shadow_top
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. When not coaching lacrosse, Billy spends his free time fly fishing with his wife, son and two daughters. 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 abroad -- 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. When he finds time off, David, with his wife and two daughters, likes to fly fish and explore the greater Yellowstone area from his getaway home in Cody, Wyo. 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