In 1976 his wine & spirits career began in a retail wine shop. As his knowledge and passion for the product grew he eventually became a Sommelier in a Beverly Hills Restaurant. In 1983, he was hired by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of California and in 1996 he was named the Director of Education of California. His illustrious career has taken him to visit most of the major wine regions in Europe and The Americas. He attained the CWE (Certified Wine Educator) in 1999. He holds a diploma from the Bordeaux Wine School, is a certified International Bordeaux Educator, as well as a certified Cognac Educator by le Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. In 2016 he attained CSE. He is a guest lecturer at Cal Poly Pomona’s School of Hospitality each semester. He has served as the President of the Society of Wine Educators from 2010 – 2013 and has been on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of the AIWF and was a member of the Bon Appetit Tasting Panel. He is actively involved in many wine-related charity events throughout the country.
Ira retired from Southern Glazer’s in 2020 after 37 years of service.