Marketing & Sustainability Guru

Peter J. FitzRandolph has lived in the Finger Lakes Region for most of his adult life. During that time, he has enjoyed watching the growth of our local wine industry as it evolved from rustic beginnings into the world-class wine region we know today.

After a 30-year career in sales, marketing, and operations management in the high-tech world, Peter took a leap in a new direction and completed an MBA in Sustainability at Antioch University New England. While at Antioch, he had the opportunity to explore the Finger Lakes wine industry in the context of business management with projects focused on winery marketing and strategic planning, winery waste product management, and industry life-cycle analysis.

After graduation he consulted with Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station to help create a Sustainable Best Practices development program for the Finger Lakes wine industry. During this project, Peter met Shannon and Paul Brock, and found that Silver Thread Vineyard is a clear example of a winey focused on sustainability.

When the opportunity came around to join the team at Silver Thread, to get to know the industry from the inside point of view, Peter did not hesitate. He is a proud member of the tasting room staff, and is also helping out in the winery’s external sales and marketing efforts. He has completed Level II certification from the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust. Peter is looking forward to a continuous hands-on education, and expects that in another 60 years he will be a master winemaker.