Meet the Team
“Wine is bottled poetry” -Robert Louis Stevenson

You might say wine has been in Lesli Clarke’s blood from the beginning. Her grandfather was a state auditor for Northern California’s wineries in the 1930s, and she remembers being served rose (with a lot of ice cubes), starting at age 6, at all her Italian family gatherings. Salute! Always a foodie, Lesli actively sought opportunities to develop her palate at wine dinners and cooking classes early on.

 

After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School with a BS in journalism and MS in magazine publishing, Lesli spent her early career in healthcare publications before jumping into event management, public relations and fundraising for such organizations as the Venetian Festival on the St. Joseph River, Habitat for Humanity International, The Atlanta Opera and The American Red Cross. By 2016 she was ready for a career change and seized the opportunity while attending a wine education class – telling the instructor “You have a cool job; can I buy you a cup of coffee and ask a few questions?” Two weeks later she had a job offer and jumped into the world of wine.

 

During her eight years as a Sales Lead with Republic National Distributing, Lesli worked with both retail and restaurant accounts, helping to develop wine lists, offering successful sales strategies, and consulting on the successful openings of several new area wine shops. 

 

She successfully passed both WSET Level 2 exams for Wine and Spirits with distinction before taking on the WSET Level 3 Award in Wine, which she passed with merit. A perennial student, Lesli hopes to tackle the WSET Diploma course next. She has taught wine education classes at ARS Gallery in Benton Harbor and currently operates a wine concierge service called The Grateful Wino.

 

Outside the wine world, you’ll find Lesli on her Peloton during the colder months and out running, hiking or kayaking any of SW Michigan’s beautiful trails and waterways. She also is a certified yoga teacher (RYT500) and has taught in SW Michigan and Atlanta, GA for more than 20 years. Currently you’ll find her teaching her signature Core4 Yoga class at the Renaissance Athletic Club in Benton Harbor.

 

Lesli is delighted that her two grown children are living and thriving locally and loves spending time with them and her granddaughter.

 

Lesli is thrilled to take on the role of General Manager/Beverage Director/Sommelier for the Peacefield Collective Hospitality Group, and is looking forward to making Whittaker Wine Merchants the go-to destination for fine wine and craft beer in SW Michigan, as well as building world-class wine programs for The Historian and Elle & Henri Bistro.

Richard Cooper has worked in a variety of positions in the beverage and food Industry for over twenty-five years. Most recently, he served as the Beverage Director for Lambrecht's Liquors in St. Joseph, Michigan.
 

He has served as a consultant in the USA and abroad for beverage producers, suppliers and distributors, associations, government agencies, restaurants, hotels and clubs. Cooper holds certifications and commendations from the WSET, Beverage Testing Institute, ASI, Concours Mondial, Mundus Vini, Confederation of Belgian Brewers and the Japan Sake Union. In addition, he conducts beverage tastings and seminars, provides interviews and participates in professional wine, beer and spirits competitions in the USA and around the world.
 

Cooper's written works has appeared in All About Beer magazine, the Wine Enthusiast, the Chicago Tribune, Edible Michiana, and the Buying Guide series from the Beverage Testing Institute. His bi-weekly column, the Beverage Buyer, appeared for several years lo Our Village News, a cultural paper, website and podcast. Prior to current activities, he held marketing and public relations positions at the Beverage Testing Institute, Foremost Liquors, and Young & Cos. Brewery of London.
 

Previous to working in the beverage and food sector, Cooper supervised community and public affairs for a Chicago financial services company. In addition to his professional career, he is the Council Chair of the Three Oaks United Methodist Church, Board member of the Michigan Wine Collaborative, and a former board member of Meals on Wheels Chicago. He has been honored by the American Cancer Society/Great Lakes Region, and is a graduate of City University New York, Columbia College Chicago and Northwestern University. Cooper, along with his
wife and daughter, reside in Three Oaks, Michigan and Saitama, Japan.