Hey, there! I am a certified sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine with over 23 years of experience serving Midwest/Eastern US, Washington State, Texas, and Canada, working with vinifera, cold-hardy, and native grape varieties. My wine career began in 2002, first as a closure and packaging supplier for 13 years, and then as an oak barrels/oak alternatives specialist for 10 years. My journey has come full circle and I now proudly represent the East Coast/Greater USA for Harv 81, a vertically-integrated company consisting of Cork Supply closures and top-of-the-bottle packaging, Tonnellerie Ô barrels, Creative Oak alternatives, and Talis stock and custom bar tops. Harv 81 began supplying premium-quality natural corks in the United States in 1981, and then built the Tonnellerie Ô/Creative Oak cooperage in Benicia, California, in 2009. Talis bar tops joined the Harv 81 family in 2015, and our team has perfected multiple TCA-free technologies for cork in the last two decades.

I served from 2016-2024 on the board of the Michigan Wine Collaborative and completed my 2-year term as President of the Board of Directors in January 2024, helping to garner support for the Michigan wine industry and promote Michigan wines throughout the state and on the world wine stage. I actively promote all of the regions I serve on social media, with special attention to my clients.

I serve as a media source on oak barrel production/education and Michigan/Great Lakes wine and grapes for national and regional publications, podcasts, conferences, and wine competitions, and I co-founded #openlocalwine, a free promotional event for emerging wine regions in 2020 and 2021 that generated $69,000 in revenue for wineries and encouraged consumers to purchase local wine curbside or via DTC during the pandemic, in partnership with Cork Report Media.

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Thanks for visiting. Cheers!

Supporting the Michigan wine industry since 2016; currently serving as Immediate Past President of the board of directors of the Michigan Wine Collaborative and Vintage Michigan. Join  here. Together we can make Michigan a part of the world wine conversation.

Supporting the Alliance of Washington Women in Wine, Virginia Women in Wine, and Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, among many other industry organizations.

Co-founder of #openlocalwine emerging region wine promotional event with The Cork Report Media. Driving over $69,000 in DTC wine sales to wineries via this volunteer effort for emerging regions in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.

Contact me here for product quotes, call/text directly at +1 585 705 7500 or send an email to gshay@harv81usa.com or gshay@petraeaplus.com.

Or talk to me on Instagram or LinkedIn.