Wine Palate

Specialties

We provide the following wine-​related services in the Washington D.C. metro area:

Education — Collaborative, interactive classes, and entertaining wine and food events that create innovative educational experiences to help you immerse yourself into the world of wine.

Restaurant, Banquet, and Catering Consulting — An in-​depth analysis, implementation plan, and execution strategy for profitability solutions, designed to significantly improve your wine program and increase guest satisfaction. Specialize in wine event consultation and marketing.

Event Consulting — We will help you to create an unforgettable event by offering wine selections to complement your chef’s menu and by training your staff to ensure impeccable wine service.

Private Tastings — Enhance your event with a completely customized, professionally facilitated wine tasting. We will work with you to select the perfect wines to complement your theme and/​or menu, and will create a presentation to delight your guests.

History

Established in 2009.

My favorite part of my day job (wine sales) is when I get to teach people about wine, and how they can help others to choose wines they will love.

I started to think about how I would teach classes differently a few years ago when I researched wine classes and certifications. The classes I have taken were fairly well-​known and all centered around lectures, so I didn’t learn any more than what I could have learned in a book.

I wanted to offer a different experience for those interested in wine, something educational and fun. I also wanted to create a wine community of interest, not made up solely of experts, but of regular people who are interested in learning and helping others to learn more about wine. I believe we can learn more from experiences (our own and other’s) than we can from any lecture.

So, my wife and I put to use our passions in life: mine — wine and hers — education, and we began Wine Palate in May of 2009. We now offer wine tastings, education, and consultations.

Meet the Business Owner

Ryan G.

Business Owner

I have been studying wine for more than ten years. I got my start in the wine world at Penn State University working as a server at the Nittany Lion Inn. Within only one year, I was heading up the wine list. Two years later, the wine list I initiated earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. I was hooked on wine forever! After earning my B.S. in Finance and International Business, I spent time managing restaurants at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and the former Wyndham, Washington DC hotel. I have since branched out and excelled as a sales representative for a wine wholesaler. While I was originally self-​taught, I have passed the Master Sommelier Introductory Course with 100%, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Advanced Course with merit, and the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam.