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Darryl Rosen
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Sean Ludford
Sean Ludford has been involved in the beverage industry most of his life. He has an eclectic resume including stints at restaurants, some of America’s top wine & spirit retailers, as a writer & reviewer, importer/distributor, and was once even lured to the South Pacific to help open a micro brewery.
Sean has a long history of reviewing product having provided wine reviews for Wine & Spirits magazine, and then the Wine Enthusiast magazine. Beer and spirit reviews soon followed being published in books, magazines, and online. Sean is a judge at some of the world’s most prestige competitions including the San Francisco International Wine Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Both are the largest and most prestigious of their kind in the US. Ludford says, "Reviewing products is a tricky thing. It requires experience and an ability to put the beverages in context while always being fair."
At the retail level Sean developed and launched a popular and successful wine club that boasts a nationwide membership. In the beginning of this millennium Sean was the Spirits Director at Sam’s Wines & Spirits, the nations top volume seller. While there he was able to increase spirits sales while strengthening global visibility. After leaving Sam’s Sean acted independently as an ambassador to a select group of handpicked import brands traveling the country educating and collaborating with wholesalers and key accounts. In this capacity Sean sought to elevate the recognition and understanding of unique, family owned brands that might otherwise be lost in the vast sea of products.
Today Sean focuses on writing and educating. He created BeverageExperts.com and a quarterly magazine, The Aperitif, which is delivered electronically. Sean is also a regular contributor/columnist for several print magazines including, The Tasting Panel Magazine, Nightclub & Bar Magazine, Restaurant Hospitality and others.
Traveling is somewhat of an obsession visiting wineries, distilleries, and breweries on 6 continents and countless countries. He speaks regularly on topics as diverse as Single Malts, Belgian Ales, Italian wines, and the vineyards of Bali (don’t get him going on that one). In his little spare time Sean enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, and seeking the perfect pint. If you see him out, buy him one.
