Black and white photo of Dustin Wilson MS, crossed arms, wearing a short-sleeved button-up shirt and a smartwatch, standing outside in front of a glass building.

About

Dustin Wilson is a Master Sommelier and hospitality entrepreneur based in NYC and Connecticut, focused on building more thoughtful, sustainable ways for people to engage with wine, hospitality, and business.

He is the co-founder of Verve Wine, an omni-channel retail company with locations in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, built on the belief that great wine becomes more meaningful when paired with education, hospitality, and community. He is also a co-founder of Après Cru Hospitality, where he now leads wine-focused business development and strategic initiatives.

Before launching his own ventures, Dustin spent more than a decade in leadership roles at some of the country's most respected restaurants, including Eleven Madison Park, RN74, Frasca Food & Wine, and The Little Nell.

Dustin is also known for his role in the documentary SOMM and its sequels, which offered a rare look inside the discipline and craft behind fine wine. His work has been featured in Forbes, Food & Wine, Wine Spectator, and Eater.

A setting in Tribeca, NYC with a cobblestone alley with pigeons on the ground, surrounded by tall buildings with fire escapes, a bridge connects two buildings overhead, and a one-way street sign is visible.

CURRENT FOCUS

Wine-Focused Business Development
Leading advisory services and strategic wine initiatives through Après Cru Hospitality — wine program design, curated experiences, and strategic optimization for restaurants, hotels, private clubs, and corporate clients nationwide.

Strategic Concept Development
Developing new wine-focused concepts for Après Cru (including projects in LA, Aspen, and Big Sky), improving wine profitability across portfolios, and identifying partnership opportunities that leverage wine as a growth driver.

Independent Platform
Writing, speaking, and creative projects exploring craft, sustainable business, and the long game. This includes a bi-weekly newsletter, select speaking engagements, and brand partnerships.

Other Active Roles:

Verve Wine — While Dustin has stepped back from day-to-day operations, he remains a co-founder and partner, collaborating on select initiatives and client engagements.

Verre Vert — Co-founder and strategic advisor for a sustainable wine packaging company developing next-generation bottles using patented glass-coating technology.

REACH OUT

I write a bi-weekly newsletter about wine, work, and life. What I'm building, what I'm thinking about, what I'm into. Subscribe here.