Mary Montalvo & Vinum House Team
Vinum House was built on the belief that great wine deserves more than a place on a shelf. It deserves the right people, the right story, and the right experiences to help it find its audience.
With more than 15 years in the wine industry, Mary Montalvo brings together wine expertise, hospitality, education, and real-world experience to help producers, regions, and hospitality brands build meaningful connections around wine.
Vinum House was created for the independent producers, emerging regions, and thoughtful hospitality businesses that value relationships over volume and lasting recognition over quick visibility.
About Mary
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Yellymary “Mary” Montalvo is the founder of Vinum House, a wine and hospitality consultancy built on more than 15 years of experience across wine, hospitality, education, and retail. A WSET Certified Educator and WSET Diploma Candidate, Mary is also a Spanish Wine Scholar, Rioja Wine Academy Certified Educator, WSET Level 2 Spirits professional, and Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. Her background in law, journalism, public relations, and marketing gives her a uniquely multidisciplinary perspective on the business of wine.
Mary has spent her career building wine programs, businesses, and experiences from the ground up. She has founded and operated three wine concepts, managed wine clubs with more than 700 members, developed beverage programs featuring hundreds of wines, produced more than 100 wine dinners, tastings, and educational events, and led hospitality teams of more than 20 people. Her experience spans wine buying, vendor relationships, hospitality operations, education, marketing, event production, and wine club strategy.
What Mary brings to Vinum House isn't simply wine knowledge or a network of industry contacts. It's the perspective of someone who has sat on every side of the table—building brands, buying wine, selling wine, educating guests and trade professionals, creating hospitality experiences, and working directly with producers and industry partners.
She understands what makes a wine compelling, what makes a story resonate, and what it takes to turn a bottle into a brand people want to discover, remember, and champion.
“Hospitality is how you make people feel.”
Will Guidara
Unreasonable hospitality, the bear, eleven madison
The team behind the pour
Vinum House is built around relationships. We bring together trusted specialists, creative partners, chefs, educators, sommeliers, and industry professionals to build the right team for every project—giving you the depth of a larger firm with the personal attention of a boutique consultancy..Rather than fitting every project into the same model, we build the right team around the work—bringing in the people, expertise, and relationships that help make your vision happen.
Lindsay Johnston
pr, branding & MARKETING
Lindsay Johnston is a marketing and events professional with specialized experience in the wine and hospitality industry. She has worked in winery environments in a variety of roles, gaining hands-on experience in event development, brand strategy, marketing, and customer engagement. Her experience includes developing marketing campaigns, growing event revenue, and strengthening brand visibility through digital and in-person experiences.
Lindsay holds certifications from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, including WSET Level 2 with Merit, and has completed additional business and marketing training through programs such as Wharton Online. Her expertise spans social media strategy, content creation, event marketing, and customer experience, bringing a thoughtful, hospitality-driven approach to brand growth, events, and community engagement for Vinum House.
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Carole Poole
project management
Carole Poole brings a rare combination of hospitality experience, wine knowledge, and the precision of a career in banking. Recently retired from banking, she is now pursuing her passion for wine as one of the managers of Wine Collective.
A WSET Level 2 Certified wine professional, Carole has worked at multiple wineries and built strong relationships with local North Carolina producers. She has visited more than 200 wineries across North Carolina, the Southeast, and Texas, giving her a deep appreciation for the people, places, and wines that make each region unique.
Carole is the person who keeps things moving—organized, dependable, detail-oriented, and always thinking several steps ahead. Her banking background shows up in everything she does: structure, accountability, precision, and an ability to make sure no detail gets overlooked.
Christopher Perry
culinary & dining experiences
Christopher brings over 15 years of culinary experience to Vinum House, with a style rooted in Southern hospitality and inspired by the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean. He has worked and trained under renowned chefs throughout North Carolina, developing a strong foundation in technique, hospitality, and creative cuisine.
Today, Christopher is the private chef and owner of Cru Table, creating personalized dining experiences for private clients, events, and wine-focused gatherings. His experience also includes collaborating with wineries and winemakers to develop wine dinners, club-member experiences, and culinary programs designed specifically around the wines being presented.
Christopher leads the culinary vision behind our dining experiences—from wine dinners and private tables to producer collaborations and curated food-and-wine pairings. Working alongside Mary and the Vinum House team, he brings the food, wine, and hospitality together into experiences designed to be remembered.