Our Team
Dale Stewart
Chief operating officer
As an innovative consultant and key expert in strategic partnerships with a Master of Business Administration from Case Western University, Dale has blended his business savvy with his passion for wine as the Chief Operating Officer of The Wine Op. He hails from Cleveland, Ohio and has served many non-profit organizations from underserved youth to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. When he isn’t rooting for The Ohio State Buckeyes, listening to finance podcasts or hiking mountains with his sidekick, Baxter, Dale, too, finds himself exploring and appreciating limited production wines that pair with his favorite tapas.
A spreadsheet wizard with a knack for mental math, Dale likes to take on the ‘unsexy’ parts of running a business. He encourages Katrina to spend whatever funds she needs on the highest quality wine she wants, which makes him Katrina’s favorite COO.
Fun Fact: He can recite the AAP staging & grading classification forward and back. If you see him in public, put him to the test. You may walk away with a bottle of wine.
Dale’s Favorite: 5-9 Red Blend
IG: @trip.n.dales
Katrina M SAnders
Chief executive officer
A clinical dental hygienist, consultant, author, international speaker and sommelier, Katrina is a vibrant, influential and compassionate business BOSS. Known as The Dental WINEgenist™️, she has a unique approach to delivering provocative ideas paired beautifully with a glass of wine. Everyone is welcome to join her table when they share a passion for evolving the dental community and providing better outcomes for patients around the world. Her philanthropic efforts include dental humanitarian work in developing countries, supporting abused and homeless animals and spreading awareness about the benefits of organ and tissue donation.
In 2017, Katrina started her first business with the vision to drink wine, talk about dentistry and save homeless animals. Now, in 2022, she is fulfilling the next chapter by bottling beautifully curated wines that honor her hygienist heroes with the proceeds providing support to underserved populations.
Fun Fact: She once was able to list off at least four of the Ohio State Buckeyes Football starters, and may be responsible for their 2022 Rose Bowl victory.
Kat's favorite: 9-5 White Blend
IG: thedentalwinegenist
Meet our WINEMAKER
Lisa Strid
Lisa Strid, the winemaker at Aridus Wine Company in Willcox, Arizona, is a Wyoming native who fell in love with wine while working alongside her uncle on his small vineyard and winery in the wilds of western Washington. After a year of pruning, netting, crushing, and fermenting Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, she realized she wanted to make a career of the work.
A graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in viticulture, she took a position at E&J Gallo Winery, in Napa California. At Gallo she worked on the Specialty Winemaking team - focusing on innovative equipment use, new technology validation trials and the exploration of process-driven changes to target different wine styles. Lisa joined the Aridus team in June of 2016 and has developed a strong expertise in the intricacies of Arizona winegrowing.
Lisa collaborates closely with Katrina to make her vision a reality. Her passion for delighting wine lovers - sommeliers and novices alike - make her a perfect fit for our team. She is intentional about crafting wines that engage all of the senses leveraging science, intuition and imagination. We couldn't think of a better winemaker for The Wine Op!
