Vanessa is the Global Head of Wine Retail for Sotheby's. Previously she was the Chief Wine Officer for Wine Access, a national direct-to-consumer e-commerce wine retailer in the US. Vanessa has also served as the director of sales and marketing for several of Napa's luxury wineries, including Arietta Wines and Dana Estates. Before moving to Napa Valley, she was the wine director for two wine shops and a wine bar in New York City. While studying for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma, she received the Niki Singer Memorial Scholarship from the International Wine Center. Vanessa worked as a professional opera singer, performing internationally and on Broadway, before falling in love with wine. She holds a master’s degree in music.

Current employer: Sotheby's

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

Industry sector(s): Buying, Broadcasting, Distribution, Events, Journalism, Market access, Marketing, Off trade, Performing arts, PR, Sales, Wine buying

Specialisms: Digital communications, Direct to consumer, Ecommerce, Education, Events, Food and wine pairing, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Podcasts, Supplier/customer relationships, TV, Wine judging