MANAGEMENT BIO'S

Neil Smith – Executive Chef

Coming Soon! - Under Construction

Christopher Battles – Sommelier

Chris was born in 1963 in Seattle, Washington and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he began his restaurant career at the age of 15. By the age of twenty-three he got into restaurant management, gaining experience at a variety of Bay Area bars and restaurants.

In the summer of 1989, Chris moved to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly, where he studied for a degree in Forestry and Natural Resources, but by then the restaurant bug had already bitten him, and during school he worked as a bartender, honing his talents for wine appreciation at Hoppe’s 901, Hoppe’s at Marina Square and, Since assuming his duties as Cellar Master, he has improved an already superb wine program to one recognized by the Wine Spectator with their coveted “Award of Excellence”, bestowed upon restaurants to recognize a wine program of superior quality.

In 2002, he went into partnership at the Morro Bay Wine Seller and now splits his time between the two jobs, evaluating over 200 wines each month for possible placement at the two establishments.

Chris is married and lives in Morro Bay with his wife Vickey, where they are raising their two daughters Maya and Caitlyn.

UPDATE:

Sommelier Chris Battles

Christopher Battles, respected cellar master for Windows on the Water has received his Sommelier Level 2 Certification from the internationally accredited Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) of London, England. The organization recently released results from the test given on December 4, 2006 in Shell Beach, CA, which revealed that Battles “Passed With Distinction” on the examination, placing him in the top 10% of those who sat for the exam.

The WSET is the foremost international body providing high education in wine and spirits, and offer courses in nine languages and in thirty-eight countries throughout the world.

Everyone here at Windows on the Water Congratulates Chris on achieving this accomplishment and wish him the very best as he continues his education. Congratulations!