Abraham Lerner
Abraham Lerner began his wine career at the ripe old age of fourteen, helping his mother find new and interesting wines in Tallahassee, Florida. His first legal job in the wine community occurred at ABC Wine and Spirits where his mentor, Craig “Pops” Richardson took him on a whirlwind tour of the great wines of California while cooking, eating and watching wrestling. As his palate developed, Abe took on more and more responsibility, ultimately becoming the Wine Consultant for Tallahassee, covering six stores.
Abe branched out into the restaurant world a few years later with a stint at Harrison’s Bistro in Thomasville, Ga, where he worked as everything from floor sommelier to garde manger to repair guy. This sweet southern boy found his new home in Boston at Sav-Mor Wine and Spirits, after visiting a former coworker. Abe developed the fine wine program at two outlets of the prestigious chain as a floating manager. When the opportunity arose to examine the wholesale side of the industry, like a fish he bit the hook hard. His territory with Vintage Imports covered Martha’s Vineyard to the Berkshire’s and all points in between. Putting 50,000 miles plus a year on his vehicle took its toll, and Blanchard’s Wine and Spirits became his home. First at the West Roxbury location, and then Jamaica Plain, Abe further developed the wine programs at both locations.
He is the Wine Director at Julio’s Liquors in Westborough, Ma. He is finding new and exciting ways to introduce people to wine, which has become an obsession. The introduction of a new varietal or region is paramount to his manifesto. One of the things that help this process are the vineyard visits that have helped get his “hands dirty” (literally, he licks the soil from his palms in vineyards, folks!). His travels have brought him to Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Liguria, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Oregon, Washington, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and California.
In his spare time, “excuse me, what’s that?” Abe likes to play paintball competitively, snowboard, cook, go to concerts, travel, museums, hike, and take classes to challenge himself. He has a soft spot for Sake, Champagne, Chocolate and Rum. Oh, if Kate Webber is supplying it, a bit of tequila only hurts the next morning.