Team Bios
Billy Weiss is the owner of North Berkeley Wine. For most, a taste of a 1985 Domaine
de la Romanée-Conti "La Tâche" would be the crowning moment of a long life in wine,
but for Billy, it was the spark that inspired the beginning of a successful business.
After opening his own wine shop in Jackson, Wyo., Billy was on the lookout for an
opportunity to expand his business into importing. Serendipitously, Billy met David
Hinkle in 1999 during a fishing trip on the Henry's Fork River in Idaho. Sharing
similar passions and goals (in addition to both being serious fly fishers), they
hit it off instantly. Just a few months later, Billy arranged to purchase what was
to become North Berkeley Wine from the original owner. Today under Billy's guidance
North Berkeley Wine has expanded its wholesale business and is importing more diverse
wines than ever, including a whole new range of wines from Chile. Email him at
weiss@northberkeleyimports.com
David Hinkle is North Berkeley Wine's heart and soul, and its co-founder. His singular
vision and uncompromising standards, married with his (in)famous energy level and
determination have been the driving force at the company for two decades. David
never sits still, coordinating with our importing partners in France, Italy, and
South America and working with clients as well as NBW's retail and wholesale sales
teams. David's trips to visit producers -- four to six times a year -- to select wines for NBW are
characterized both by his visionary knack for finding the new and undiscovered and
for a desire for perfection that is constantly being renewed, and raised, with each
visit. David fell in love with wine as a graduate student/teacher in Paris; there
faculty get-togethers became an informal classroom for him in the study (and pleasure)
of French wine. David has worked in wine retail, wholesale and importing with various
firms on both coasts of the U.S. He lives in Siena, Italy. Email him at
hinkle@northberkeleyimports.com
Jon Levine is North Berkeley Wine's general manager. Originally from Colorado, Jon
made his way to the West coast determined to get into the wine business after two
bottles -- a 1985 bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and a 1988 Lynch Bages -- convinced him
that wine was not only something he wanted to enjoy but also to truly understand.
Jon joined the NBW team in 1997 and since has been a pivotal member of NBW's retail
operations, helping local customers and those across the country discover the company's
ever-growing portfolio. While on the golf course on the weekends, you'll find Jon
most weekdays in our retail shop in Berkeley along with Cyrus, his seven-year-old
Golden Retriever. Email him at
levine@northberkeleyimports.com