John Penate

Sommelier

Passion. John has always been passionate about what he loves. Maybe this is why he ended up in Rome, Italy at the tender age of 25. He already liked wine. By the age of 24 his favorite variety was Pinot Noir. Going to the supermarket in Rome enlightened him to a plethora of varietals he'd never heard of. This is when he fell in love with wine. As he dedicated himself to tourism, the natural hybrid of all his passions was to do wine, craft beer, and food tours. To do this he attended the Italian Association of Sommeliers, became a sommelier and then continued to do another year to gain the Master Taster Sommelier certificate. Shortly thereafter, became certified as a Sous Chef. Unfortunately, his time in Rome ended in 2016. Post-pandemic he gained employment at Total Wine, helping them open the Mission Valley store and then the Enicinitas store, where he now works.