Wine and Spirits Expert Andy Stangenberg began his career by studying at the School of Restaurant Professions in his native country Germany. After completing his degree he became a Comis de Rang under the tutelage of Germany's most recognized master chef and wine expert Martin Oxle. He became a member of the German Bartender Association in 1989. His extensive training in wine and spirits lead him to his title as Expert of Wine and Spirits at the School of Hospitality in Germany. He was the youngest recognized wine expert working for one of the finest restaurants in Germany as a Sommelier.

While working in Aruba, he discovered the true excellence of South American wine making and used that opportunity to travel South America extensively. His experience in mixology earned him the title of Bartender of the Year in 1994 for the Island of Aruba. He opened his own wine school and was actively involved teaching employees of hotels and restaurants about pairing food with wine. After five years on Aruba, Andy decided to explore new possibilities by moving to the Island of Maui in Hawaii. He accepted a position in a major international luxury hotel as the Director of Education for Beverage. His desire to share his knowledge and passion lead him to start his own wine school in Hawaii along with a wine club called "Havinos." He has made his mark by speaking at wine seminars for major hotels and restaurants on the Island of Maui and neighboring islands like Oahu.

After five years in Hawaii he accepted a position as Executive Director of Food and Beverage for the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta. Since February 2003 he has been a co-host as expert of wine and spirits on the well known live culinary radio show "Chef and the Fat Man." He has been an active part of a restaurant review team since March 2003. Andy contributes his expertise to the community through public wine seminars and classes at the Viking Cooking Center. He has made stage appearances with Alton Brown and Bill Bogges on the show "Super Chef." He is a board member of the American Institute of Wine and Food since early 2004.

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