Meet the Wine Brokers
Christian Varas, Wine Buyer and Director of TTR Wine Brokers
Christian's first taste of the wine business came at the age of 19 when assigned a job as "Wine Runner" at Carltun on the Park in his home state of NY. It was there where he honed his skills for remembering wine labels and recalling wine producers. During his first 7 years of wine studies, Christian received various certifications from Wine and Spirits Educational Trust, the American Sommelier Association and the Court of Master Sommeliers. Additionally, he held positions in New York City, Las Vegas, and Anguilla, British West Indies at fine establishments including the Stanhope Park Hyatt, the Regent Las Vegas, Guastavino's NYC, Rothmann's Fine Dining Group, and Cap Juluca Hotel & Resort. While employed as Wine Director for the award winning Cap Juluca Resort in Anguilla, Christian was awarded the Chaine des Rotisseurs 'Best Young Sommelier - Caribbean' in 2004 and once again in 2006. At Cap Juluca, he created and managed wine programs for 4 distinctive dining concepts, in addition to owning and operating Jocahu Caffe & Tasting Room on the West End of the island. He received the 'Award of Excellence' from Wine Spectator for his wine lists at Walk Street (NY), Tease (NY), Mango's (Anguilla) and the 'Best Award of Excellence' 4 years in a row for Pimms (Anguilla). Now, Christian has brought his extensive and varied wine experience to Houston, where he will spearhead TTR Wine Brokers and a team of wine-savvy and service-oriented wine professionals – who offer over 40 years of combined experience in the wine industry – and who are ready to introduce their clients to a revolutionary way to purchase wine.
Please contact Christian at:
Tony Elsinga, Sommelier at TTR Uptown Park
Raised and educated in both the U.S. and abroad, Tony's career in wine began in the mid 1980’s. Upon returning from Europe, he began writing restaurant wine lists for fine restaurants in the U.S. In time, Tony became the Wine Director/Sommelier at a number of exceptional restaurants in the Seattle area, including the multi-award winning Alice's Restaurant, Firenze, and others. In 1999, Tony’s work won him the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. After more than a decade as a sommelier, Tony was recruited by one of America's premier importer of old and rare Bordeaux to serve as the Director of Education and lead Marketing and Business development. During this time, Tony procured wine for such celebrities as Denzel Washington, Billy Joel, Francis Ford Coppola, world famous wine collectors Bipin Desai and Hardy Rodenstock, "supercritic" Robert Parker, celebrity chefs Daniel Boulud and Wolfgang Puck, and restaurants such as The French Laundry, Bistro Moderne, l'Orangerie, and le Cirque. Tony began working with The Tasting Room in September, 2006, and in 2007, Tony won both the Houston Iron Sommelier Competition (People's Choice) and the Houston Cellar Classic’s Sommelier Smackdown.
Please contact Tony at:
Joshua Delano, TTR Uptown Park
While Joshua W. Delano was born in Sulphur, Louisiana, his studies and work have brought him to Texas via Washington, D.C. While working in politics and journalism, Joshua always enjoyed tasting and studying wine. Joshua has worked at fine restaurants in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Washington, and Houston where he honed his skills as a connoisseur and a great salesman. His passion for writing, food, and wine stems from a great appreciation of the simple pleasures in life – things he enjoys sharing with others. You may contact Joshua at any time to receive skilled wine and food pairing suggestions, to find great wines for your next party or event, or to take advantage of the fantastic deals available only to the members of the TTR Wine Broker program.
Please contact Joshua at: Joshua@www.tastingroomwines.com