Wanda Mann, CSW
Wanda Mann, CSW is a newly elected member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Wine Educators (SWE). Wanda attended her first professional wine tasting in 2009, and that pivotal event led her on a quest for wine knowledge and became the catalyst for a new career!
Wanda began her journey into wine education by studying wine on her own and—over the years—she developed an impressive, broad base of wine knowledge. In 2014 she decided to take her wine education up to the next level and registered for SWE’s Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) program. As she describes it, “after months of study, and a mountain of flashcards, I took the exam and passed. Earning my CSW was a personal triumph that gave me added confidence as I navigated my path in the wine industry.”
Wanda currently serves as the East Coast Editor of The SOMM Journal and Tasting Panel magazines in addition to creating original content for the Wine with Wanda website and social media platforms. Her writings about wine, winemakers, and wine regions have been published in Food & Wine, Decanter, NAPA Magazine, and VinePair. In addition, Wanda is a frequent present at wine events, including the Charleston Wine & Food Festival and the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen (among others).
When asked about her goals for her time as a member of the Board of Directors of SWE, Wanda says, “Wine has the power to bring people together, but that can only happen if we are genuinely engaged in making wine education accessible. The foundational knowledge provided by SWE levels the playing field, and it’s exciting to see how people use the information garnered from SWE to build their careers and communicate about wine creatively. I plan to leverage my skills and contacts to communicate how the certification programs offered by the Society of Wine Educators bolster knowledge, confidence, and opportunities; and contribute to the industry’s credibility.”
Welcome to the Board, Wanda Mann!