Originally from Texas, Jeffrey’s passion for wine started while at the University of Texas at Austin. He began his career at Central Market in Austin, Texas one of Austin’s premier wine shops. After graduating, Jeffrey moved to California where he worked as a salesperson for a wholesaler in the San Francisco Bay Area but his passion for restaurants and service drew him further north. His sommelier career began in Napa Valley working at Tra Vigne Ristorante in St. Helena, California. He joined the Bastianich Hospitality Group in 2009 at Osteria Mozza under the auspice of James Beard Award-winning chef Nancy Silverton. In 2011 he moved to New York to become the wine director for Del Posto and in 2014 Jeffrey became the Beverage Operations Director, overseeing the beverage programs for Babbo, Del Posto, Esca, Lupa, Otto, Babbo Pizzeria, and others. In 2019 Jeff left the Bastianich group and began his consulting career and a web series about wine, life, and culture called Sip Trip. Jeff has most recently opened his own import and distribution business, Volcanic Selections. In 2022, Jeff merged Volcanic Selections with Banville Wine Merchants and is now Jeff Porter Selections, working with small, dedicated growers across Italy. Apart from Jeff’s day job he is a passionate advocate & practitioner of BBQ in all of its guises & glories.