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Sotheby’s announces new global head of wine retail
Sotheby’s has appointed Vanessa Conlin MW as its new global head of wine retail, to strengthen the auction house’s brick and mortar wine business, and oversee its digital content and community strategy.
Conlin was previously in charge of curation and content as the chief wine officer at Wine Access, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce wine retailer who was the official partner of The Michelin Guide. Prior to this she was the director of sales and hospitality at Napa’s Dana Estates, and worked as director of sales and marketing at Arietta Wines, as well as a wine buyer for two prominent Manhattan wine retailers and the Wine Director for a Manhattan-based wine bar. She obtained both her Sommelier certification and was appointed Masters of Wine in 2020.
Sotheby’s said she would bring a strong combination of experience in sourcing and curating the world’s finest wines and the entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset to the new role.
Sotheby’s Wine launched its retail business in2010 and has a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and Hong Kong, as well as e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com.
Josh Pullan, head of Sotheby’s Global Luxury Division welcomed Conlin, noting that her standing as a Master of Wine furthered Sotheby’s commitment to fostering market leading expertise and knowledge. “[It] is especially rare when coupled with her digital skills and retail know-how,” he said. “She joins us during an explosive period of growth in our Luxury division, and I am excited for her to drive our retail initiatives and position in the wine business to new heights.”
The announcement comes off the heels of a record sales total for the auction house in 2022, which saw its Wine & Spirits auctions smash its previous year record by 20%, to achieve $158 million, up from $132 million the previous year.
“Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits leads the market with the most successful wine auctioneering team, which when combined with our commitment to innovation and fostering new collecting experiences means we are on a strong trajectory of further growth,” it said.