Biography of Tim Hanni

Tim has been professionally involved with food and wine for over thirty-five years. He is recognized as a leader in developing and executing unique and proven strategic marketing concepts to sell more wine using unique and proven consumer segmentation and category management models. Hanni is recognized for creating and popularizing the use of the Progressive Wine List format concept used in thousands of restaurants world-wide. He also pioneered retail merchandising and guided selling applications using flavor-based wine category management. Hanni is credited with introducing the concept of the "umami" taste phenomenon to the wine and food world and hailed as a visionary for his work.

His achievements are many and diverse. In 1990 he successfully completed the Master of Wine examination in London, England becoming one of the first of two resident Americans ever to achieve what is regarded as the highest accolade in the international wine industry. He trained and worked as a professional chef, and has also been involved in the retail, importing, brokering and production end of fine wines. He was granted a Lifetime Membership in the National Registry of Who's Who in America, is on the national board of the American Institute of Wine and Food and is the founder of WineQuest, the leading supplier of beverage training solutions to the hospitality industry.

Hanni has a unique perspective on the world of food and wine provides a modern and innovative approach to the subject. His techniques for creating easy to use wine lists and retail wine programs are combined with tried and tested culinary philosophies on "balancing" food and wine flavors and are employed by thousands of restaurants and hotel outlets around the world.

Tim is a frequent keynote speaker, combining a sense of humor with first class presentation skills and an intimate knowledge of wines and international cuisines, while making the enjoyment of beverages and food much more accessible. He also plays guitar in the rhythm and blues band - "Kate Hanni and the Toasted Heads".

"What Tim Hanni is proposing... represents a quantum leap forward for globally expanding the enjoyment of wine and food. (The) message is easy to grasp, empowering and useful to anyone who is the least bit curious about wine, and... stands to revolutionize the wine industry." - Robert Mondavi