I was born in Sweden but raised in the US (New Orleans, New York and New Jersey). I received my BA in Economics from Rutgers University and joined the rat race. Always a lover of wine and food, it was only a matter of time before I shifted gears and turned my hobby into my career. My wine epiphany came while travelling through Burgundy in the mid 1990s. During a tour through the cellar of a domaine in Beaune, the cellar master spoke the words that ultimately brought me to my senses. When I asked him if he enjoyed his job, he responded, "I hope to someday die in this cellar". Waiter...check please! So, after a long and mostly unfulfilling career (except for the nice paychecks and occasional travel) in banking and telecommunications, I started anew in the wine business. In 1998 I loaded up the Honda, moved to Los Angeles, and started working in the retail wine business. At WHWC, I'm responsible for the inventory and the staff since I'm both a buyer and the GM. As a buyer, my regions include the western hemisphere, Spain and anywhere else our Wine Director (Kyle) lets me dabble. As GM, I get to work with a great staff and great ownership. While my love for wine covers the world wide, my approach to wine is as an "enthusiast", not a critic. I believe that the primary role for wine is to complement food and conversation. I'm Swedish after all - without a drink or two we can be very quiet. While I've been known to knock back some of the great wines of the world, I am foremost an avid fan of great wine values. As for the career change, looking back now, it was very much the right thing to do.