Sharing our enthusiasm and commitment to the region are our Experience! The Finger Lakes team. These are the best in the business. Our tour guides and office staff are highly-trained wine and hospitality professionals – but they’re also enthusiastic locals, our friends and neighbors who have made their homes here. Even when they’re not guiding tours, our employees are the people in town who give the best directions, recommend the best restaurants, and generally know where the fun is happening around Ithaca and the Finger Lakes region.
Michael is a seasoned E!FLX tour guide, so chances are good that you will have seen him on a tour. Michael came from the restaurant world of fine dining in PA, but decided to pivot to wine after he discovered the Tompkins Cortland CC Wine Marketing program here in the Finger Lakes. When not touring for E!FLX, you can find him working as a server at Sheldrake Point Winery. Michael loves baking and wooed us into hiring him through feeding us his amazing malted chocolate cake balls.
George just moved to the area from Puerto Rico. This winter may not have welcomed him gently but the E!FLX team and the region’s wines sure have embraced him! George comes to us with years of experience in the hospitality industry, particularly in the areas of Mixology and Bartending where he hold a number of certifications. He has a passion for customer service and greeting our guests with the enthusiasm for his new home and choice of beverage. George will be our full-time tour guide for the 2022 season, so you will likely see his smiling face on both Cayuga and Seneca lake tours throughout the year.
Liz joins us with a passion for the outdoors, and has spent many years hiking, foraging, and otherwise exploring the Finger Lakes region. As a NYS Master Naturalist and member of the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society, she enjoys continuing to learn about our local ecology and is excited to share that joy with others! When not guiding tours with E!FLX, you can find Liz practicing massage at Deeply Devoted Massage in downtown Ithaca.
Christopher DeWan is an accomplished writer, screenwriter and storyteller. He recently moved back to the area from Los Angles. He felt the pull to return to the Finger Lakes where he went to Cornell for his undergraduate education in philosophy and theater. You will enjoy touring with him as he weaves the story of Finger Lakes wines throughout your Experience. His hobbies are extensive: woodworking, fermenting and of course wine research.
As owner and Certified Sommelier, Laura Winter Falk offers premium Sommelier-curated experiences for those looking for the ultimate way to tour. Get ready to take a deep dive into the world of wines, as Laura helps you discover more about your palate, and Finger Lakes wines that will make it very happy!
As owner and CEO, Alan stays mostly behind the scenes taking care of the big stuff, but can be found occasionally doing a pop-up waterfalls and gorge hike, as our company’s original natural history guide.
Laura Sanders started out with us as a Tour Guide, and now she is our full time Director of Operation. If you call to book or ask questions, you will likely be speaking with Laura Sanders. Her experience as a Tour Guide and knowledge of the area assures that your experience in the region will be wonderful! She also still loves to tour, so don’t be surprised if she turns out to be your guide as well!
Anissa is our business manager, handling the financial side of our biz, but can always be counted on for joining our team tastings for ‘quality assurance’ purposes.
Steph, while relocated to Switzerland, is one of our special tour guide emeriti, and permanent member of the E!FLX family, and can at anytime show up back in the FLX for a pop-up tour or event. Steph is currently working as a Somm at BAR at Les Trois Rois in Basel.
Rachel, while having relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, is one of our two special tour guide emeriti. Rachel is a yoga instructor, and runs Yoga retreats in Ithaca, Costa Rica, and other fabulous destinations. So, expect to see her when she is in the region. Learn more about her Yoga at Heart Thread Yoga.
Chris, our veteran E!FLX tour guide, is Mr. Hospitality. With over 7 years of touring and 10 years of fine dining expertise, and holding a WSET2 wine credential, expect him to provide fabulous insights about everything food and wine on all our tours. He is also an fabulous artist. Check out his work at Loomisart.