Meet the Team

Rochester native and UB graduate, Matt spent some time working in marketing in NYC before returning to Rochester to start this business with his father, Jeff. His passion for wine is unparalleled. When his nose isn’t in a glass, it’s in a book about winemaking or the history of wine. He strives to learn something new about wine every day and uses all he has learned to select the best possible wines from all around the world for the shelves here at Parkway.

The man behind the curtain himself! Jeff does all the unseen heavy lifting and makes everything we do here at the store possible.

Jeff left a long career in international motor and motor control sales to build something with his son Matt. Together they decided that a liquor store was going to be their venture. In 2009, the vision became reality when they purchased Parkway and grew it into what you see today!

While Erika may not be a Rochester native, she now calls the Flour City home. A Certified Sommelier and WSET level 3 certified, Erika spends her time thinking about the perfect food and wine pairings and finding the right wines for every situation. A self-professed “wine geek”, working at Parkway is the ideal match, as she can spend her time exploring different wine regions and less well-known grapes. She is also passionate about passing along her wine knowledge and enthusiasm for wine to others, and is excited to be able to put together educational and fun wine packs and seminars for our customers.
When not at the store, Erika spends her time practicing and playing music, and hopes to be out performing again soon. She has also been a sales representative and sommelier for a winery and judged numerous national and international wine competitions.

Another Rochester native, George has been with Parkway for more than a decade. His thirst for whiskey is only topped by his thirst for knowledge about it. When he is not in the store, he is a Senior Writer for Artisan Spirit Magazine where you will find him writing about everything from technical production pieces to distillery spotlights. You can also listen to him talk about a multitude of beverages on the In Good Spirits podcast. He has has also been the Bar Operations Manager of Veritas Wine Bar at Alexander Park, an Assistant Distiller for a craft distillery, and has been a judge in numerous national and international spirits competitions.

Originally from Arizona, Maddy is a lot like Johnny Cash — she’s been everywhere, man! Her over 15 years in the beverage industry has taken her around the country more than once or twice. Her experience spans multiple facets of the industry and not only has she managed liquor stores in some of the hippest cities in America, she is also an experienced classically trained mixologist. With Rochester now being her home, her thirst for knowledge and continued growth in the industry fuels her every day here at Parkway. She has been an indispensable member of our team since 2019.

Local gal Ileana grew up on the east side of the river but has traveled all over the globe in search of the most interesting beverages. From Central America to Europe her passion formed while immersing into the different cultures and people she experienced along the way. Through her travels, she truly discovered that alcohol is a language of its own and sharing in the experience with people is genuinely what living is all about.

She stumbled into Parkway in 2015 and has never left. Her love of learning keeps everyday new and exciting. In 2006, she received her bartending certification, and loved the creativity of crafting cocktails. Her style is complex, with depth of flavors yet balanced.

Her professional experience is routed in HR and Learning & Development silo. Ready to make the switch to full-time she is excited to bring her creative problem solving, organization & service skills to Parkway. Her service background has lent itself to cultivate relationships with our customers and vendors alike.