RICHY PETRINA

Ithaca Wine Ventures (IWV) was recently founded in June of 2019 by Richy Petrina, a native of Ithaca and proud ambassador to the Finger Lakes wine region. He is a graduate of The Hotel School at Cornell and has remained actively involved with its global alumni and local community by mentoring students, serving as an executive in residence, and guest-lecturing frequently.

His industry experience is comprised of multiple fields within beverage alcohol,
including; business intelligence, wholesale sales & marketing, sales planning & finance, luxury marketing, strategic business development, and luxury direct-to-consumer client development. After +6 years with Charmer Sunbelt (currently Breakthru Beverage Group), Richy spent 10+ years with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton where he most recently started and grew their DTC private & corporate sales channel for wines & spirits in the USA. That thriving team has been replicated in Europe and Asia and currently serves the highest-end clients within their portfolio.

Over the years he has successfully partnered with many luxury brands and organizations in creating elevated experiences, often being invited to present as a subject-matter expert. Recent audiences have included associates at Fendi, Bumble, and business schools in New York, San Francisco, and Paris.

His passion for wine education often takes him to notable schools where he lectures to hundreds of MBA students each year. As a result, he is currently organizing the first annual MBA Wine Club Invitational that will bring together industry and leading business schools to network, discover, taste, and compete.

With IWV he seeks to enhance the relevancy of the Finger Lakes wine community through philanthropic efforts and to help hospitality students discover and innovate the industry before and after graduating. He is president of the newly founded Finger Lakes Chapter of The Cornell Hotel Society, serves on The James Beard Foundation’s Awards Committee, its inaugural JBF Beverage Advisory Committee, and consults on various industry projects for companies large and small.