Lori Boost Wise, CWE
Lori Wise, CSW and CWE, was born in Big Spring, Texas, but grew up in Austin. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in History and Literature, and a Master’s degree in Art History from the University of Dallas. Along the way, she worked in the mortgage business and was also a paralegal. But her real calling was to the grape. Her interest in wine was sparked during college when she began to travel, first—to California, where she lost her heart to Napa and Sonoma. Then, to Europe, where she plunged into the wine and food cultures of France, Germany and Italy. Inspired, she began to do a great deal of self-guided studying and “drinking everything from everywhere.”
In 2005, she opened a premium wine bar and boutique wine store in Lakeway, Texas, which was purely a labor of love on her part. There, wine collectors would gather, share stories, taste wines. They opened everything of interest: vintage champagne, cult cabernet, first growth Bordeaux, even a couple of DRC’s. During that time she studied for and passed her CSW with the Society of Wine Educators. Ultimately and unfortunately, the store fell victim to a constricting economy. Later, she went to work with the Mark Wine Group, a national accounts wine marketing company. Mark Gmur, the owner and president of the company, is a Certified Wine Educator, and he encouraged Lori to pursue the certification. She already had an interest in furthering her education and professional wine credentials, so she was primed to begin. First up, she passed the Introductory and Certified levels from the Court of Master Sommeliers, then set off on her studies for the CWE. Which turned into a journey.
Should anyone out there be tempted to think the CWE exam is a walk in the park, perhaps Lori’s story will be instructive—it is an achievement that takes time, effort, study, and hefty doses of perseverance. She worked hard and passed the theory part of the exam, but successful completion of the tasting piece eluded her. As it continued to do in subsequent attempts. Which leads to the summer of 2019: Lori went to Washington DC to the SWE annual conference. There, a good friend introduced her to the restaurant Bistrot Lepic in Georgetown, and the wine person there gave her guidance to prepare for the tasting. And all the effort paid off: she passed the exam and is now a Certified Wine Educator.
In April of 2019, Lori took a sales position with Virtuoso Wine and Spirits, where she is able to taste wines from all over the world (which also aided her tasting preparation for the CWE). Currently, for Virtuoso, she covers the Lake Travis and Hill Country areas outside Austin. And so: Lori Wise, a gifted member of the lively food and beverage culture of the capital of Texas.
Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey
If you are a SWE certificate holder and would like to be featured in our “On the Radar” series, please contact our Director of Education and Certification, Jane A. Nickles: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org
Back in 2006, I visited Lori’s wine bar. At the time, I knew absolutely nothing about wine and felt very overwhelmed and intimidated. Lori understood that. She was always encouraging toward me. I have vivid memories of one time pronouncing MERLOT phonetically and Lori didn’t bat an eye. Instead, she began speaking with me about the varietal while taking care to clearly pronounce so that I could learn. Lori has always been a great teacher and human being and I am very proud of her amazing accomplishments.