Walt Klenz Wine Business Speakers: Dustin Wilson & Matt Sabato

W A LT K L E N Z WINE BUSINESS SPEAKERS

Telling Stories: Wine, Commerce and Content in the Age of Experience Dustin Wilson Master Sommelier & Co-Founder, Verve Wine

Matt Sabato President & COO, Verve Wine Wednesday

rmi.ucdavis.edu

February 12, 2020

Dustin Wilson is the co-founder of Verve Wine and a Master Sommelier based in New York City. His career spans some of the top restaurants across the United States including Frasca Food & Wine and The Little Nell, both in Colorado, and RN74 in San Francisco, California. Dustin is best known for his position as Wine Director of the 3 Michelin-starred restaurant, Eleven Madison Park in New York. He had a leading role in the critically acclaimed wine documentary, SOMM, and the film’s sequels, SOMM: Into the Bottle, and SOMM III.

Matt Sabato is the president and COO of Verve Wine. Matt spent nearly 10 years in various positions within the Ralph Lauren Corporation and brings expertise in strategy, merchandising, and inventory management. Prior to working in fashion, Matt’s brief tenure as a high school teacher and coach significantly impacted his leadership style and has translated into a passion for developing strong and versatile teams while nurturing a collaborative working culture. He holds a B.A. in History from Middlebury College in Vermont.

vervewine.com

5:30 p.m.

CHECK IN

6:00 p.m.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Andrew Waterhouse Director, Robert Mondavi Institute; Professor, Department of Viticulture and Enology Walt Klenz CEO, Beringer Blass Wine Estates (Ret.) TELLING STORIES: WINE, COMMERCE AND CONTENT IN THE AGE OF EXPERIENCE

Dustin Wilson Master Sommelier Co-Founder, Verve Wine Matt Sabato President, COO Verve Wine

7:00 p.m.

RECEPTION

Wines by florèz wines Forgotten Union Wines Martha Stoumen Wines Great Bear Vineyards Meads by Schram’s Mead Sap House Meadery

Walt Klenz Wine Business Speakers The series was established in 2005 through a pledge originally made by Beringer Blass Wine Estates to honor CEO Walt Klenz upon his retirement. The endowment supports a bi-annual lecture, hosted by the institute and sponsored by Treasury Wine Estates. The series brings world-famous wine makers and wine industry professionals to the UC Davis campus, community, and student body to share their unique perspectives, insights and experiences in the wine business.

Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science In 2001, Robert Mondavi made a personal gift of $25 million to UC Davis to establish the Robert Mondavi Institute within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Today, the institute is home to two world-renowned academic departments: Viticulture and Enology, and Food Science and Technology, as well as the UC Davis Olive Center and the Honey and Pollination Center. The institute seeks to enhance public understanding of wine, brewing and food sciences.

Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science

rmi.ucdavis.edu