Spectrum Wine Auctions Hires Accomplished Wine Expert Kevin Swersey as Senior Consultant and Strategic Advisor

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectrum Group International (SGI), a Fortune 500 Company based in Irvine, CA, announced today that it has tapped renowned wine authority Kevin A. Swersey as senior consultant and strategic advisor for Spectrum Wine Auctions. The alignment with Swersey, an established, respected and highly regarded wine industry strategist, is an important part of the expansion of Spectrum Wine Auctions, which conducted its first live sale in November 2009 and has since tallied an impressive $17.7 million with its live auctions in California and Hong Kong.

"Since launching Spectrum Wine Auctions a year ago, we've been working carefully to build a team of the leading experts needed to create an exceptional service company. Kevin Swersey has an unparalleled understanding of and experience with the fine wine market. We're in an extremely competitive industry which is experiencing a surge of interest from emerging markets, and it is our intent to be recognized as an industry leader," comments Spectrum Group International CEO Greg Roberts.

A major participant at multiple levels in the US wine auction market for nearly two decades, Swersey helped establish and implement the joint venture between Zachys Wine and Liquor Inc. and Christie's in 1994, Under his guidance as auction director (April 1995-May 2000), Zachys/Christie's established many new world auction records, sold more than 45,000 lots and recognized sales totals in excess of $86 million. Thereafter, Swersey continued as consultant to Zachys Auctions Inc. and was instrumental in establishing its presence for fine wine auctions in both Los Angeles and New York. Most recently he was senior consultant for Chicago-based Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. during the period which saw its annual auction sales grow dramatically from $13.7 million in 2006 to over $39 million in 2010.

"I am very excited about this great opportunity to join the young and dynamic team at Spectrum Wine Auctions. It is doing unique and interesting things to optimally serve buyers and sellers of wine while distinguishing themselves from their competitors.  Some of these include live streaming video of the auction room, 360-degree images of every lot on offer, and buyer and seller benefits that break with tradition in favor of a user-friendly customer experience," says Swersey. "Greg Roberts is committed to assimilating a top level team and the necessary support resources to establish Spectrum Wine Auctions as an industry leader."

Swersey is based in suburban New York. In addition to this new role with Spectrum Wine Actions, he will continue to advise ultra high net worth individuals in the acquisition, disposition, and management of their wine collections on a worldwide basis.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT JARVIS COMMUNICATIONS AT 310.313.6374

SOURCE Spectrum Wine Auctions