Paul Marcus Wines staff roster

• Paul Marcus is of course the store's founder and owner. Paul's palate is as keen as his ear - before starting Paul Marcus Wines, he was a record buyer for Leopold's in Berkeley.

• Chad Arnold is a poet, teacher, and all around fun guy. His clowning ways belie his serious interest in old and great wines and his deep knowledge of all wine.

• John Brooks studies philosophy and worked with us when his studies allowed, before moving to Fresno to teach. John is especially knowledgable about German wine ... and German philosophy.

• Miguel Frasconi is a composer and Paul Marcus Wines alumnus who now lives back east. He stops in when he's in town to buy wine and occasionally to relive those glorious days as a Paul Marcus Wines employee.

• Joel Mullennix is an actor and teacher and the person who's been with Paul the longest. Joel is one of our Italian experts. Whether your interest is in Italian wine, food, travel, or language, you'll find a conversation with him enlightening and inspiring.

• Mark Middlebrook was a Paul Marcus Wines customer for 12 years before becoming an employee in 2001. He's also a teacher and computer consultant. A love for Spanish wine brought him into the wine business, but he's since developed an equal fondness for the wines of Burgundy and Piemonte.

• Erik d'Azevedo is a painter and fabulous cook. Ask him for some food preparation tips along with wine and food pairing suggestions. Erik especially loves the wines of Champagne and Burgundy.

• Paul Courtright studies French and travels to Europe whenever he can. Paul was our biggest Loire wine advocate, but he also loves the wines of Germany, Burgundy, and Spain. Paul recently moved to Texas, where he's now representing wines for the Pioneer Wine Company.

• Rebekah Wineburg (holding the flowers) is a real, live winemaker who earned her Masters degree in enology from U.C. Davis. After a stint making wine for Rudd in the Napa Valley, she's recently traded Cabernet for Pinot Noir during a winemaking stint in New Zealand. Now that she's a flying winemaker, she rarely has time to work at PMW.

• Cheryl Koehler (in the hardhat) is a freelance writer and editor/publisher of Edible East Bay. Her travels have immersed her in the food, wine, and geography of California and the Mediterranean countries.

• Joe Denaro managed the Paul Marcus Wines 4th Street Berkeley store (Requiescat in Pacem) and now wiles away many of his days with us in Rockridge.

• Farid Nabavi is another longtime-customer-turned-employee who joined the PMW team. When Farid isn't collecting, drinking, and sharing the wines of the world, he develops Web applications. After a year living in New Zealand, Farid is back in the Bay Area, and he occasionally helps out during busy weekends.

• Ernest Ifkovitz lived in Italy for several years, where he developed a passion for Italian wine, Italian food, and his Italian wife. Ernest now lives in Florence, form which he operates an Italian wine importing business, PortoVino.

• C. Scott Puckett was our clutch pinch-hitter for several months in between his former job as sale representative for Diamond Wines and current one for Beaune Imports. C. Scott loves pink wine.

• Ryan Smith joined the store after wielding a knife behind the counter of The Pasta Shop's Cheese Counter and in the kitchens of several well-known Bay Area restaurants. He also snaps a mean Polaroid. He currently works at PMW any time, all the time.

• Gilian Handelman came to us after a distinguished tenure at Wine & Spirits magazine and was our undisputed California wine expert. Alas for us, she found a real job up in Napa, but she still occasionally brightens our days with a visit to our shop.

• Jennifer Seidman owns the Acme Bar in Berkeley and came to PMW to bring her wine chops up to the level of her Armagnac chops. She has no trouble holding her own with the boys at PMW.

• Ryan Ver Hey is another Ryan who joined us after making his mark at The Pasta Shop. He also works at Luka's Taproom and brews his own beer.