Joshua Wesson's Best Cellars wine shop in Manhattan. After 8_ years, she returned to the restaurant world to work as head sommelier at Tribeca Grill, where she was responsible for maintaining a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning wine list. Then, Mollie moved to the distribution side of the business and became the Director of Sales and Business Development for V.O.S. Selections. The Education side of the business came calling, and Mollie went to work for Jackson Family Wines in 2016, where she is currently the National Director of Wine Education. Mollie is also an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Partner at RingIt, Inc./Preferabli, and an instructor at The International Wine Center. In her free time, Mollie is an avid gardener and swimmer, and runs the occasional half-marathon.

Primary area(s) of work: Trade

Industry sector(s): Events, Sales, Distribution, Off trade, On trade, Buying, Educator, Consultant, Wine judge, Import/Export, Marketing research, Wine business strategy, Wine buying

Wine styles: Fine and rare wines, Natural, Orange wines, Sparkling wine, Champagne, Cava, Sweet wines, Still white, Still red, Still rosé, Still wines, Dry wines

Wine region expertise: Australia, Austria, Chile, Germany, Greece, Hawke's Bay, Hungary Tokaj, Marlborough, Mendoza, Mosel, Pfalz, Rheingau, South Africa, USA, Western Cape, South America, Eastern Europe, France, Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Languedoc, Loire, Champagne, Jura/Savoie, Italy, Piedmont, Tuscany, California, Oregon, Hungary, Douro, New York

Market expertise: North America

Specialisms: Marketing wine, Supplier/customer relationships, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Direct to consumer, Supermarket and multiple retail, Independent retail, Food and wine pairing, Restaurant wines, History of wine, Supply chain efficiency, Training, Wine judging