Shaped by wine
Built through CPG
Returning to the table
How a Single Sip Changed Everything
I’m Genevieve, a food & beverage geek who’s managed to make it my career. It started with a glass of South African Sauvignon Blanc, uncorked by a wine director on a humid Boston patio. Clean, zingy, nothing like my father's cheap Chianti. I didn't know wine could be like that. From that afternoon forward, I was chasing more understanding and knowledge.
I studied seriously, worked in San Francisco's top dining rooms, and ran a bar program where every new season meant a new cocktail menu. That obsession eventually landed me at Wine & Spirits magazine as an Associate Editor where I sharpened my palate, while time in boutique PR firms taught me how to turn sensory experience into stories people want to pass along.
Building Something Real
In 2011, I steeped my first batch of bitters out of curiosity. The result was better than expected, so I kept refining. What started in a kitchen became The Bitter Housewife — a nationally recognized brand carried in 1,000+ retail locations, with more than 50 SKUs and brand partnerships with Maker's Mark, Aviation Gin, and Bombay Sapphire.
Over twelve years, I managed full P&L, directed creative agencies, secured tier-one press, and launched products that earned 4 Good Food Awards, a sofi Gold, and Specialty Food Association Product of the Year. Alongside my own brand, I served as a board member and business coach at Xcelerate Women, working with women-led CPG startups on marketing and product strategy.
The pattern I kept seeing was the same one I lived: when a product's purpose, audience, and moment of enjoyment align, the rest follows.
Coming Back Around
Wine was always in the background — in the origin story, in the palate, in the editorial sensibility that shapes how I think and write about brands. Now I'm bringing it back to the center.
I volunteer on the marketing committee for Women in Wine Oregon and am actively building relationships across the wine industry. My next chapter is about applying 12 years of brand-building and commercial experience to wine brands that are ready to grow — alongside continued work with the food and beverage CPG brands I believe in.
What the Right Engagement Looks Like
I'm pursuing two things in parallel: embedded brand and marketing leadership with the right company in food & bev or wine, and selective fractional engagements where I can make a meaningful difference quickly. If you have a brand with real potential and want a senior partner who has done this at scale, I'd love to talk.
What Guides My Work
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I start with the moment, not the product. Whether it's a sunset on a winery terrace, a hostess gift someone actually wants to give, or a weeknight drink that doesn't require a story — I picture where it lives and how it should make someone feel. Anchoring every decision to that specific scene keeps the brand honest and makes it easy for the right customer to see themselves in it.
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Good brand thinking knows when to stop. I push for the clearest possible story — the fewest words that do the most work, the positioning that doesn't require explanation. Brands that try to say everything end up saying nothing. The ones that commit to a specific person, moment, and promise are the ones people remember.
Contact Me
Tell me a little about what you're building and where you're headed. If it sounds like a fit, we'll find time to talk.