Brian Phillips decided to be in the Hospitality business early on. He moved to Austin, Texas to gain experience in upscale dining and began to pursue the endless quest for wine knowledge shortly after completing his degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Northern Arizona Univ. While in Austin, Brian has completed his wine related studies, to include Advanced Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and Certified Wine Educator through the Society of Wine Educators. In addition there is a strong business background backing it all up with recent certification as a Food & Beverage Executive through the American Hotel & Lodging Association and promotion to an Operating Partner role with Eddie V's Prime Seafood. Brian has assumed management and wine director roles for several hotels such as The Driskill, InterContinental and currently Eddie V's Prime Seafood. Brian will be opening the new Eddie V's Prime Seafood as the Operating Partner in the Washington, DC area in the spring of 2015. He will greatly miss Austin as the place where it all started from the Ground Up. Ground Up is Brian's small boutique wine label from The Texas Hill Country, and he hopes to continue the label in Virginia in the future.