Rusty Rastello

Course: Global Wine Business.

Throughout Rusty’s 25-year career in hospitality, he has focused on wine from around the world bringing him to hold key positions in some of the world’s greatest restaurants. As the assistant wine director for Eleven Madison Park, he oversaw the day-to-day operation and finances of the restaurant’s wine program as well as being in charge of authenticating all wine coming from secondary markets. As the wine director of SingleThread Restaurant, he quickly developed key relationships with valued importers and local producers alike in California. He created the SingleThread Wine Shop, a virtual wine store, which funded the expansion of SingleThread’s wine program.

In 2021, after only one year in his role, he was awarded the highly coveted Grand Award from Wine Spectator, as one of 90 in the world and the first in Sonoma County. Rusty specializes in the most valuable and highly coveted wines from around the world. Rusty returned to New York City in the fall of 2022 to launch his wine investment fund, Stone Cellar Investments. He is also the business development director for ABCK, a wine and sake import portfolio.