Meet our somms.

Phil Sellery

Founder

Contact: phil@ahsomm.wine

A few years back I did what any reasonable person working as a Financial Analyst in an office would do. I left. 
 
I decided to take a chance and pursue my passion in wine instead. I was lucky enough to start off at Stone Tower Winery in Northern Virginia where I actually ended up meeting my wife. (She claims it was her friend that left her number on the receipt, but I know it was her).
 
From there, I got the chance to start learning about wine with my co-workers until I moved to DC with Rebecca where I worked at places like Proof, Flight Wine Bar, and Maxwell Park. All these jobs taught me one very important lesson: the people who work in wine are awesome (ahsomm?).
 
After watching one too many Hallmark movies, Rebecca and I moved onto a 20 acre farm in Charlottesville, VA where we currently reside and like to pretend like we know what we’re doing with the land. After getting the amazing opportunity to work a few harvests for Michael Shaps, I started working on AHsomm to help provide answers to some of the most common questions about a wine. 

Michael Burns

Partner

My first job was working at a farmer’s market when I was 12 years old but my roots in food go further back than that. My earliest memories are standing on a chair in the kitchen helping my mom and my grandparents run their own small grocery store in Connecticut. My entire family are teachers, avid gardeners, and excellent cooks. Dinner at our house has always been what’s fresh, what looked best at the market that day. 
 
Taking a more traditional route through undergrad led me to a first career in IT Project Management with the Department of State. The call of food, wine, and pursuit of a career I could be passionate about only grew stronger the more time I spent in a cubicle. When spur of the moment we picked up and moved to Boston in 2019, my wife urged me to at least try wine professionally. I haven’t looked back since and am deeply grateful to be able to say I love what I do, recognizing what a rarity that is in today’s world. 
 
Having run two of the biggest retail wine programs in New England has been an incredible experience. Currently managing the wine store at Eataly Boston, I’ve had the rare opportunity to become acquainted with small, family run vintners over the past four years. Whether it’s been running the wine education programs, hosting events, or engaging directly with customers curious to learn more, I’ve found the need for digestible and accessible education is vital to enable these small growers preserve their way of life and heritage. AHsomm is our project to share that passion for teaching what we love and making wine more approachable for everyone.

Contact: michael@ahsomm.wine

Jason Tesauro

By day, Jason is a writer/photojournalist with three books, four cameras, and five children. Author of The MODERN GENTLEMAN series, he’s a three-time national award-winning culture and lifestyle journalist for Esquire, Decanter, Travel+Leisure, The New York Times, and others.

By night, Tesauro is an internationally-accomplished sommelier who has hosted affairs from London to Hong Kong with the likes of René Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, Bo Bech, Iliana Regan, and Sean Parker.

As an ambassador for Virginia bounty, he’s served twenty-three vintages at Barboursville Vineyards under Luca Paschina since falling in love with a 1998 Sangiovese Reserve. Tesauro is a dual Italian-American citizen living in Richmond, Virginia, and racing as a triathlete who also loves making fresh pasta, playing backgammon, and perfecting his latte art.

Kevin Switz

I was extremely lucky to get into fine dining at a very young age in Northern California. I worked throughout the Bay Area in San Francisco and Marin County for over 20 years. Restaurant Michael Mina, Farallon, the Lark Creek Inn just to name a few. In these unique culinary environments I learned how to blind taste and I was forced to try thousands of wines, over and over…It was rough. Research they told me.

Currently, I’ve been in the Virginia wine industry for the last 12 years.The last 10 years at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg as a Senior Brand Ambassador.This is truly a passion project,sharing everything I’ve learned over the years with guests and helping our clients elevate their brand.

Contact: kevin@ahsomm.wine

AHsomm is a proud member of the Virginia Wineries Association.

Property of AL's Pizza
All Rights Reserved © 2025

Meet our somms.

Phil Sellery

Founder

Contact: phil@ahsomm.wine

A few years back I did what any reasonable person working as a Financial Analyst in an office would do. I left. 
 
I decided to take a chance and pursue my passion in wine instead. I was lucky enough to start off at Stone Tower Winery in Northern Virginia where I actually ended up meeting my wife. (She claims it was her friend that left her number on the receipt, but I know it was her).
 
From there, I got the chance to start learning about wine with my co-workers until I moved to DC with Rebecca where I worked at places like Proof, Flight Wine Bar, and Maxwell Park. All these jobs taught me one very important lesson: the people who work in wine are awesome (ahsomm?).
 
After watching one too many Hallmark movies, Rebecca and I moved onto a 20 acre farm in Charlottesville, VA where we currently reside and like to pretend like we know what we’re doing with the land. After getting the great opportunity to work a few harvests for Michael Shaps, I started working on AHsomm to help provide answers to some of the most common questions about a wine. 

Michael Burns

Partner

Contact: michael@ahsomm.wine

My first job was working at a farmer’s market when I was 12 years old but my roots in food go further back than that. My earliest memories are standing on a chair in the kitchen helping my mom and my grandparents run their own small grocery store in Connecticut. My entire family are teachers, avid gardeners, and excellent cooks. Dinner at our house has always been what’s fresh, what looked best at the market that day. 
 
Taking a more traditional route through undergrad led me to a first career in IT Project Management with the Department of State. The call of food, wine, and pursuit of a career I could be passionate about only grew stronger the more time I spent in a cubicle. When spur of the moment we picked up and moved to Boston in 2019, my wife urged me to at least try wine professionally. I haven’t looked back since and am deeply grateful to be able to say I love what I do, recognizing what a rarity that is in today’s world. 
 
Having run two of the biggest retail wine programs in New England has been an incredible experience. Currently managing the wine store at Eataly Boston, I’ve had the rare opportunity to become acquainted with small, family run vintners over the past four years. Whether it’s been running the wine education programs, hosting events, or engaging directly with customers curious to learn more, I’ve found the need for digestible and accessible education is vital to enable these small growers preserve their way of life and heritage. AHsomm is our project to share that passion for teaching what we love and making wine more approachable for everyone.

Jason Tesauro

By day, Jason is a writer/photojournalist with three books, four cameras, and five children. Author of The MODERN GENTLEMAN series, he’s a three-time national award-winning culture and lifestyle journalist for Esquire, Decanter, Travel+Leisure, The New York Times, and others.

By night, Tesauro is an internationally-accomplished sommelier who has hosted affairs from London to Hong Kong with the likes of René Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, Bo Bech, Iliana Regan, and Sean Parker.

As an ambassador for Virginia bounty, he’s served twenty-three vintages at Barboursville Vineyards under Luca Paschina since falling in love with a 1998 Sangiovese Reserve. Tesauro is a dual Italian-American citizen living in Richmond, Virginia, and racing as a triathlete who also loves making fresh pasta, playing backgammon, and perfecting his latte art.

Kevin Switz

Contact: kevin@ahsomm.wine

I was extremely lucky to get into fine dining at a very young age in Northern California. I worked throughout the Bay Area in San Francisco and Marin County for over 20 years. Restaurant Michael Mina, Farallon, the Lark Creek Inn just to name a few. In these unique culinary environments I learned how to blind taste and I was forced to try thousands of wines, over and over…It was rough. Research they told me.

Currently, I’ve been in the Virginia wine industry for the last 12 years.The last 10 years at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg as a Senior Brand Ambassador.This is truly a passion project,sharing everything I’ve learned over the years with guests and helping our clients elevate their brand.

AHsomm is a proud member of the Virginia Wineries Association.

Property of AL's Pizza
All Rights Reserved © 2025