A true wine expert will tell you that he or she has a lot to learn about wine.

That's because those who study wine know there is no way to know everything. Grape blends, the weather, bugs, winemakers, technology, barrels and bottles, governmental regulations—all of these can change how a single wine turns out from year to year. Multiply that times the thousands of vineyards and regions and wineries worldwide at any given moment, and you can see that expertise in wine is a moving target.

So don't worry about what you don't know. Come learn with us!

Just Grapes believes that wine education should be simple, fun and functional. Discover what's relevant to you. Are you interested in a region? Do you want to know a little more about the most popular grapes? Do you want to taste something totally obscure? Do you really need to impress your business clients at lunch? Do you just want something wonderful for dinner at home?

We offer what you need. Private and corporate wine-tasting events. Free weekly tastings and monthly themed tastings. Wine classes on countries and varietals. Movie screenings. Food-pairing education. Whatever your interest and experience, we can meet you there and offer you the next step in a relaxed, social setting.

Begin your journey to “wine expert” by freely admitting that you have much to learn about wine and join us at Just Grapes, a retail shop where we believe the best wine for you is the wine you like best.

The Just Grapes Team

Don Sritong—Corporate Sommelier and Managing Partner
Don Sritong has always had an extreme passion for wine, growing up in Northern California, attending the University of California-Davis, and making his dream of a career as a sommelier a reality in 1992. With more than 15 years' experience as a corporate sommelier at wineries such as Kendall-Jackson, Kobrand Corporation and Constellation Brands, Don has represented wineries from all over the world, including the United States, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Italy, France, South America and Portugal. Don also worked to facilitate wine education programs at restaurants and hotels. He ultimately achieved the coveted certification level from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2003. In 2004, Don founded Just Grapes as a means for teaching people basic, useful information about how to select the right wine for whatever occasion you choose.

Sharon Sritong—Partner
Sharon is the North American Chief Financial Officer of a leading provider of financial market services and technology to the global securities industry. Sharon has held positions in which she was responsible for setting financial policy, assessing investments and acquisitions, and integrating new entities. She is a qualified chartered accountant. Sharon grew up in Australia and has traveled the world extensively.

Maggie Smith—Assistant Manager
Maggie Smith worked as an account manager and party planner in the insurance field before recently switching her career to the wine industry. She traveled to wine country in France, Italy, Germany and the United States to get hands-on experience before coming to Just Grapes. She has completed the Certificate Level of the Court of Master Sommeliers and is constantly continuing her education in wine. With this experience and knowledge, she has chosen to pursue event management and wine education at Just Grapes. Her mission is to take the intimidation out of wine and encourage Chicagoans to feel comfortable talking about and experimenting with wine. Her experience in corporate party planning, team building and wine make for the perfect pairing.

Karen Wiebe—Account Executive
With a degree from the University of Illinois, Karen launched her career in the public relations industry at Margie Korshak Associates and Bacon's Information. Moving into marketing and sales, Karen pitched radio airtime packages and was an account executive at one of Chicago's largest recording studios. Karen also was a member of the creative team that developed and marketed the award-winning children's animated educational series, WeeBeeTunes Travel Adventures.

After a role as the business development manager at a corporate meeting and event-planning company, Karen took on the position of account executive at Just Grapes in Chicago. Karen is looking forward to introducing many new clients to the fun, functional world of wine education at Just Grapes. Karen is responsible for new business development for our corporate events, client services and corporate gifting.

Rob Mosher—Wine Buyer
Rob is a recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Rob is responsible for the selection and purchasing of our dynamic hand-picked array of artisan wines. He also oversees our food and wine pairing program. His knowledge of food and his precise palate makes him a great asset to the team.

Julianne Will—Wine Writer
Julianne passed the introductory level of the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2007, signing up on a whim after a glass of Black Betty without any idea of what she was in for. She left a career in newspapers, marketing and publishing in the spring of 2008 to freelance full time, covering food, wine, fitness, travel and much more. Julianne has been published regularly in Sommelier Journal, the Chicago Sun-Times, Fort Wayne Magazine and many other media. Her marketing client list includes a private school, a mortgage company, a divorce website, a foot surgery practice and other diverse organizations. She also has authored and co-authored four best-selling Catholic children's books. You can see her career history and samples of her work at juliannewill.com. Julianne lives in Chicago with her young daughter, who is too young to drink wine but is developing a very keen nose already.

Serafin Alvarado—Master Sommelier, Wine Educator
Serafin's love of wine began more than decade ago, when he was a room-service waiter for Hilton Hotels in his native Puerto Rico. It was the beginning of a career path that would ultimately lead him to achieve the remarkable distinction of Master Sommelier in 2005, a feat that approximately 80 other North Americans have reached after passing the rigorous M.S. examination.

Serafin has held positions in wine service, wine sales and most recently, wine education, joining Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois, the largest wine wholesaler in the United States headquartered in Miami, Fla., as director of wine education.

Serafin's most formative wine experience came after a move to Chicago in 2001 to work alongside Chef Charlie Trotter at his famed restaurant Charlie Trotter's. Serafin led a team of sommeliers in managing one of the finest restaurant wine programs in America, following in the footsteps of his mentors, Larry Stone, M.S., and Joe Spellman, M.S. In his five years at the restaurant, Serafin received considerable praise for his work, establishing himself as one of the top sommeliers in the nation.

In October 2005, Serafin received the Bill Rice distinguished Sommelier of the Year Award for his contribution to the culture of food and wine in Chicago. Most recently, Crain's Chicago Business Magazine included Serafin among 40 outstanding individuals, local to the Chicago area, who have made a major impact in their respective industries before the age of 40.