Cassidy Dart
ADVISOR
Cassidy joined the wine trade in 2003. His current role is a Global Wine Consultant for Company Fine Wine; a bespoke Napa Wine Merchant and Advisory Firm. Prior to that he was Director of Wine at Pol Roger Limited; a wine and spirits agency company. He passed his MW in 2018, completing his research paper on the rise of the Swartland Wine Region. He runs his own consultancy firm, Purple Grape and his clients include British Airways where he advises on their wine selection, and Mullineux and Leeu wines in the Swartland. He has lectured on wine at Oxford, Cambridge and Stanford Universities. Outside of wine, he enjoys travel, literature, sport and art when not spending time with his young family.
Dustin Wilson
MASTER SOMMELIER
Dustin Wilson is a Master Sommelier and was previously Wine Director of the 3 Michelin-starred restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. This expertise led him to have a leading role in the critically acclaimed wine documentary, SOMM.
Jane Lopes
WINE DIRECTOR AT ATTICA
Jane is a sommelier with experience at New York's Eleven Madison Park, Nashville's The Catbird Seat, Chicago's The Violet Hour, and Melbourne's Attica. She was one of less than 30 women to ever pass the Master Sommelier exam, is a published author, and is currently developing her own import company, bringing Australian wine to the United States.
Jonathan Ross MS
MASTER SOMMELIER
Born and raised in New Jersey, Jonathan has worked in New York at a number of high-profile restaurants including Eleven Madison Park as head sommelier, and as beverage director for the Rockpool Dining Group in Melbourne Australia. While down under he curated wines for Qantas Airlines and launched his own wine label, Micro Wines. Jonathan was the Guild of Sommeliers TopSomm champion in 2015, passed the Master Sommelier exam in September 2017.
DLynn Proctor
DIRECTOR, FANTESCA ESTATE & WINERY
As a winery executive, DLynn has spent the last decade in global leadership roles with Penfolds Winery and Fantesca Estate & Winery, focusing on import/export, sales, marketing, strategy, and consumer relations. The previous decade of his career, DLynn was instrumental in building restaurant and training programs, restaurant and retail wine lists, and expanding new venue operations, while garnering accolades as an accomplished sommelier.
Jennifer Grancio
ADVISOR
Jennifer was on the founding team of BlackRock iShares, where she led P&L, partnerships, and marketing. She earned her MBA with honors from Columbia business school and her BA with honors from Stanford University.
CJ McCollum
ADVISOR
CJ is the owner of McCollum Heritage 91 and a professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans. As an ambassador and advisor, CJ brings several years of wine and business experience to Vinovest. As of 2022, he is also the only active NBA player to own and operate a vineyard. CJ focuses his efforts on programs to make wine investing more inclusive and equitable.
Cassidy Dart
ADVISORCassidy joined the wine trade in 2003. His current role is a Global Wine Consultant for Company Fine Wine; a bespoke Napa Wine Merchant and Advisory Firm. Prior to that he was Director of Wine at Pol Roger Limited; a wine and spirits agency company. He passed his MW in 2018, completing his research paper on the rise of the Swartland Wine Region. He runs his own consultancy firm, Purple Grape and his clients include British Airways where he advises on their wine selection, and Mullineux and Leeu wines in the Swartland. He has lectured on wine at Oxford, Cambridge and Stanford Universities. Outside of wine, he enjoys travel, literature, sport and art when not spending time with his young family.
Dustin Wilson
MASTER SOMMELIERDustin Wilson is a Master Sommelier and was previously Wine Director of the 3 Michelin-starred restaurant, Eleven Madison Park. This expertise led him to have a leading role in the critically acclaimed wine documentary, SOMM.
Jane Lopes
WINE DIRECTOR AT ATTICAJane is a sommelier with experience at New York's Eleven Madison Park, Nashville's The Catbird Seat, Chicago's The Violet Hour, and Melbourne's Attica. She was one of less than 30 women to ever pass the Master Sommelier exam, is a published author, and is currently developing her own import company, bringing Australian wine to the United States.
Jonathan Ross MS
MASTER SOMMELIERBorn and raised in New Jersey, Jonathan has worked in New York at a number of high-profile restaurants including Eleven Madison Park as head sommelier, and as beverage director for the Rockpool Dining Group in Melbourne Australia. While down under he curated wines for Qantas Airlines and launched his own wine label, Micro Wines. Jonathan was the Guild of Sommeliers TopSomm champion in 2015, passed the Master Sommelier exam in September 2017.
DLynn Proctor
DIRECTOR, FANTESCA ESTATE & WINERYAs a winery executive, DLynn has spent the last decade in global leadership roles with Penfolds Winery and Fantesca Estate & Winery, focusing on import/export, sales, marketing, strategy, and consumer relations. The previous decade of his career, DLynn was instrumental in building restaurant and training programs, restaurant and retail wine lists, and expanding new venue operations, while garnering accolades as an accomplished sommelier.
Jennifer Grancio
ADVISORJennifer was on the founding team of BlackRock iShares, where she led P&L, partnerships, and marketing. She earned her MBA with honors from Columbia business school and her BA with honors from Stanford University.
CJ McCollum
ADVISORCJ is the owner of McCollum Heritage 91 and a professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans. As an ambassador and advisor, CJ brings several years of wine and business experience to Vinovest. As of 2022, he is also the only active NBA player to own and operate a vineyard. CJ focuses his efforts on programs to make wine investing more inclusive and equitable.
Cassidy Dart
ADVISORCassidy joined the wine trade in 2003. His current role is a Global Wine Consultant for Company Fine Wine; a bespoke Napa Wine Merchant and Advisory Firm. Prior to that he was Director of Wine at Pol Roger Limited; a wine and spirits agency company. He passed his MW in 2018, completing his research paper on the rise of the Swartland Wine Region. He runs his own consultancy firm, Purple Grape and his clients include British Airways where he advises on their wine selection, and Mullineux and Leeu wines in the Swartland. He has lectured on wine at Oxford, Cambridge and Stanford Universities. Outside of wine, he enjoys travel, literature, sport and art when not spending time with his young family.
