Uncork Excellence

Mindy Hewitson serves at the Director of Wine at Crown Distributing, overseeing trade development for all wine in Georgia and Alabama. Mindy has nearly 25 years of industry experience with 20 years in distribution at Young’s Market Co in California and Arizona and then with their sister company Wilson Daniels as a supplier managing 13 states in the west. Mindy moved to Atlanta with her husband Paul and joined Georgia Crown in the fall of 2022. She holds several wine credentials including the CSW, CWE and the Diploma from the WSET and most recently earned her MBA from Western International University. Mindy has two children, Alex and Ben, who live in New York and practice law. When not working she loves cooking with her husband and playing with their dogs Sophie and Clarabelle.

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.