Uncork Excellence

Chris Pratt serves as the Director of Trade Marketing for Tennessee at Crown Distributing, overseeing trade development for wine and spirits outside of Diageo in Tennessee. Chris has over 30 years of industry experience with all commodities. Chris started in 1994 at the Victor L Robilio Co where Chris worked in multiple facets of the company ranging from Non-Alcohol Division Manager, Operations Manager, and Wine Sales Representative. In 2007 he joined Southwestern Distributing Company as their Wine Sales Manager and served in that capacity until Southwestern was purchased by
Georgia Crown Distributing Company. Chris took the role of Trade Marketing Director of Wine for two years before being promoted to Wine General Sales Manager. In April of 2017 Chris moved into the role of General Sales Manager of Tennessee Crown Distributing Co. Memphis.

David Goan serves as a Trade Marketing Manager for Tennessee Crown Distributing, overseeing portfolio management of wine and spirits for multiple warehouses in Tennessee.  David has over 10 years of industry experience as a distributor of all commodities.  He has had multiple roles within Tennessee Crown.  David started his career with Tennessee Crown Distributing as a Sales Rep which evolved into a Key Account Specialist role.  He later moved into Trade Marketing managing both wine and spirits commodities.  David holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Tennessee and lives in Collierville with his wife, Joelle, of 21 years

Michael McNeill, MS, Georgia’s only Master Sommelier and the dual recipient of the “Best Sommelier in America” award, currently serves as Georgia / Alabama / Tennessee Crown’s Distributing Co.’s Director of Fine Wine.

As the back-to-back champion of the “Best Sommelier in America” award, McNeill represented the U.S. in two world finals: at the Sopexa Gran Prix du Sommelier in Paris in 1994—which entitled him to serve as president of the Jury for the U.S. competition in 1997—and the Concours Mondial du Sommelier in Tokyo in 1995.

More recently, McNeill has been employed by some of the nation’s most prestigious properties, including the St. Regis New York and Atlanta’s Ritz Carlton Buckhead. He has also worked alongside numerous five-star top chefs, including Lespinasse’s Gray Kunz, The Ryland Inn’s Craig Shelton, and Guenther Seeger and Bruno Menard of The Dining Room.

McNeill offers a wealth of knowledge regarding wine service and food and wine harmony, in addition to general sales expertise.

Joe Herrig has 14 years experience in the wholesale beverage industry, and over 10 of those years working with Georgia Crown Distributing Co. Prior to serving as Director of Education, he held roles as a Retail Sales Supervisor, and as a Sales Representative with nearly 5 years calling on fine wine retail shops in metro Atlanta.

Joe is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Professionally, he holds the Diploma in Wine from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), is a Certified Sommelier, Certified Specialist of Wine, and a Certified Specialist of Spirits. An avid participant in local blind tasting competitions, Joe holds titles as a 2023 Sommlympics Champion, Winner of the 2024 “Unusual Suspects” blind tasting competition, and is a two-time finalist in the Atlanta “Somm Smackdown” blind tasting competition.

As Director of Education, Joe oversees training and educational development for Crown employees in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. He resides in metro Atlanta with his family.