Our Team

The Farmstead Wines team brings you rare, artisan wines handcrafted on small, sustainable farms from the world’s great wine making regions.   

“Wine is about the story, the experience, the people.”

Anthony Nicalo
Founder
Farmstead Wines

A chef by trade, Anthony Nicalo has spent his lifetime marrying local flavor with earth-friendly fare. After a career supporting culinary masters including Peter Merriman and Guido Havercock, Nicalo has found his calling. Bringing the Old World to the New — Chef Nicalo carefully selects the great tasting, earth-friendly, hand-made wines from small family vineyards of Europe to include in the Farmstead Wines selection.

“It is the beauty of people who are in tune with the land, with the Earth, that inspire Farmstead Wines. They are family farmers who make wine the only way they know how- in unison with nature, handcrafted and delicious. These are wines they serve to their families and friends.”

Jeff Bashford

“For me, Farmstead Wines is an opportunity to introduce people to wines with individual character and true terroir. It’s a bonus that I’m supporting small farmers with sustainable practices.”

Jeff’s first taste of the wine industry was at a Wine Merchant in Sydney, Australia. It was during their training programs that Jeff was introduced to fine wine. Over the next few years Jeff’s genuine interest in wine was encouraged and his knowledge continued to grow. The retail environment provided unlimited opportunity to taste and over time his palate began to develop as well. After completing his studies in business, Jeff engrossed himself in Sydney’s wine scene, spending the next 4 years at the Wine Merchants.

Before moving to Canada, Jeff spent a year in Europe. During that trip he experienced first hand a different attitude toward food, wine, family and community. The table was central to a simpler way of life. Jeff, eager to learn more about the wine regions of Europe progressed through the WSET range of courses, completing his sommelier training and in doing so began to further appreciate wines that have a story and speak of a place and a time.

Victoria Espinel

Victoria Espinel is a wine enthusiast. Victoria is also an international trade expert and has negotiated international trade rules to protect wine producers.
Victoria is a professor at the George Mason University School of Law, teaching international trade, international intellectual property law and trademarks. She previously held the position of Assistant United States Trade Representative for Intellectual Property and Innovation at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. As the first person to hold this position, Victoria was the chief U.S. trade negotiator for intellectual property and innovation, leading negotiations at the WTO, in U.S. free trade agreements and in bilateral discussions worldwide on a wide variety of intellectual property and innovation issues. Before joining USTR, Victoria was an attorney with the law firms of Covington & Burling in London and Sidley, Austin, Brown & Wood in New York.

John Stubbs

John Stubbs enjoys wine, but he is more interested in helping artisans access markets so they continue their craft. John’s career has focused on promoting innovation, competition and open markets. In addition to his work for Farmstead, John also manages a strategic consulting firm, Romulus Global Issues Management, in Washington, DC, where he manages global public policy campaigns for both leading corporations and nonprofits. Among John’s clients are the United Nations World Food Programme and the Global Innovation Forum of the National Foreign Trade Council.