Chad caught the wine bug early, working at a wine shop while studying at Kansas State University. After graduating with degrees in Financial Management and Marketing, Chad helped launch a brand new sales route for a wine and spirits distribution company. At the same time, Chad taught Wine Education through Hospitality Management at KSU, also earning professional wine credentials:  CMS-A, CWE, and CSW.

Over five years, Chad grew his territory from zero sales to the company’s first $1 million wine territory. He was then promoted to General Manager of the Wine and Spirits division and relocated to Lenexa, KS, in the Kansas City metro area. There, he led and developed a team of sales professionals and deepened his expertise in distribution—including P&L management, logistics (both international and domestic), ordering and inventory, team payroll, and portfolio and supplier relations.

As GM and portfolio manager for eleven years, Chad forged strong supplier partnerships, which eventually brought him to Missouri side of the Kansas City with Pinnacle Imports.

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Favorite Wine to Drink:

Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru 'Clos de la Marechele'.  #IYKYK.

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Favorite Wine to Sell:

German trocken or Austrian Riesling—the food pairing potential and quality-to-price ratio are too good to pass up. There are a lot of preconceived notions about Riesling; these versions will dispel them all.