Tony Ridings
Director of On-Premise Sales

Tony has over twenty-five years as a wine and spirits wholesale representative and consultant to the restaurant community of Atlanta and Georgia. His first position was with Allstate Beer & Wine. Following three years with McKesson and six months with Atlanta Wholesale, he joined Empire Distributors and Frank Stone to help found the Fine Wine Division where he remained for seventeen years.

After earning a BA in Literature from St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and an Italian Language and Literature Certificate from the Universita per Stranieri in Perugia Italy, Tony spent a year as a youth counselor in the Sonoran desert, followed by a stint as short-order cook at a lodge in the mountains of Arizona. After a year in Italy coaching Italian university students on Milton and Paradise Lost, Tony moved to Atlanta in 1980 and began his career in the wine trade.

In 2003, Tony was invited to bring his wealth of knowledge and relationships to Quality with an eye towards enhancing their presence in restaurants and expanding their portfolio of wines. He accepted the offer to partner-up with the talented individuals who comprise the Quality team and is committed to its continued success.

Tony, who grew up in Italy, developed an early appreciation for the culture of good food and good wine. "Living well" for an Italian is an art form that demands the passion to seek out the best, the creativity to find it, and the openness to experience the quality in a thing.

It's this passion, creativity, and openness to experience that Tony brings to his position as Director of On-Premise Sales - and the qualities he strives to inspire in those he works with.