About
CHRIS POULOS, DipWSET
Founder & Director of Content
Chris Poulos is a 24-year veteran of fine wine in California and Oregon, with sales and marketing roles at North Berkeley Imports, Soter Vineyards, Vinum Importing & Distributing, Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Spirits, and Wine Access.
He holds a double B.A. cum laude in English and Philosophy from the University of Oregon, and a Level 4 Diploma with Merit from The Wine & Spirits Educational Trust.
A Unique Advantage
I have been selling fine wine full-time since 2000, on every side of the table, desk, and bar.
Writing is my pleasure and métier, so I launched Open Hill to use what I have learned to enhance your brand and increase your sales.
Importing. Distribution. Retailing. Winery Wholesale and DTC. Over two decades slinging the hash gave me insights into purchasing behavior—in every tier—that a typical agency simply doesn’t have. I learned by trial and error. I learned by listening, pouring, tasting, and studying.
I know how to point out the exciting features of your brand to the jaded wine rep, because I managed them. I know how to get a buyer’s attention, because I was one. I know how to get a wine lover to open an email, click through, and buy. I have been doing it successfully since I was 25.
I settled on the name Open Hill not long after, knowing this is what I wanted to do one day.