Alexander Westgarth Founder & President

Alexander Westgarth, Founder & President


ALEXANDER WESTGARTH

Founder & President

As Founder and President of Westgarth Wines, Hampstead-born Alexander Westgarth has combined a personal love for the vine with his nearly two decades of experience in the fine wine industry. A keen sportsman, Alexander represented England’s junior basketball team on the European Championship circuit before transitioning into the fine wine trade in 2001. He quickly established a reputation for savvy advice and developed a loyal international clientele. Years of consulting for other organizations followed, bringing him an exceptional network of industry contacts and prompting him to launch Westgarth Wines. The company rapidly became known as one of the most dynamic, tech-forward fine wine retailers, and has earned an impressive international presence within the premium wine marketplace. 

In tandem with overseeing his company, Alexander is also a popular wine writer, blogger and guest expert on the talk circuit. Featured in multiple publications both in the U.S. and abroad, he is often tapped to share his insights on the fine and rare wine market. A first-class oenophile certified by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, Alexander resides in southern California.

Danielle McKee Director of Sales

Danielle McKee, Director of Sales


DANIELLE MCKEE

Director of Sales

Former Canadian Singer/Songwriter Danielle McKee left her hometown of Toronto in her twenties and moved to Los Angeles. She came for the music but stayed for the wine business – after an exciting career as backup singer for Nelly Furtado and a solo artist with music in TV and film, Danielle found herself lured away from the microphone and into wine sales. Receiving certification with the International Sommelier Guild, she began consulting with restaurants on their wine lists, becoming an integral part of the local wine scene.

Since 2008, Danielle has worked as a wine broker with local producers and importers, including the respected Weygandt-Metzler Imports portfolio as well as the fine wine division of family owned distributor, Wine Warehouse. Danielle has spent time at many of the wine-growing regions of North America and Europe and is an extensive wine collector who loves to host wine events and spend time with other enthusiastic oenophiles.

Maurizio Broggi Wine Specialist

Maurizio Broggi, Wine Specialist


MAURIZIO BROGGI

Wine Specialist

Born and raised in Milan, Maurizio Broggi’s background is in engineering, but he soon caught the wine bug after enrolling in a Sommelier course in Italy for fun. He has since gained an impressive wealth of experience in the industry.

Working as a wine educator, consultant and wine ambassador for several different Italian consortia and associations, he eventually left his home country and moved to China to work as an ambassador for a Hong Kong based wine distributor. A few years later his career took him to the USA as a wine educator where he worked closely with a number of Italian consortia to develop a wine education program that focused specifically on the wines of Italy.

Maurizio holds a WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits and was awarded the Napa Valley Vintners Scholarship as a North American high-achieving Diploma graduate. He is currently working towards achieving his Master of Wine. He teaches WSET levels 1 through 4 in the US and online for the WSET Headquarters and has also been a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards. In 2018-2019, he studied winemaking at UC Davis where he successfully completed the Certificate Program in Winemaking. In the rare moments he spends away from wine, he also loves bike riding.

Summer Sun Operations Manager

Summer Sun, Operations Manager


SUMMER SUN

Operations Manager

As the Operations Manager at Westgarth Wines, Summer Sun brings the company nearly a decade of experience in the fine wine industry. Her tenures in Operations and Marketing at some of the most prestigious wine merchants in Hong Kong – Asia’s fine wine capital – imparted a keen understanding of the vigorous Asian wine market and by extension, the global fine and rare wine landscape. Earning an undergraduate degree in Advertising from Wenzhou University and a Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communication from City University of Hong Kong, Summer’s contributions to Westgarth Wines revolve around ensuring operational, logistical and organizational continuity as well as communications outreach to both internal and external stakeholders.

Fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, Summer holds an Advanced Certificate passed with distinction from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. She and her husband currently reside in Vancouver, B.C., where she successfully balances her role at Westgarth with being a mother to two young children.

Summer Altice Head of Cellar Curation

Summer Altice, Head of Cellar Curation


SUMMER ALTICE

Head of Cellar Curation

A native of Los Angeles, Summer Altice first gained exposure to the world of fine wine while pursuing a career as a model and actress. The exposure quickly developed into a passion, and that same passion led her to earning an Advanced Certificate passed with distinction from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. She previously took a degree in Marketing and Public Relations from San Diego State University where she played competitive volleyball and was named to the Academic All-WAC Team.

As the Head of Cellar Curation at Westgarth Wines, Summer brings years of experience managing multimillion dollar wine collections in the United States and Canada. Providing clients with a range of cellar services, her specializations include complex cataloguing of fine wine inventory, estate planning and product appraisals. She also advises clients on building or enhancing a cellar, and delivers expert recommendations regarding optimal drinking windows, wine pairings and private function planning. Due to her extensive knowledge and engaging manner, Summer is a highly sought-after wine host and presenter. Particularly proud of her home state’s evolving wine offerings, she is always happy to represent local producers on the food and wine festival circuit.