Classical musician and wine educator, Ryan Walsh, combines his love of performance, years as an educator, knowledge of wine, and a well-trained palate to create a fun and unique tasting experience which can be enjoyed in-person or virtually from the comfort of your home or event!

In 2006, during a gap year between university and graduate school for classical oboe, Ryan worked as a waiter and bartender in a cute, neighborhood bistro on the Upper West Side of New York City. The owner’s wife is a wine educator and sommelier, and it was decided that the staff would all go through formal training in wine so they would be better equipped to navigate the restaurant’s extensive wine list. Ryan found that he was very interested in what he was learning, threw himself into his studies, and received a WSET award in wine. Once entering graduate school for music, Ryan left the restaurant industry but continued his wine studies. An avid traveler, Ryan ventured to different wine regions in the United States and Europe, learning more about his favorite wines, exploring new varietals, and learning more about the winemaking process.

As his love for wine and beer grew, Ryan was offered an opportunity to help a friend teaching a class on wine, beer, and whiskey. The experience was so fun and rewarding that he knew he had to find a way to do it more often and so began his journey in the tasting world. Ryan started to do beer, wine, and liquor tasting/pairing classes in New York City at advertising agencies, tech startups, luxury apartment buildings, and even at LinkedIn, often doing multiple tastings at each place due to their popularity.

Demand for his services grew and Ryan decided to open On The Nose Tastings. Now with Covid-19 preventing people from gathering together in person, virtual tastings are a new and fun way for friends to meet and have a great time in a safe way!

Ryan is still a classical musician and was most recently the oboe/English horn player for the Broadway US Tour of Les Miserables and a substitute for the New York Philharmonic.