Knowledgable Staff
We taste before we buy! Table & Vine’s principal wine buyer, Michael J. Quinlan, Jr., tastes more than 7,000 wines per year. Michael also tutors monthly tastings for the entire wine department so that informed and educated advice is always available to any customer who requests it. So whether you are seeking a $5-$10 bottle for tonight’s dinner or a specific vintage for that special person or even a few cases of futures for the cellar or your children…you can always trust the advice you receive.
Michael J. Quinlan, Jr.
Michael's career at Table & Vine began in 1996 when he was hired as a part-time wine associate. Over the course of the past decade, Michael was quickly promoted to full-time sales floor captain, sales manager, wine sales manager and as of January 2008 became the corporate wine sales manager.
Michael is responsible for Table & Vine’s wine selection, purchasing and merchandising. He oversees the Table & Vine inventory within the Northampton and Greenfield Big Y® World Class Markets™. Michael also works closely with marketing to ensure Table & Vine’s image is always creative and unique and that people understand that Table & Vine is a lifestyle destination.
Michael has traveled to many vineyards around the world including, Chile, Argentina, Italy, Austria and Canada's Ontario region. He has also traveled extensively in Spain visiting every major wine region and in France. Michael has visited Frances greatest wine regions including, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire, Rhône and Languedoc. Michael believes it is this kind of knowledge and experience that makes Table & Vine stand out above the rest. He also regularly attends countless trade events. wine fairs and wine tastings. Because of his tireless pursuit of knowledge and excellence, Michael personally tastes over 5,000 each year. His ability to identify up-and-coming wine regions, excellent wine values and his exceptional knowledge of the wine industry as a whole has make Table & Vine a unique destination for wine connoisseurs' nation-wide.
Michael always shares his travel experiences with the staff at Table & Vine and loves to pop open a bottle of his newest discoveries and older favorites in order to educate the staff. Michael can honestly boast that the wine staff at Table & Vine is second to none.
Michael serves as a co-host of WGBY’s weekly television show On The Menu. He will provide wine recommendations for many local chef’s and restaurant’s best recipes.
Michael's favorite types of wine include Spanish, Red Burgundy and both German and Austrian wines. He resides in Northampton, MA with his wife Kimm and two boys Patrick and Tucker. Michael can be emailed at: quinlan@tableandvine.com
Steve Thibault
Steve began his career with Big Y in 1979 after having earned two college degrees; one in Retail Management and one in Business Administration. He started as a grocery manager and eventually became an assistant store manager. In 1989, Steve was offered the chance to join Big Y’s Liquor Division: Big Y Wines and Liquors, as the assistant store manager. In 1998, Steve assisted in the transformation of the store to Table & Vine and became the operations manager and assumed the responsibilities of beer and liquor buyer. In 2003, The Table & Vine division purchased its largest competitor in West Springfield; Town and Country Liquors. Steve was again presented with a new opportunity—store manager of one of the largest wine, spirits, beer and specialty foods stores in Massachusetts, and retains the responsibility of beer buyer.
Steve’s goal is to make sure each and every customer is treated to a unique and unusual shopping experience. He does this by not only understanding the products the store carries but also understanding what customers really want. Steve has a passion for the liquor industry and a sincere appreciation for it. He is constantly attending trade shows, reading journals, meeting with sales reps and talking to customers to gain a unique perspective into what makes Table & Vine a destination for Life’s Finer Pleasures. It is this understanding along with his staff of friendly, experienced and knowledgeable employees that make customers want to come back time and time again.
Ask Steve his favorites and he’ll quickly tell you that there are just too many beers to list. As the beer buyer, Steve particularly loves imports, micro and craft brews and is always looking for something new and exciting to share with his staff and customers.
Steve is an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan and he enjoys antiques, classic cars and gardening. He lives in Southampton with his wife and daughter.
Steve can be emailed at: thibault@tableandvine.com
Nicholas Leveille
Associate Wine Buyer
Nicholas began his career with Big Y Foods, Inc. in 2001 as a member of the Table & Vine Division. After a year of service, Nicholas left to pursue a wine career within the restaurant business.
Nicholas worked in numerous high profile restaurants throughout the Boston area, including Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger and The Federalist. The positions he’s held include restaurant manager, beverage director and sommelier. In his absence at Table & Vine, he gained valuable, hands on food and wine experience that he is proud to bring back to Table & Vine.
With a new position at Table & Vine and years of food and wine experience, he is ready to introduce Table & Vine’s diverse clientele to new and exciting wines, and is looking forward to one-on-one customer service where he plans on engaging and educating people’s minds, opinions and perceptions about wines, regions and producers.
He believes Table & Vine is such a unique destination because of its extraordinary selection, unbeatable prices and knowledgeable staff; a staff of which he is once again a proud part of.
His long-time favorite wines include Rhône Valley reds, Right Bank Bordeaux and small production "grower" Champagne. His new favorites and areas he considers a "treasure hunt" would include Washington state wines and southern Californian "Rhone Rangers" as well as Spanish and Portuguese unknown upstart vineyards.
Nicholas enjoys cycling, cooking and writing and has recently moved back to Western Massachusetts. He resides in Easthampton with his wife and daughter.
Jules Latour
Wine Department Sales Manager
Jules Latour grew up in Amherst, MA. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts, with a degree in English.
He worked for another supermarket chain for ten years before joining Big Y Foods, Inc. in 1995. In 1999 he joined the Table & Vine division to learn more about wine and the liquor industry in general. His favorite wines are usually the Wines-of-the-Month selected by Michael J. Quinlan, Jr. He is especially fond of the red wines from Rioja, Argentinian Malbecs and Bordeaux. His favorite whites are German Rieslings. Jules also enjoys great cheese such as P'tite Basque and Delice de Bourgogne. Of course he has not forgotten about the excellent beers of the world either.
Jules believes that Table & Vine is the place to shop not only for the more than 4,000 varieties of wine, but also everything associated with life’s finer pleasures and it’s just a place you have to see it to believe it with, of course, world class customer service.
He currently resides in Hatfield, MA with his wife and two sons.
Kathleen M. Banas
Fine Foods Sales Manager
Kathleen began her career with Big Y Foods, Inc. in 1987. Over the years, Kathleen has held various positions within the fresh foods departments. From the deli to the bakery and even fresh, prepared foods, Kathleen knew the deli was her passion. As a deli manager, Kathleen fell in love with cheese when she quickly realized there was more to cheese than just cheddar. Years of traveling, training, and even hands-on-training; crafting her own Huntsman cheese (ask her about it when you see her), and her years of expertise with fresh, wholesome foods, have all led to her finding her place within Table & Vine.
Any given day, you can walk into Table & Vine and see for yourself the more than 1,500 fine and specialty foods Table & Vine has to offer. If you come in at the right time of day, you’ll even be treated to aroma of rustic, artisan breads baking in the oven. At the heart of it all, you’ll find Kathleen behind the cheese bar cutting samples of cheese for her customers to experience, or she’ll be sharing her cheese knowledge with her customers so they may enjoy the wonderful world of cheese at home.
Entertaining? Kathleen’s more than 20 years of experience in food service makes her your go-to celebration expert. It is her hope that you make Table & Vine’s fine foods boutique your destination when planning all of your most simplistic to most elegant celebrations.
Kathleen lives in Easthampton with her husband Allen
Philip LeBlanc
Liquor Department Sales Manager
Phil began his career with Big Y Foods, Inc. in 1992 as a part-time bagger. He eventually worked his way into the grocery department where he held many positions from grocery clerk to night crew manager and then assistant grocery manager. It was in 2002 that he joined Table & Vine.
With many years of experience in merchandising, shelf management and product replenishment, Phil has found a way to make the most of the numerous shelves devoted to spirits. Phil and his staff are pleased to bring their customers more than 2,700 varieties of spirits…one of the largest collections in North America!
Phil finds the daily challenges in his position the most rewarding. He likes to think outside-of-the-box in a way that makes the spirits aisles a unique, one-of-a-kind destination for anyone who loves life’s simple pleasures.
Phil and his staff sample thousands of spirits on a yearly basis so that they are able to assist customers in making the right choice for the right cocktail or simple indulgence. Phil is also responsible for selecting the many new spirits Table & Vine offers on a weekly basis, making sure the aisles are well stocked and handsomely presented each and every morning ready for our customers and always looking for ways to “raise the bar”. It is those high standards Phil has set for himself and his staff that make the spirits aisles at Table & Vine a truly indulgent taste destination!
Phil resides in Easthampton with his wife Samantha and stepdaughter Alyssa.
Thomas Gamache
Beer Department Sales Manager
Tom began his career with Big Y Foods, Inc. in 1990. He has 17 years experience as an assistant frozen food and dairy manager and frozen food manager. Two years ago, when presented the opportunity to join Table & Vine as the beer department sales manager, Tom knew it was the opportunity he simply couldn’t pass up.
As a beer collector and beer lover himself, Tom has been a home brewer for the past three years and is a recognized beer judge with the Beer Judge Certification Program. He is studying to eventually become a certified beer judge. He’ll quickly tell you his favorite beers include Belgian style beers, Imperial Stouts, IPAs and Imperial IPAs and German Hefeweizens.
Tom’s found that he’s not alone in his passion for craft and imported beers. He and his staff must stay current on what’s new in the world of beers because his customers are ever increasingly looking for more choices. If you’re looking for something that we don’t currently offer, just ask for Tom. He’ll be happy to try and locate that product for you. Tom also keeps his staff up-to-date on what’s new so that they can all assist their customers in making an educated choice. Tom takes great pride in his knowledge and the knowledge of his staff and is pleased by such positive feedback he receives from customers about the excellent choices they’ve been able to make by his staffs’ recommendations and how clean, well-stocked and easily shoppable the beer department is. Tom is most proud of the more than 1,000 choices the beer aisles have to offer and believes Table & Vine is truly a one-of-a-kind destination for anyone who loves the art of fine brews.
Tom resides in Ludlow with his wife and son.
Holly Horrigan
Customer Service Sales Manager
Holly began her career with Big Y Foods, Inc. in 1998 as a member of the Table & Vine Division. Her early responsibilities as a fine foods coordinator gave her an extensive background in gourmet and specialty foods. Periodically she uses that background today when she assists in the preparation and presentation of some of the finest gift baskets Table & Vine offers.
Holly’s unique people skills made her the perfect fit for the position of customer service sales manager when the opportunity came about in 2007. She oversees all the functions of front-end operations and customer service. Holly enjoys all of her co-workers, but enjoys most the daily interaction with Table & Vine’s customers.
Lisa Carabine
Employee Services Representative
Lisa’s career began with Big Y Foods, Inc. in 1996 as a cashier. She quickly became an assistant customer service manager and then customer service manager. It was Lisa’s unique ability to work with customers and employees that she eventually accepted the position of employee services representative. After years of advocating for employees in a supermarket environment, Lisa was offered the same position within the Table & Vine Division.
Lisa accepted the position in 2007 and has found the experience very similar yet very different than a supermarket. Lisa is still the employee advocate for all employees of Table & Vine and is really the “go to” person for everyone. Primarily she oversees the training and development of each employee. Lisa enjoys the day to day challenges Table & Vine presents and the fact that every day is a new experience, and likes most the ability to work with all of the employees throughout the store.
She is also responsible for staff education which is key to Table & Vine. Lisa is working closely with certified educators in the wine, spirits and beer industries to assist with further training and development of all the employees. Lisa believes a properly trained staff allows our customers a more informative and educated shopping experience which in turns makes Table & Vine your premier Taste Destination! Lisa enjoys spending time with her family and friends and volunteering her time for charitable causes and organizations.
Donald J. MacIver
Director of Operations
Don began his career with Big Y Foods, Inc. in 1968 as a service clerk. Over the years, he worked in many departments throughout the stores and has held various positions including frozen food and dairy manager, grocery manager and store manager. It was Don’s years of experience and understanding of store operations that qualified him for the position of District Manager.
Don oversaw the daily operations of twelve supermarkets and was involved in much of the merchandising and employee services aspects of each store. Don worked very closely with the store managers in his district along with the department managers and staff at the Store Support Center. His goal was to always make the stores in his district the best they could be in regards to staffing and presentation.
In the year 2002, Table & Vine was in need of a director of operations. Don’s many years of experience in the supermarkets made him a natural fit to step in oversee Big Y’s Table & Vine Division. Don is responsible for the complete operations of Table & Vine, including merchandising, staffing, buying and keeping everyone focused on customer service. Don believes Table & Vine’s customer service is unique and unparalleled in the industry and that with a lot of hard work, by his entire team, Table & Vine has truly become New England’s premier taste destination.
