Vanessa began her wine career in New York City as a wine buyer for two retailers and the Wine Director for a Manhattan wine bar. Drawn to the vineyards, she relocated to Napa Valley in 2010, where she held leadership roles as Director of Sales and Marketing for prestigious wineries, including Arietta Wines and Dana Estates.

Vanessa later transitioned into the online space as the Chief Wine Officer at Wine Access for six years. Following that, she served as the Global Head of Wine Retail for Sotheby’s.

Vanessa is also the Italian Wine Reviewer for The Wine Palate, the US Ambassador for Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, and consults for Dana Estates and Simon Family Estate in Napa Valley.

As an avid supporter of charitable causes, Vanessa is on the Board of Directors for Jameson Humane, a Napa Valley-based animal rescue and sanctuary, and has chaired the organization’s annual charity wine auction ten times. She also served as the Host for Auction Napa Valley in 2024, which benefitted youth mental health initiatives in the Napa Valley.

Prior to falling in love with wine, Vanessa worked as a professional musician, performing internationally and on Broadway, and holds a Master’s Degree in Music.

Current employer: Ducru-Beaucaillou, The Wine Palate, Simon Family Estate, Dana Estates

Primary area(s) of work: Trade, Strategy, Communication

Industry sector(s): Broadcasting, Events, Marketing, PR, Sales, Distribution, Off trade, Buying, Journalism, Educator, Wine judge, Market access, Fine and rare wines auctions, Performing arts, Wine buying

Specialisms: Marketing wine, Supplier/customer relationships, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Routes to market, Direct to consumer, TV, Events, Podcasts, Food and wine pairing, Wine auctions, Digital communications, Ecommerce, Education, Fine wine auction business, New business development, Events, Music and wine pairing/events, Wine judging