Alicia Cuadra-Cutler

Alicia began developing her palate while living in and tasting around the Santa Cruz Mountains. Then as she was completing a degree in Graphic Design, she found her true love of the vine at a boutique winery in the Santa Clara Valley sub AVA of the Central Coast called Sycamore Creek. There she worked every aspect of the winery from tasting room hospitality to marketing, sales to compliance, operations, blending and eventually some winemaking. She served as a member of the Board of Directors for the winery association for 2 years and had worked her way up to Assistant General Manager of the winery when the owners retired 5 years later, and the coast called her back, this time to Monterey. She moved on to a position as Food & Beverage Director for the multi-outlet program at Quail Lodge for 2 years, where she opened a new bar and earned the main restaurant its first Wine Spectator award in the history of the property. After leaving the floor she made the jump to wine distribution for the wonderful portfolio of Winebow, and then as a Champagne Specialist for Moët Hennessy.

She is a Certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Specialist of Wine, and an Italian Wine Professional. She has taken a variety of classes through the UC Davis winemaking program and the San Francisco Wine School. She has been a server and Sommelier in various restaurants throughout the South San Francisco Bay area and Carmel. Alicia is also a wine educator and works with Cabrillo College as an instructor in their World Wines program. In addition she works as a consultant based out of the Monterey area. You can find some of her writings in various publications such as the Tasting Panel Magazine.