Joel began working at Berman’s in 1962 under his father and uncle and shortly after starting in the business his passion for fine wine was born. Joel intensely studied and tasted wines from all over the world which brought him to some of the finest wineries across Europe on his quest for wine knowledge. After learning to speak French and Italian fluently, he built relationships with top French and Italian winemakers while traveling and now has a network all over Europe from which he sources many of our wines. In 1972, Joel bought out his uncle’s interest in the business and used his expertise and European network to build Berman’s into what it is today. Joel’s knowledge of and passion for wine are unmatched in America and his proclivity for procurement of great wines and great values from Europe is the cornerstone of Berman’s Wine and Spirits today.

After graduating from Cornell with a degree in Enology and Viticulture, including a semester abroad with the world-renowned University of Adelaide’s Wine Program, Alex worked a few odd jobs in the wine industry before becoming the Wine Director at Berman’s Wine and Spirits.  He immediately meshed with Joel’s leadership and has brought an exciting energy to Berman’s wine program.  Through Alex’s degree as well as his experience working at a winery, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of the entire winemaking process and how everything from farming techniques to fermentation temperature can affect the quality of a finished wine.  A recent graduate of the WSET Advanced Certificate program, Alex is well on his way to becoming a certified Master of Wine, a title few wine experts will ever acquire.  Using his incredible knowledge of regions and varietals, Alex specializes in sourcing wines that are both delicious and unexpected from obscure winemakers all around the world.  His favorite region is the Loire Valley, a region where high-acid wines reign supreme but one that also has amazing diversity and plenty of hidden gems.

In addition to being trained as an organic chemist, Jack also has a life-long passion for wines and foods, including a broad understanding of how they complement each other. In 2004 Jack decided to make his passion a profession and opened a retail shop in Madison, Wisconsin that offered wines from small producers, European cheeses, gourmet foods, as well as restaurant service. Through his weekly wine tastings he has become an expert on creating interesting tasting flights that serve to both educate and entertain his customers.
Jack has been with Berman’s since 2009 where he selects wines for the store, conducts weekly wine tastings, assists customers with their wine selections, and uses his background in marketing, business management, and information technology to make constant improvements to the store, both behind the scenes and on the sales floor.

Ever since Matt entered the beer industry in 2007, his knowledge and passion for beer has impressed anyone who would discuss it with him.  You can not help but be taken aback when Matt recalls the flavor profile, history, and brewing methods of any beer he has had the chance to try.  And by the way, that’s over 2,000 different beers!  Matt’s beer knowledge is not just evident to us, however, as he has recently become a Certified Cicerone.  The Cicerone title is not easy to achieve as Matt had to pass a difficult theory and tasting exam that assessed his knowledge of beer styles, producers, beer and food pairing, beer service, beer ageing, and beer history.  He is now one of less than 300 Certified Cicerone’s in the world, and one of only two in Massachusetts.  Matt’s passion for beers also goes home with him as he is an avid collector of rare and unusual beers from around the world.  In particular, Matt’s favorite style of beer is gueuze.