MEET THE TEAM 

ashleigh schwochow

Founder & Director of Operations 

Ashleigh's extensive management background in hospitality spans from  high-end to everyday affairs.

She began her 20+ year hospitality career serving and bartending through college, and eventually  managing high-volume bar programs in Put-In-Bay, Toledo, and finally Cleveland. 

In 2010 she graduated from Baldwin-Wallace with a BA in Public Relations and Marketing. As Private Events Manager, VIP Sales Manager, and Operation Manager working with an Autograph Collection Hotel,  Metropolitan at The 9, she oversaw 3 Luxury Restaurant concepts including the opening of the award winning bar "Vault", one of Cleveland's best high-end cocktail and mixology bars of the time. 

Ashleigh is originally from Fremont (OH) and currently lives in Rocky River with her son Jack and her fiancée Michael.  

michael Alfeo

giustiniani

Founder, Sommelier, & Beverage Specialist

Michael was born and raised in Rome (IT) and in 2001 moved with his family to Naples, Florida. 

He attended college at FGCU while working at the Naples Ritz-Carlton and later at the Port Royal Yacht Club. Following graduation, he moved to New York City where he began working at the award winning  mixology bar, Macao-Trading Co. 

After a few years in the city, he moved to Berkley (CA) and began working in the San Francisco wine scene where his interest in wine studies began.

In 2019, he received his Beverage Specialist Certificate from the Society of Wine Educators and his Level 1 Sommelier Certificate from the Guild of Master Sommeliers.

He currently lives in Rocky River with his fiancée Ashleigh and his step son, Jack. 

Michel 

Emerick

Sommelier & Beverage 

Specialist

Michel is originally from Brazil and currently holds his position as sommelier at Blue Ridge Estate and Winery in Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife Maria and two dogs Berkley and Kiara. Before Blue Ridge Michel lived in Cleveland for eight years where he began studying wine and winemaking.

In 2017, one year after receiving his Guild of Master Sommelier Level 1 Certificate, Wine Spectator Magazine awarded him with the prestigious Award of Excellence for the list he created while working at Bold Food and Drink. In 2019, he graduated and received his Specialist of Wine Certificate from the Society of Wine Educators.