David Talbot has focused his entire career on the wine, spirits, dining and publishing industries, bringing a unique combination of marketing, sales, design and managerial skills to both established and entrepreneurial endeavors.

David is a co-founder of Ultimate Beverage Challenge, the platinum standard for wine and spirits evaluation. UBC conducts two annual international competitions: Ultimate Spirits Challenge in March and Ultimate Wine Challenge in May. David founded Liquid Library in 2012 to serve the wine and spirits industry as a network of services for producers and marketers.

For 16 years David served as Senior Vice President, Publishing and Events of Wine Enthusiast Companies and Associate Publisher of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. In these roles he was involved in the editorial, design, circulation, marketing and media sales of both the print publication and its website. During his tenure the magazine expanded and enhanced its editorial quality, rating and review program, book publishing, and its online web presence. In addition, David was integral to the launch and growth of Wine Enthusiast’s trade and consumer events, including its annual Wine Star Awards ceremony for the trade and four annual consumer-focused Toast of the Town wine, spirits and restaurant tasting events on a national basis.

David’s publishing background includes art direction at Gourmet, Cuisine and People magazines. His entrepreneurial endeavors include 10 years as founder and CEO of two New York based specialty food companies, Chelsea Baking Company and Chelsea Ice, serving the corporate dining, catering, and hotel and restaurant industries.

David has travelled to many of the major wine and spirit producing regions around the world, and values his wide-ranging relationships on the production, marketing and executive levels of the wine and spirits industry on a global basis.

A native New Yorker, he holds a M.B.A. in Marketing and Management from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a B.G.S. in Art History from the University of Michigan. His non-profit activities include volunteer service with the Boy Scouts of America.