Ted Liberti's Page

City

University Park

Country

USA

Wine Affilliation: Consumer or Trade

Trade

About Me:

Wine marketing, importing and education.

Wine coordinator for the annual Penn State University WPSU Wine Celebration. Last year’s event attracted over 350 fine-wine drinkers to central, PA, see http://wpsu.psu.edu/radio/programs/wine_celebration

Wine educator in central PA and Philadelphia area. I welcome the opportunity to promote smaller importers' wines from small international estates. Fluent in French with very good working knowledge of Italian.

From 2006 to the present, I have conducted educational tastings around PA while studying for my WSET advanced certificate test in May 2010.

Wine Coordinator for the Annual WPSU Wine Celebration held at Penn State's University Park - this fall's event is Sunday September 19, 2010 at the Penn Stater Conference Center. The Annual WPSU Wine Celebration benefits Penn State's public radio station WPSU - www.wpsu.edu If you're an importer, winery or distributor interested in reaching a very excellent wine demographic on a home football weekend in Happy Valley/State College with lots of Penn State alumni, please contact me at wpsuwine@psu.edu

I enjoy well-made, terroir-driven fine wines wines from around the world regardless of origin. My specialty and focus are wines from France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile and California’s Rhône-style wines (Syrah, Mouvèdre, Grenache Noir/Blanc, Cinsaut, Carignan, Rousanne and Marsanne blends), Petit Syrah (Durif), Zinfandels, artisanal CA cabs and Pinot Noirs. I am also a big fan of Oregon and Washington State wines, terroir and outdoor and environmental vibe.

Within France, my principal focus is on: Rhône, Languedoc, Provence, Burgundy, Loire and Bordeaux wines. I continue to enjoy discovering Spain's ever-improving regions of Jumilla, Yecla, Rueda and Penedes. I have conducted many Italian tastings covering almost all regions from: Lombardy, Mt. Etna (Sicily), Piedmont, Lazio, Veneto, Liguria and quite enjoy the southern Italian/Sicilian Aglianicos. In October 2008, Anthony Verdoni from Verdoni Imports, we hosted a premium Italian tasting for the Mt. Nittany chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS).

My initial academic training was in French, Italian and economics followed by graduate work in economics, strategy and entrepreneurship. Professionally, I advise Ben Franklin Technology Partners' portfolio of startups and early-stage firms in: business development, strategy and market research/due diligence.

Wine, languages, travel and business
My love affair with great wines started in London during 1980s summers and working outside Philadelphia in Bucks County at Jean Pierre's Restaurant with Jean-Pierre Tardy, the former Le Bec Fin executive chef who trained in Les Baux de Provence's L'Oustau de Baumanière.

My wine love affair continued after university in France with JP Morgan Paris where I learned even more about the great wines of France. Tasting French regional wines over lunch or after hours with banking colleagues and friends at the le bar Rubis behind Place Vendôme in Place du Marché St-Honoré was luckily de rigeur in the late 80s/early 90s.

In 2006, my wife and I toured the Italian wine and food regions of: Lombardy, Tuscany and Lazio. During fall 2009, we toured the Rhône/Provence/Languedoc wine regions. In fall 2010, we will tour Spain's basque region along with Bordeaux.

I welcome wine and food colleagues to contact me here or via LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/liberti

Favorite Wine Website:

http://www.rhone-wines.com

Name your favorite wine or wine type:

French Rhône red and white wines - thick-skinned Italian reds and well-made terroir-driven artisinal wines regardless of origin

Most memorable experience around wine?

touring Tuscany, Lombardy and Lazio in 2006/07 and upcoming trip to Provence, Languedoc and Rhone fall 2009