Dinner is part of the deal
The dinner is where the relationship is made — or quietly lost. Most executives are exceptionally prepared for the boardroom. Far fewer feel that same certainty when the wine list arrives. I work with associates in finance and luxury retail to close that comfort gap. Building the knowledge, instinct, and composure that turns a client dinner into a genuine competitive advantage.
Services at a glance
Cru Advisory
Wine Basics
Corporate Workshops & Tastings
Half-day programs for leadership teams, sponsored through L&D or HR. Covers wine literacy, table protocol, and client entertainment strategy.
1 on 1 Client Coaching
Private Executive Session
One-on-one or small group sessions tailored to the individual executive. Discreet, efficient, and built around your company's current clients.
Curated Luxury
Client Dinner Coaching
Preparation for a specific upcoming engagement — selecting the wine, reading the room, and owning every moment of the meal.
Investment Banking
Who I Work With
Private Equity
Wealth Management
Luxury Retail
Private Law Firms
Family Offices
About Vernon
Fine dining is what I love and breathe. The kind of environments where every detail of a dining experience is debated, discussed, and decided. Michelin-starred kitchens and James Beard-recognized tables. Over the past several years as a sommelier, I developed something beyond wine knowledge — an instinct for people, for rooms, and for what it takes to make someone feel genuinely hosted.
Recently I noticed something. The executives sitting across from me — sharp, accomplished, confident in every other context — would sometimes hesitate when the wine list arrived. Not because they weren't intelligent. Because nobody had ever taught them this particular language. And in their world, that hesitation has a cost.
That's what Vernon Jackson | Cru Advisory is built around. As a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and WSET Level 3 with Merit, what I bring isn't a curriculum — it's a translation. Of wine, of the table, and of how to move through a high-stakes dinner with complete command.
If you're here, you already know the dinner matters. I make sure you're ready for it.
Private Inquiries
info@vernonjacksoncru.com
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