Staff

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Staff

Dan Steffen - Dan has a passion for great wine made from small producers and a pronounced intolerance for those who would make the wine business stuffy and intimidating. He has logged twenty years in the restaurant business from dishwasher to owner. He was the proprietor and sommelier at The Opera House Restaurant and Wine Bar. The Opera House was Madison's 1st restaurant to earn the Wine Spectator Magazine's "Award of Excellence" and it held that award for all nine years of its existence. Dan is General Manager at Purple Feet and has been certified as a sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He loves this "dream job" as it takes him around the world to meet with winemaker's on their own dirt. Dan has been with Purple Feet since July, 2002 and lives in Madison with his beautiful wife, Christine, and 3 boys (Ben 9, Julian 8 & Samuel 6).

Tim Long - Tim joined Purple Feet in 2006 with more than two decades' experience in wine education, marketing, sales and purchasing for restaurants and wine shops, in retail, wholesale and importation. Joining the Society of Wine Educators in 1990, Tim earned the Society's top certification (CWE) in 1992, and in 1999 sat the first year of the Master of Wine program. Among Tim's other passions are photography, kayaking, and travel.

David Oliver - David spent over 20 years in the restaurant business in New York City, Charleston, SC and Chicago. His passion for that industry was overpowered by his passion for wine. He spent a year working in a retail wine shop in Chicago before moving to Appleton with the intent of opening his own store. After having two children, David decided that selling wine to these stores (and restaurants) would be a better choice. He is married to Jane Oliver and has two beautiful (of course) children, Gwendolyn and Mallory.

Janet Janisse -
Janet grew up in Franklin, which at the time was a quiet, farming community in Milwaukee County. While attending UW-Whitewater she began working the summer months in Door County. After graduation, Janet decided to work "one more season" in the Door. Years later, with her roots buried deep, she's still there, raising her three boys. Janet's' passion & appreciation for wine began well before she was the wine buyer for restaurants, & the resorts she managed. Representing many "smaller" family owned & operated wineries (who put their heart & soul into every vintage they produce) is just one of the reasons Janet is proud to have been at Purple Feet since 2004. Oh...and she just loves wine!

Dick Heiden - Elder statesman. Professor Emeritus of Oenology. Patron saint of the Milwaukee wine revolution. Grumpy old man. Take your pick. Dick calls on Metro Milwaukee and has forgotten more about wine than any of us will ever know.

Robert Abendroth - Bob was born in a small shack on the Orchard Country Estate, this initiated his love for fine wines. He had to walk two miles through the snow to tend the vineyards as a yound boy. Bob's wine career began as a consumer in his late 20's. After spending 17 years as a state employee, a part time postion in wine retail became available which very soon became a full time position as a buyer of wine, spirits and beer for 10 years giving him a strong background in these areas as well as a good understanding of what it's like on the other side of the counter. Bob left retail in November 2005 to join Purple Feet Wines. His favorite varietals include Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Syrah for reds; Gewurztraminer and Riesling for whites.

Nate Norfolk - Nate was initiated into the retail side of the wine business at the tender age of twenty. There has been no looking back since. After almost nine years selling thousands of different wines to the good people on Milwaukee's eastside, Nate joined Purple Feet in April of 2007. In August of 2006, Nate completed the first examination for the Court of Master Sommeliers. Despite his ever present smile and laughter, he is very serious about all things wine. He's the kind of guy that knows the difference between TBA and TCA, just ask him. He's the first in line to help all of his customers.

Curt Riley - Curt has enjoyed being a purveyor of fine wines since 1995. He has been a part of Team Purple's all star cast since May of 2006.

Joe McPherson - After spending years as a chef, Joe decided to hang up his apron and the long hours to work as a financial analyst. In the words of the incomparable Anthony Bourdain, "In my long and checkered career, I have been witness to, party to and even singularly responsible for any number of screw-ups, missteps and overreaches." That fateful decision to get a "real" job caused Joe to rethink his entire life and forage a way back into the business. Wine was the answer! Today, Joe's love of food and wine have converged and when he's not selling the juice, he's reading about it and, of course, drinking it. His wife and two children happily support his addiction and career choice.

Dave Gervais - It's safe to say that Dave Gervais is as much a connoisseur of wine as he is someone who sells it. This is a passion that has been growing for Dave all of his life, literally, ever since he was a kid. In the mid 1970's, Dave forced his younger brother (and pet Dachshund) to sit through countless reenactments of the famous Paul Masson wine ads featuring Orson Wells. Eventually both Orson and the reenactments passed on, but Dave's burgeoning interest in wine did not. He gave his parents quite a scare in the 1980's when he got caught hitchhiking to Cedarburg to participate in the grape stomping competition they have in the fall. He got legit in the 1990's, though, when he took his first job in the industry at the long-defunct Wisconsin Liquors. Admittedly, at this time he was more into beer and keeping his hair feathered, but he eventually came around to realize that In Vino Veritas. Like a fine Lambrusco, Dave has aged well. He is here to serve his customers with all of the knowledge he has acquired over the years, for the thing in life that truly makes it great -- Wine. Dave lives in Milwaukee with his wife Deana, two cats and several hundred of his favorite friends, all sized 3/4 of a liter.

Elizabeth Moyer - Since joining PFW in February 2006, Beth has shared her love & enthusiasm of wine with many customers, both new & established in the Lake Geneva and surrounding areas. Working with the customer to determine the needs of the store or restaurant is a great part of the business for Beth. The needs change from one customer to the next and she welcomes the opportunity. The world of wine is so vast, that Beth continues to learn about wines and loves to share that knowledge with customers and friends... ask her about Grillo, her favorite!

John Ollenburg - More than 20 years a wine enthusiast and hobbyist, including winemaking, John springboarded into his current career by starting out professionally in wine retail. Quickly learning he excelled in the research and consultative side of customer service, he joined PFW more than 5 years ago. With regular domestic and international travel to continue his research directly with the winemakers, John brings his subject knowledge and passion to each and every customer. He built his own wine cellar, enjoys stocking it and enjoys sampling the inventory! With family support from Jess, Jenna and Matt, John stays active as a community volunteer and found time to receive the 2006 Distinguished Service Award from the Arthritis Foundation.

Rolfe Hanson - Rolfe Hanson has been covering Wisconsin's "Northern Tier" from Hayward for the past seven years for Purple Feet. When he's not selling wine, you can find him sipping espresso in his tree stand.

Tom Trybulec

Toni Johnson - Toni has worked in the restaurant and wine industries from Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Portland Oregon and now Milwaukee, working for the past five years at Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro and had made the decision to give up her nocturnal ways. Spending more time with Cameron (7), Reece (5) oh, and Dave (44) doing homework and attending soccer, coaching/pitching baseball and basketball games is much more important than the glamorous life of a Wine Director. After passing the introductory course for the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2004, Toni decided to take on the advanced certification level. She passed it in August of 2007 becoming the first and only person in the state of Wisconsin to hold that level of certification with the Court. In 2009 she will be eligible to sit the exam that, if she passes, will give her the title of Master Sommelier that currently only 83 people in the U.S. hold and only 11 of those are women.

Angela Ramey - Angela was very excited to join Purple Feet in December of 2007. She represents the company in Green Bay and surrounding areas. Angela's experience ranges from sales, hospitality and marketing. Always a wine drinker, her interest and respect for wine started to evolve a few years ago after becoming good friends with David Oliver (see above) who has kindly taught her oodles (whether solicited or not). Angela lives in Appleton with her husband, Eric, and their herd of pets. She is heavily involved with her community theaters and enjoys cooking, kayaking, music and her friends and family.

Laura Kassube - Laura is the baby of Purple Feet Wines. Growing up in South Dakota with German Riesling loving parents, her "thirst" for wine knowledge slowly led her to San Francisco. Her previous career in the medical field was gratifying, but lacking in the type of interaction she craved. With a special fondness for German Rieslings, Laura's favorites have grown to include Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Vouvray. She's enthusiastic, eager to learn and thirsty!

Chris Coleman - Chris has been in the food service industry for over 20 years. He started out as a "fry guy", moved to college food service, then on to fine dining, which lead him to a partnership in a steakhouse & brew pub in central Wisconsin. His passion for wine began 10 years ago after having to taste all of the 75 wines on his steakhouse wine list... he "hated" (loved) the experience! He has since been tasting and collecting wine and his passion for wine led him to build a wine cellar to house his (and his wife's!) collection. His wife Kelly's passion for wine works well with Chris' new career and you may see her helping out at tasting events from time to time. Chris has two daughters who have learned to select particular bottles from the cellar and bring them up for dinner (Cabernet, Dad?). Chris will be expanding the central Wisconsin market to bring quality wines with great value to restauranteurs and retailers in the area!