2025
Director of US Operations
Verstill
Oct 2025 – Present
Lead U.S. operations and production. Own production execution and partner-site activation across the U.S. network.
ADAM RODRIGUEZ
WINE AND SPIRITS
PROFESSIONAL
A professional profile across wine, spirits production, sales and marketing.
WINEFrom 2015-2022
SPIRITS2022-2025
THE PROFILE
Production, sales and marketing experience.
From Napa harvest floors to spirits and RTD manufacturing, I bring hands-on production experience together with operations leadership.
My experience spans wine and spirits production, facility scale-up, bottling and canning lines, tasting rooms, sales campaigns and digital marketing. I have led production teams, commissioned production lines, developed SOPs and training, and worked across bulk and packaged formats.
ProductionSpirits & RTD production; facility start-up and scale-up; operations leadership; formulation R&D; high-speed bottling and canning lines, including commissioning, maintenance and moving; project management and production plant relocation.
SalesTasting-room work; direct outreach; long-term monthly curated orders; online wine shops; alcohol sales campaigns.
MarketingDigital and social media campaigns; website launch; CRM and partner-business relationships; marketing budget management.
WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and SpiritsCertified Spirits SpecialistLean Six Sigma Black BeltOSHA 30B.S., Business / Managerial EconomicsAdditional study in Viticulture & Enology
Explore consulting services →EXPERIENCE
Production, Sales, Marketing,
In 2015 I began my foray into the world of wine and spirits. Starting out as a harvest intern I worked for a winery that produced 120,000 cases annually. In my most recent role as a Plant Manager I ran day-to-day operations scaled up a facility capable of producing over a million gallons of spirits annually.
During the off-seasons in wine I would transition to the sales side. From working in tasting rooms, building online wine shops, to organizing sales campaigns I cut my teeth in the high pressure sales scene of Napa Valley. This led to a role in marketing where i was able to expand my skills and use a million dollar marketing budget.
A career across production, sales and marketing.
HIGHEST CAPACITY
The numbers behind the lines.
100pallets a day
120bottles per minute
12,000cans per hour
Endless West was the main facility I oversaw. Equipment I ran and managed included bottling lines from OMS and GAI, and CDA machines. My prior experience in wine and alcohol production included bottling, and working on and managing high speed bottling and canning lines, including commissioning, maintenance and moving.
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Moved a production facility cross-country, from San Francisco to Detroit, as a member of the transition team.
- Commissioned new infrastructure and production lines in the new facility.
- Recruited and managed three production teams and the plant's management team.
- Implemented new SOPs and training protocols, and recruited and trained an entirely new staff.
- Contributed to five 100pt wines in one vintage on a Napa Valley harvest crew.
- Processed up to 250 tons of grapes per day, operating four presses.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
From harvest floors to U.S. operations leadership.
2025
Wine Director
Eton Market
Mar 2025 – Oct 2025
Built out the wine program and curated a selection of over 1,200 different wines. Opened the store with a good friend. Located in Birmingham, MI.
2024
Director of Operations
EmBracing Paws LLC
2024 – Present
A prosthetics and orthotics practice for pets.
2022
Production Plant & Pilot Plant Manager
Endless West
Mar 2022 – Dec 2024
Oversaw day-to-day alcohol manufacturing in bulk and packaged formats, from 200mL bottles to 7,000-gallon IsoTankers. Led production and management teams.
2021
Production Specialist
Tench Vineyards
Jul 2021 – Nov 2021
Worked on the harvest crew alongside world-renowned winemakers, contributing to the production of five 100pt wines that vintage.
2020
Digital Marketing Manager
Visit Vacaville
Feb 2020 – May 2021
Managed social media campaigns, launched a new website and managed CRM and relationships with partner businesses.
2019
Wine Specialist
Vintner's Collective, Napa Valley
Jul 2019 – Jan 2020
Built wine experiences in a tasting room, served walk-ins and long-term monthly curated orders, and coordinated digital marketing campaigns.
2017
Production Specialist / Harvest Intern
Mumm Napa Winery
Jul 2017 – Oct 2017
Processed up to 250 tons of grapes per day, operated four presses and prepared tanks during receiving.
2017
Tasting Room Associate
Turkovich Family Wines
Feb 2017 – Apr 2018
Operated a fast-paced downtown tasting room in a busy wine town.
2015
Harvest Intern / Tasting Room Associate
Matchbook Wine Company
Jul 2015 – Jan 2017
Part of a production team producing 150k cases annually of high-quality Spanish varietals. Worked in the tasting room and alongside vineyard management during off-seasons.
Spirits, from cask to glass.
CURRENT ROLE
Building out US Operations at Verstill.
Since October 2025 I have been Director of US Operations at Verstill. This is the second startup that I've joined, and I've taken on a larger role to build out all of US Operations for the growing startup.
About Verstill
Verstill describes itself as an end-to-end platform for aspiring and established brands to bring new, high quality spirits to life faster and more efficiently than ever before. Its tagline is "Craft Premium Spirits for Your Brand. In Weeks, Not Years."
Verstill offers product development from concept to bottle, with experts guiding each step of spirit creation. It says its proprietary maturation processes and streamlined production workflows reduce the product development timeline to only a few months, and that the platform is powered by a world-class team with decades of proven success in its process.
The company names breweries, wineries, cideries, specialty shops, travel retail, bars, restaurants, hotels and airlines among the industries it serves, and it offers a free discovery session to brands exploring a signature spirit of their own.
WHAT I OVERSEE
Eight areas of the business
- Supply
- Procurement
- Research
- Development
- Compliance
- Operations
- Customer relations
- Organizational structuring
“Two Days into Making Wine I Knew What I Was Put On This Earth to Do”
PASSION FOR THE PROCESS
Expert of the Craft
Originally what drew me to wine production was the simple fact that a process as old as history could result in two almost chemically identical liquids and yet be thousands of dollars apart. Learning how to make both took my obsession to a whole different level. My approach to every bottle is to carry that process of priceless artistry into the final product regardless of price point.
QUALITY
From my experience in the wine industry I quickly learned just how precise one needs to be to craft 100pt wines. The level of care and attention to detail is the same as crafting a piece of fine art. I had the privilege to work with three 100pt winemakers in Napa Valley and learn from them and have a hand in producing those wines during harvest.
EMPOWERING OTHERS
Creating opportunities for others.
The alcohol industry taught me many lessons but chief among them was the impact I could have on those around me. It has become my mission to continue to create opportunities for others so that the wine and spirits industry can continue to develop and foster diverse and inclusive talent.
CONTACT
Get in Touch With Me
Wine and spirits production, packaging and operations.