PRESIDENT / OWNER

SECOND GENERATION FAMILY OWNER

Vice President Marketing

I am third generation in this wonderful company, and my main focus is to find the right ways to market ourselves. From corporate sponsorships, to magazine and television ads, it is vital that our company stay in front of consumers. Please contact me via email for any potential advertisements or donations.

Vice President Operations

I have been in the wine business since Iwas a junior at Texas Tech University in 1991. Here in Houston with Spec's I have had the opportunity to travel and taste in Bordeaux and Burgundy with Bear Dalton. I have also toured several wine regions in Spain. With Spec's, I visit all of our locations ensuring we have the best selection and variety. If you have any questions about French, Spanish, and of course California wines, let me know and I will get the answer.

VP Construction and Development

Mike has been in the industry since 1985. His specialty is spirits of all types, but particularly scotch, brandies, cognacs and armagnacs, and liqueurs. We call Mike Mr. Answer Man because of his depth of knowledge and his ability to find out answers in the rare event he doesn't know something!

Director Store Operations

As director of store operations I oversee all the operations of all of our stores. If you have a compliment or concern please email me. On behalf of our 1700+ employees thank you for your business.

WINE MANAGER

I've been in the wine business for over 20 years working in restaurants, as a wholesale salesman and manager, as a supplier, and in retail. I've been SPEC's wine manager since 1996. I am responsible for buying wine for SPEC's stores and marketing that wine to our customers. My duties have taken me to wine regions all over the world. I have regularly travel to Bordeaux, Burgundy, and California and in the last few years have traveled extensively in the wine growing areas of the Rhone, the Loire, the South of France, Spain, Australia, and Chile. I occasionally take groups of SPEC's customers on tours of wine growing areas. I write SPEC's UPDATE and am responsible much of the content of specsonline.com. I select and write up the monthly SPEC's Twelve-Under-$12. I also write for My Table magazine and teach wine classes for the Rice University School of Continuing Studies and for l'Alliance Francaise and SPEC's/The Wine School. While my duties keep me hopping, I'm never too busy to answer a question or help a customer.

WINE CONSULTANT

I've been involved in the wine and spirits business since I worked my way through college working at Pinkies in West Texas. I had such a good time that when I graduated I had no choice but to stay in this business. I worked as a salesman for Estrada's Wine and Spirits in the wholesale buisness. I became a branch manager for the Estradas' in San Antonio. I have called on just about every liquor store in the state at one time or another. Working for Estrada's allowed me to be exposed to every off the wall wine, beer or liquor out there. I came to Spec's in 1990 as a wine consultant. I have tried to sharpen my skills and knowledge in all phases of our business. I am the person to come to if you have a question that someone has trouble answering. Something like, "Do you have Sante Gold?" or "What about Corton Grancy". I believe in getting the customer what he wants, making him aware of what we have, and doing it in a timely fashion. I conduct wine tastings and speak to groups about wine and spirits. I have great product knowledge and excellent research skills, so please ask me any question and I will get you an answer.

ORDER SPECIALIST

I can help you with planning, creating anything for any occasion, or just making sure your order just the way you want it. I'll handle your order quickly and professionally and with no hassles.

Central Texas District Manager

I have been working in the beverage alcohol business both retail and wholesale for almost 35 years. I came to Austin in 2006 with Spec's and love it! If you have any questions about Spec's in Central Texas please contact me.

CIGARMAN

Ryan has been in the cigar industry for over ten years. He has traveled extensively in the Carribean, Central and South America learning about cigars and their production. He is the best person to ask questions regarding tobacco products, humidors and all the things cigar lovers like.

Junior Wine Buyer / Spanish Wine Category Manager

My love for the wine industry began at the University of Houston. There, I earned a Certification in Commercial Beverage Management and a Bachelors of Science in Hospitality Management before advancing my knowledge through the Court of Master Sommeliers and the International Sommelier Guild. I've been privileged to study under the tutelage of many of the top professionals in the business including our very own Bear Dalton. It is my goal to share the knowledge and passion I have for wine to every customer in order to create a better understanding and appreciation.

I have been involved in the wine business in Austin for over 16 years, in retail, wholesale, and restaurants. Far and away my passion lies with one on one customer service. I also teach classes in wine appreciation in which I do my best to relay fundamental knowledge and passion about the wine experience. I believe we never stop learning about wine and that is what makes it so fun. I love good wine but my expertise is in Italian, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Working at Specs gives me the best access to the best variety at great pricing making it a true wine lovers delight.

In the beverage alcohol business for over 35 years, I have extensive experience and knowledge about scotch, bourbon, gin, vodka, liqueurs, tequila, cognac and brandies. As the liquor buyer for Spec's it is my responsibility to seek out new brands and make sure Spec's has the most varied, extensive selection available.

Real Estate Manager

As Real Estate Manager, I manage our extensive lease portfolio of over a million square feet and act as a liaison to property managers and landlords. I also am the point of contact for new site selection for real estate brokers or building owners that are interested in bringing a Spec's store to their shopping center. I am a licensed Real Estate Broker and hold the Certified Property Manager designation through the Institute of Real Estate Management.

Beer Category Manager

My responsibility is to ensure that our stores are kept up to date and stocked with the beers our customers are looking for. Forecasting emerging trends, product distribution and chain-wide programs are also some of my duties. My specialty is craft and micros but I can help you find any beer that is available in Texas. If there is anything I can do for you please do not hesitate to email me.

WINE ASSOCIATE

Hola. My native country is beautiful El Salvador, but my home has been Houston and Spec's since 1985. I'm an expert in vino and have travelled all over Europe, South America and California. Over my many years in the wine business I have acquired customers from all over the world. So no matter who you are or where you're from, feel free to ask me any questions about wine that you'd like. Maybe we can discuss it over a glass of merlot! Se hable espanol.

BEER GUY

Oscar Sicola was born and reared in Houston making him truly a rare breed. Starting in the beverage alcohol business in 1975, Oscar was in the wholesale distribution side of the business before moving to the retail tier in 1988. Oscar is a specialist in beers and ales. He is responsible for that category in all Spec's stores,

Food Manager

How does a Political Scientist discover a passion for food brings him from as far as Bonn, Germany to Houston, Texas? By travelling in and eating foods from Europe, Latin America, Asia, Middle East and the US! This has proven to be a good way to learn about food and drink from around the world. To provide Spec's customers a similar opportunity I bring in new product lines from Latin America, Europe and the rest of the world. I can be found on the sales floor with samples, making suggestions and providing information. If you have a question or are in search of a particular food please email and I will find the answer or food item from our vendors and if the food item is not available suggest a substitute.

WINE ASSOCIATE

I've been in the wine business since I was a kid, working in my father's store in Macon, Georgia. When I moved to Texas, I worked for Glazer's Distributors, where I received further exposure to wines. Whether in retail or wholesale, I learned to listen to my customers and I took great pride in satisfying their needs. Now that I'm at Spec's, I am travelling all over the world to learn even more about wines so that I may help our customers even more. I encourage you to look me up the next time you're at Spec's.

Web Master

Please feel free to email me with any problems, comments or suggestions regarding this web site.