About Julian

Julian is a Tampa native who never thought he’d be where he is today. After college he moved to Washington, DC to work in the realm of foreign policy research.  It was there, while organizing official conferences and the dinners that naturally followed, where he realized his true passion was in hospitality … and wine!  After attending the French Culinary Institute in New York City and learning about wine at the world-famous brasserie Balthazar, he managed restaurants and wine programs in New Jersey and Maryland, including for the award winning Lettuce Entertain You restaurant corporation. He later opened Bourbon Steak in the Four Seasons Hotel in the nation’s capital for Michelin-starred chef Michael Mina, starting out as an assistant sommelier and quickly being promoted to Wine Director where he created the award winning wine list.  In 2016, Julian returned home to a very different Tampa in order to be close to family and with a desire to be an influential part of the growing food and wine community here.  He received his Advanced Sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers in March of 2020, becoming one of only two Advanced Sommeliers in the Tampa Bay region and less than 800 in the world.  Julian later joined Tampa’s premier wine bar Cru Cellars, first as a member of the service team, and then as the Director of Beverage for the newly established Cru Hospitality Group, where he focused on his passion for wine education by creating and implementing training programs for the management and staff. He has also focused on organizing wine tasting events and teaching wine classes for Cru’s customers. In 2022 he earned the Level 3 Award in Wines with Distinction from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.  As the founder of Mayor Wine Co., today Julian continues to organize wine tastings and classes throughout the Tampa Bay area, both for industry professionals and wine lovers in the community.  He loves exploring the world’s wine regions, organizing travel experiences for friends and family, learning new languages through wine and music, and traveling with his wife, son, and dog.