strings.skip_to_content
Menu

Alto Adige Peer to Peer Ambassadors

Chris Struck

New York, NY

Chris Struck has worked in the food & beverage industry for over twenty years and holds undergraduate degrees in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University, and an Executive MBA in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph's University. He has gained industry certifications from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, Society of Wine Educators, Court of Master Sommeliers, and Deutsche Wein und Sommelierschule in Koblenz, Germany. NYC restaurant experience has included Racines NY, Union Square Cafe, and ilili, where he served as Beverage Director. He currently represents a portfolio of iconic spirit and wine producers in the New York Metro market. In addition to working as a sommelier and consultant, Struck has taught beverage and marketing classes as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Hospitality Management Department at the City University of New York’s (CUNY) College of Technology since 2018.

Social Media

 

Chris Gaither, MS

Wine Director/Owner, UNGRAFTED Wine Bar
Freelance Writer, Food & Wine Collaborator 

Chris Gaither began teaching for San Francisco Wine School in 2015 and passed his Master Sommelier exams in 2022. He also holds a WSET Advanced Level Certification.

Chris and his wife, Master Sommelier Rebecca Fineman, currently own and operate several San Francisco-based, wine-focused concepts: their signature Dogpatch restaurant, Ungrafted, and Glu Glu at the Chase Center.

Expanding his impact beyond the Bay Area, Chris has partnered with James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi to lead the beverage program for Maroon. In this role, Chris curates a sophisticated wine list that complements Onwuachi’s cuisine, furthering his reputation as one of the most influential figures in the modern American wine scene. 

Social Media 

 

Kevin Day

Editor in Chief, Opening A Bottle Wine Blog 

Kevin Day is a Denver-based wine writer and photographer with a special focus on Italian and French wines. He is the founder and main writer behind the popular wine website Opening a Bottle, which is supported by subscribers. Kevin has been a regular contributor to SevenFifty Daily as well. His feature on Timorasso was the most-read wine article of 2020 on the site. He is based in Denver, Colorado, where he conducts his monthly online wine classes with subscribers, and where he lives with his wife, Hailey and two daughters. Kevin is also a certified Italian Wine Scholar™ 

Recent Articles 


Social Media 

 

Daniela DaSuta

Founder, Somm Space - Wine Education Venue and Sommelier-Led Event Space 

Daniela DaSuta is the founder and managing director of Somm Space, Austin’s first dynamic wine and beverage education hub. Daniela’s career began in the Texas wine scene as a managing partner at The Vineyard at Florence, where she spent a decade transforming it into a destination winery complete with a tasting room, hotel, spa, café, and multi-million-dollar residential development. A WSET Diploma holder and passionate educator, Daniela leads the Austin branch of the Texas Wine School, teaching WSET Levels 1–4 and mentoring Diploma candidates. She also serves on the board of the Wine & Food Foundation, advocating for community engagement and the advancement of wine knowledge. 

Social Media 

 

Jon McDaniel

Founder, Second City Soil

Jon McDaniel is a former Beverage Director and Sommelier for Chicago’s Gage Hospitality Group, where he oversaw five distinct restaurant wine programs. Known for his tireless work ethic and deep passion for hospitality, McDaniel spent his days moving between restaurants from early morning tastings to late-night service, sampling hundreds of wines each week and shaping lists that reflected each venue’s unique character—from rustic American fare at The Gage to region-spanning Italian selections at Acanto.

Born in 1982 (a vintage he proudly calls “the best there ever was”), McDaniel was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers in 2023 for creating wine programs that are “for everybody.” His philosophy is simple: wine should be fun, intuitive, and enhance the guest experience—whether that means pairing a $60 bottle with a burger or playfully describing a Grand Cru Burgundy as “ensconcing yourself in velvet.” A natural teacher, McDaniel led staff education focused on delivering compelling wine guidance in seconds, not lectures. Beyond the restaurant floor, he developed his own label, Amos Cellars, taught in Roosevelt University’s hospitality and beverage program, and remained deeply connected to the industry through travel, education, and mentorship. 

Social Media 

 

Allegra Angelo

Owner, Vinya Wine Bar 

"Allegra Angelo is a seasoned beverage professional with a unique blend of scientific and culinary expertise. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Anthropology from Emory University and an Associate in Occupational Studies from the Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY).

Over a decade, Allegra served as a beverage director and consultant for restaurants in Miami and San Francisco, creating nearly fifteen wine and spirit programs. She is also a sought-after educator, having guest lectured at the Culinary Institute of America, Florida International University, and Locust Projects Miami, exploring the intersections of wine with music, modern art, and historical figures. 

Currently, Allegra is a partner and the beverage director of Vinya Wine Bar, where she continues to champion her passion for Italian wines. In 2025, she hosted an Alto Adige masterclass as part of Vinya’s program and frequently organizes her own tastings of the region, reflecting her deep and ongoing engagement with Alto Adige wines.

Social Media 

 
Your registration could not be saved. Please try again.
Your registration was successful.

Newsletter subscription

Stay up to date with our newsletter. We'll keep you informed about all the latest news from the exciting world of South Tyrolean wines.

Close