George Blanckensee, CSW
Our Meet the Board series is our way to introduce the newest members of SWE’s Board of Directors to our members. Today, we’re delighted to highlight George Blanckensee. George is currently the Estate Director of Chateau Montelena, a position he has held for three years, and he has been with the winery for over eleven years.
While he has spent a long time working in Napa Valley, George is originally from San Francisco and spent twenty years in Southern California. He went to University of California, Irvine, where he majored in Political Science. While in college, he worked at a hotel and had his first experience working with wine: “My first job in the industry was working in room service at a four-star hotel. I learned about the wines the hotel had, by selling them to guests over the phone when they placed their orders.”
One of George’s favorite aspects of the wine and spirits industry is the hospitality side. He loves hosting guests and visitors at the winery which is also one of his key responsibilities. “Hosting people is always fun. Sometimes, you can’t be sure if they’re learning or fully enjoying their experience at the winery. But then they go away and post something on social media or send an actual note to me on how amazing their time was. That’s very rewarding,” George told us.
George first heard about the SWE while working at Chateau Montelena. They’ve held an Industry Membership, which George has used to enroll many team members in the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) program. He understands the importance or education and professional development. “It brought me to where I am,” he said, “I immersed myself in all the wine education related opportunities, from trade tastings, attending events and seminars. I was a sponge taking in as much as I could.” For those just beginning in the wine and spirits industry, his advice is to jump into the deep end. “Go out and learn as much as you can! When you think you know everything, start over because you don’t. There’s always something new to learn.”
When not working, George enjoys traveling, cooking, and sports. We’re delighted to have him join the SWE Board of Directors. Welcome to the Board, George!
Post authored by Ben Coffelt, CSS, CSW