Vinfolio Announces its new Chief Technology Officer

Mutch will be in charge of developing strategic technology solutions that will help Vinfolio achieve its mission of providing collectors with a smooth, technology-driven experience while purchasing, selling, and storing fine wine.

FREMONT, CA: Vinfolio, one of the leading fine-wine firms, announced the appointment of Stephen Mutch as its new Chief Technology Officer. Mutch will be in charge of developing strategic technology solutions that will help Vinfolio achieve its mission of providing collectors with a smooth, technology-driven experience while purchasing, selling, and storing fine wine.

“Stephen brings a wealth of industry-related tech experience to Vinfolio, both as an entrepreneur and with WineDirect,” says Adam Lapierre, President, Vinfolio. “We are confident that Stephen’s contribution to the company will position us for true innovation, solidifying our role as the market leader in our space.”

Mutch was born and raised in the city of San Diego, California. He started his career in technology after serving in the United States Marine Corps and working in one of Southern California’s largest data centers. His enthusiasm for online applications and the use of technology to solve complex problems grew due to that experience. Mutch applied his technical skills to the wine industry after relocating to Napa, California, in 2006, landing a spot with the startup Inertia Beverage Group, now WineDirect, where he eventually rose to Vice President. Mutch learned about the wine industry’s unique challenges and needs, as well as the nuances of its highly regulated marketplace while working for WineDirect. Mutch left WineDirect in 2011 to create his own proprietary, end-to-end solution for hundreds of wineries and retailers in the industry, which streamlined commerce, customer service, compliance, and shipping.

“I am excited to be joining the team at Vinfolio and to be a part of an organization that is hyper-focused on delivering exceptional consumer experiences,” Mutch says. “The future of this company and the opportunities in the marketplace are exciting. I look forward to developing a strong technology strategy and infrastructure to meet its needs.”

Vinfolio uses innovative cellar management technology, fine wine storage facilities, and a direct-to-consumer ecommerce network to revolutionize how the fine wine community buys, sells, handles, and enjoys fine wine. These systems, when used together, allow fine wine enthusiasts to buy and sell highly collectible wine directly from producers, keep track of every bottle in their cellar, and interact with other fine wine collectors, industry influencers, and winemakers—all in one seamless experience.

Vinfolio is majority-owned by Executive Chairman Don St. Pierre Jr. and his business partner and good friend Allan Warburg, co-founder and co-CEO of Bestseller Fashion Group China. St. Pierre has earned several awards in the wine industry, including being named number seven on Decanter magazine’s 2011 Top 50 global wine industry power players and being named the 2011 International Man of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. In 2012, the French government conferred the title of Knight in the French Ordre du Mérite Agricole on St. Pierre Jr., and in 2015, he was named to the Vinexpo Overseas supervisory board.

Vinfolio is also owned by Jean-Michel Valette, who chairs the Institute of Masters of Wine’s Education and Examination Board (EEB) and is the former chairman of Robert Mondavi Corporation and Peet’s Coffee, as well as Jon Moramarco, the former CEO of Constellation Brands.