Growing up among the vines in Northern California, Hilary has an extensive background in the wine industry & wine education.
As a university student, Hilary worked in Firestone Winery's Santa Ynez tasting room educating visitors and conducting group tastings. She also worked with the Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association in Sonoma County planning events focused on wine education.
Upon graduating from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, she spent an intensive year earning her Wine Industry Certificate at Cal Poly University. Hilary moved to Aix-en-Provence, France to immerse herself in the French language, culture, and especially the wine. She travels regularly around Provence and other parts of France on wine tasting excursions.
Her favorite wines are reds from Chateau Pibarnon and rosés from Domaine Tempier, both coming from the Bandol region.
A native of Seattle, Brian became passionate about all things French in college. Inspired by an amazing professor, Brian began studying the French language and culture. His enthusiasm for wine began while working in high-end restaurants in the States and continued with a summer working out in the vineyards at a winery in Abingdon, Virginia.
Brian moved to Aix-en-Provence, France to work as an English teacher in a French lycée. In between teaching days, he would explore the region and all it has to offer.
With his sense of adventure, Brian is always on the lookout for new and exciting things to do in and around Provence. His favorite experience to date was a two week bike tour around Provence discovering new wineries and getting to know the small villages in the Luberon.
The highlight of his tour was the day spent biking and wine tasting in the Châteauneuf-du-pape region near Avignon. “I only had enough room in my bag for one bottle of wine, so I spent the day searching for that one bottle. It was a great time spent tasting some fantastic wines. And yes, I did find that one bottle. It was a truly enriching experience. I met incredible people, saw charming villages, and had some of the most amazing adventures of my life.”
Brian’s favorite wine is from Château d’Or et de Gueules in Nîmes, France.