Our Wine Buyer

"Go Big or Go Home"

The Indie Wines clubs are not for the faint of heart. Our buyer selects wines that fill your mouth completely with multiple flavor layers and velvety finishes. "Go big or go home" is not just about snowboarding and extreme sports, it's also about red wine.

The Indie Wines buyer is Brian McGonigle. Brian grew up in the New York City area with a father and an uncle who lived and breathed great wine. Both taught weekly wine classes in New York City and, between them, their wine collection presently numbers over 3,000 bottles. Wine was an intricate part of Brian's early years and his interests and career path were shaped by the experience. Brian attended many of his father's classes and that early experience has carried over into a life that revolves around the California wine industry.

Brian has designed and managed wine lists for leading restaurants in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Aspen, CO. He has lived in California for the past twelve years during which time he has worked for the parent companies of leading Napa and Sonoma wineries including Sterling Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard (BV), Simi Winery, Franciscan Oakville Estate, Quintessa Winery, Mt. Veeder Winery, Estancia Estates and Ravenswood Winery. Brian presently works with the U.S. producer and importer of the world's most renowned wines including the first growth Bordeaux legends of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, and Chateau Haut-Brion.

In Brian's present role, he consults with the largest restaurant companies in America, helping them design and manage their by-the-glass, wine and library lists. Fine dining restaurant companies like P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Palomino, Il Fornaio, The Cheesecake Factory, Houston's, Bamboo Club, McCormick & Schmick's, Fleming's Steakhouse, Roy's, and The Range Steakhouses consult with Brian throughout the year to select the best wines to offer their guests.

Brian is himself an avid collector of great California wines. He regularly hosts winemaker and wine tasting events in San Francisco. He also owns and operates a cellar consulting business, Cellar Keepers, that helps wine aficionados nationwide design their home cellars and collect the best California wines. Brian presently splits his time between San Francisco and wine country where he regularly consults with small winery owners, staying on the cutting edge of industry developments. Brian's approach to wine tasting is not overly academic or concerned with convention. He stays on the front lines, constantly tasting new wines and recent vintages to bring the best wines from California to our wine club members.

Brian's wine philosophy has always been "the bigger the red, the better." He is clearly the right buyer for Indie Wines!