Alpha Omega, Tolosa and Perinet wineries bolster industry presence with hiring of respected wine industry veteran
RUTHERFORD, Calif. (Nov. 28, 2018) – The Alpha Omega Collective, the umbrella brand for Alpha Omega, Tolosa and Perinet wineries, proudly announces its partnership with Master Sommelier Bob Bath. Bath will serve as a consultant for all three wineries of Vintners Robin and Michelle Baggett, working with the direct-to-consumer, direct-to-trade and wholesale teams as well as other key departments.
The addition of Bath underlines the Baggetts’ commitment to further enhancing their brand by elevating the knowledge of their team members and increasing awareness and visibility of their wines throughout multiple industries, including hospitality and media. The Alpha Omega Collective, unveiled earlier this year, includes Alpha Omega in Napa Valley, Tolosa in San Luis Obispo’s Edna Valley and Perinet in Spain’s Priorat. Plans to open the first Alpha Omega Collective Lounge in downtown Napa were announced in October.
“We’re very fortunate to add someone with Bob’s impressive credentials to our team,” said Robin Baggett, who oversees the AOC. “In addition to achieving the world’s highest sommelier title, he is known as an excellent teacher. We’re excited to have his experience and knowledge and for the opportunity to utilize those attributes throughout our organization.”
Bath is one of only 158 professionals to earn the title of Master Sommelier as part of the Americas chapter of the Court of Master Sommeliers. He passed the Master Sommelier exam in 1993, becoming one of the first 25 Master Sommeliers in the United States. There are currently 249 Master Sommeliers worldwide.
“Robin and Michelle Baggett are good friends,” said Bath, who like Robin Baggett, played baseball at Cal Poly and graduated from the university in San Luis Obispo. “They’ve been very successful in an extremely competitive business by understanding the market, recognizing opportunities, creating a great team and just plain hard work. That’s the kind of company I like to work with.”
It was at Cal Poly where wine sparked the interest of Bath, a third-generation Californian who was born and raised in Davis. As a collegian, he discovered his love of wine while working in fine dining restaurants during the summers. Over the last 30 years, Bath has worked in virtually every aspect of the restaurant and wine industry. After managing high profile restaurants and wine programs for almost 10 years, he spent the next decade as National Sales Manager for Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley. In 2000, he started his own company, Robert Bath MS – Wine Education and Consultation. Since then, Bath has worked with more than 30 high-profile companies, including The French Laundry, Duckhorn Vineyards, Charles Krug, Crystal Cruises, Taj Hotels, Kendall-Jackson and Uptown Network.
He joined the CIA at Greystone in Napa Valley as an adjunct professor in 2004 and took a full-time position in 2010. He has been instrumental in the development of the Wine and Beverage Graduate Certificate program, the first college graduate level wine and beverage program of its kind in the United States, along with the CIA Sommelier Summit, which launched in 2015.
About the Alpha Omega Collective
The Alpha Omega Collective, founded in 2018, is the umbrella brand for vintners Robin and Michelle Baggett’s wineries, which include Alpha Omega on the Rutherford Bench of Napa Valley, Tolosa in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Perinet in Spain’s Priorat region. Each winery showcases its deep regional roots where the influence of the sea and stunning, rock-laden soils combine to produce world-class wine with unique accents. The individual personalities are unmistakable, but the Alpha Omega Collective stands as one. For more information, visit www.alphaomegacollective.com.
