When I started Maverick Palate—burger and wine blog—in 2010, I was still wet behind the ears. Building a foundation of wine knowledge, I would learn, is a lifelong process. Early on I thought I would compensate for my inexperience by leaning heavily on comfort food coverage, in the process of carving out a direction for myself in the food and wine industry.

Fresh out of UCLA, I took aim at my beer-drinking friends, in hopes of converting them to consider alternatives before they opened their next IPA. I would tote my flask of wine to burger spots, not to be gimmicky, but because I knew, fundamentally, that good food—like burgers—and wine belonged together.

In three years of writing this blog I’ve become a professional wine buyer, obtaining certificates from UCLA Extension Wine Program, CMS (Court of Master Sommeliers) and the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) and have completed a yearlong service stage in a Los Angeles restaurant.

Hailing from Orange County, and now residing in Los Angeles, I brought my diehard Anaheim Ducks hockey fan loyalty and music enthusiast’s ear with me. With my unwavering love for wine, I wish to share my trials in the food and wine industry—from trade tasting accounts to recommending must-buy wines. A wine blog’s perch would be nothing without a little food (besides burgers) and music—and these I mix in liberally as the opportunity arises. I live simply by the credo that there is no burger too far, nor wine too cru; I’m committed to searching tirelessly for the best comfort foods from our nation and the best possible wines to match.