Wine Is Art, and Art Is Best When Shared....

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Ray Sholes

Ray didn't discover wine in a château in Bordeaux. He discovered it in the dining room.

Born and raised in Compton and Long Beach, California, Ray came up understanding one thing clearly — opportunity shows up in unlikely places if you're paying attention. When he realized early in his hospitality career that selling a single bottle of wine to the right guest could change the trajectory of an entire evening — and an entire income — he was hooked. That first insight, that wine was both an art form and an economic engine, became the foundation of everything that followed.

Nearly two decades later Ray holds dual certifications as a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and WSET Level 3 — two of the most respected credentials in the global wine industry. His career has taken him through some of South Florida's most acclaimed hospitality operations including Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, one of the region's most celebrated independent restaurants, and La Fête Wine Co., where he served as Florida Brand Development Manager overseeing statewide distributor relationships. Along the way he has trained service teams, built beverage programs, opened accounts, and poured countless glasses for guests who walked in knowing nothing about wine and walked out wanting to know everything.

Ray founded Royal Vines because he saw a gap — a community of curious, social, aspirational people who wanted to explore wine without being talked down to. He built the brand to be the antidote to stuffy wine culture. Warm, funny, deeply knowledgeable, and always in your corner.

He has been the face of Royal Vines from day one. That's not by accident — it's by design. Because in this business, people don't just buy experiences. They buy trust. And trust has a face.