Certified Sommelier Daniel Rodriguez Gonzalez. His passion for wine began as a child while listening to his grandfather tell stories of making wine in Spain; from his first sip at age 12, he knew wine had many stories to tell. After studying film in Mexico City, he began to travel the world, documenting stories as diverse as shamanic practices in México or walking 500 miles across Spain following the pilgrimage of Way of Saint James. Working at a wine bar in Madrid, and later as Tasting Room Manager at Texas’ Spicewood Vineyards, he discovered he liked teaching others about wine as much as he enjoyed drinking it. With his extensive background in the wine industry, Daniel founded the Agave Spirits Institute, taking the approach and methodology of wine study and applying it to agave spirits. He built an educational program and a faculty staff - composed of professionals across various fields of agave history, production, tasting and natural sciences - to create the first and only accredited institution dedicated to the instruction, study and stewardship of all agave spirits. Nothing makes him happier today than sharing the knowledge that mezcal and agave spirits are as diverse and exciting as the world of wine.