Educating avid consumers and consulting small, luxury wineries on growing their business
(April 5, 2021; New Hope, Pa.)—George Staikos, known for his passion and role as an educator and longtime industry sales and marketing director, is please to announce that he has launched The Educated Grape. The company melds Staikos’ expertise, providing sales, marketing and branding consulting for small, luxury wineries, as well as educational wine programs geared towards wine enthusiasts.
“The increasingly competitive landscape in luxury wine presented a unique opportunity for me to share my experience and the strong relationships I have developed to manage the distribution network while also building awareness and interest with fine wine consumers,” says Staikos. “I am thrilled to launch The Educated Grape to address the needs and challenges of small luxury producers today. We pride ourselves on our personalized approach to achieve each wineries unique goals while creating new opportunities and platforms for their wines to be enjoyed, “ he adds.
Throughout the last 20 years, Staikos held senior sales and marketing positions with top luxury wineries such as Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Huneeus Vintners (including Quintessa, Faust and Illumination) and Ramey Wine Cellars. Staikos has built a reputation nationally for his sales and marketing acumenthrough distribution channels. He is excited to take his valuable experiences to help small luxury wineries grow in key markets in both restaurants and retail. “We are working hard and smart on strengthening our connection with our existing customers while creating interactive opportunities to engage with new customers, both trade and consumers.”
The Educated Grape portfolio of wineries currently includes Laurel Glen Vineyard from Sonoma Mountain, Rasa Vineyards in Walla Walla and SAMsARA Wine Co in Santa Barbara. Each producer is dedicated to making wines of the highest quality that reflect the unique growing regions from which they are from. “I am excited to represent these three wonderful producers that make wines that truly represent their distinct terroirs and in a unique way, the integrity and expression of their respective owners and winemakers.”
Simultaneously, over the last two decades, Staikos has has built a loyal following for being a dynamic educator in fine wine, heading the wine program at The School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey in addition to developing and leading wine and food pairing classes, both in person and virtually, for wine enthusiasts and companies.
The Educated Grape’s virtual educational programs feature a year-long weekly wine course focusing solely on grape varieties and evaluating wine, called Around the Tasting Table, in addition to themed webinars, Masterclasses with winemakers and vintners and group and team building virtual events.
For more information, visit www.theeducatedgrape.com.
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