 Christian Adams
37 years old
Biebelsheim, Germany
[The following is excerpted from a Wine Spectator article.]
Adams, who lived in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, joined the German Wine Institute in 1989 and became its export marketing director in 1995, with responsibility for promoting German wine outside the country. He worked for a short time in the New York office. He held degrees in viticulture and enology from the University of Geisenheim, in Germany, and in marketing from the University of California, Davis.
Carol Sullivan, director of the German Wine Information Bureau in New York, described Adams as "the hub of our whole wine promotion worldwide. He was extremely dedicated, considerate and could always be counted on for a well-thought out decision."
Adams was in New York on Monday, Sept. 10, for the bureau's annual vintage tasting of German wines, held at the Puck Building on Lafayette Street. He and other German winemakers and representatives were scheduled to repeat the tasting in San Francisco last Thursday.
On the morning of Sept. 11, Sullivan and Adams were both traveling to San Francisco for the tasting and left Newark on different flights, 15 minutes apart. Sullivan, whose flight was diverted, suffered a heart spasm upon hearing the fate of Adams and was hospitalized for a while. Many of the other German wine industry representatives were flying that day, but none were reported to be on Flight 93 or otherwise missing in the attacks.
Adams is survived by his wife, Silke, and two children, Lukas and Theresa. Lukas is seven years old and Theresa is five years old.
A memorial service was held at the Mainz Cathedral. In addition, the German Wine Institute has set up a fund for Adams' family. According to Carol Sullivan, donations in the United States are being coordinated by a former employee of the German Wine Information Bureau, Cindy Krebs Martin, and will be transferred to the account in Germany.
In the United States, checks should be made out to: "The Christian Adams Memorial Fund," c/o 6100 Puerto Drive, Rancho Murieta, CA 95683.
Bank: Raiffeissen-Volksbank eG, Mainz. Account: 20 640 9067. Bank Code number: 550 607 07. Account holder: Deutches Weininstitut. Please mention: "Spendenkonto Christian Adams"
For the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's biography of Christian Adams, click here.
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