Category Archives: On the Radar

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The path taken by Christia Sale, CSW, is certainly one less traveled.  She grew up in Houston.  As a child, she sang in two productions for the Houston Grand Opera; for seven years she was in a semi-professional ballet company.  She graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Commercial Real Estate.  In the years that followed, her path included being an enthusiastic traveler, a published author, a radio talk show host, and “a passionate parent.”  In 2011, as her book was being published, she spent some time in France and became intrigued with the wine world.  “The history, the community and connection to nature fascinated me.”  Later, she started selling wine part-time, and that led to a position managing the Midwest region for a national wine demo company, which allowed her to exercise her passion for teaching.

During her time at the company, teaching her contractors about wine and how to connect with customers by projecting a happy feeling into their interaction, she realized that nobody in her organization had a wine education certificate—a clearly unacceptable situation.  Finding the Society of Wine Educators, she took action, first achieving her CSW, and at present working toward her CWE.  She also takes part in the hands-on aspects of winemaking at a local vineyard, which adds a breadth and dimension to her education beyond what she can obtain from books.

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Christia currently lives in New Braunfels, Texas, where she teaches wine and cooking classes, and, as she says, “its important to me that all my classes are an event.  Everyone feels engaged, enjoying themselves but also learning something.”  She teaches the cooking classes as the Ageless Gourmet, the focus being on “ageless living through knife, fork, and fun.”  Her Ageless World of Wine class is “where age becomes magic”. Her intention with both classes is to show how each world can make people feel.

Christia’s particular gift seems to be her ability to connect her passions for wine and cooking with the rhythms of people’s everyday experiences in the world.  The intersection of the two is a place of opportunity: wine and cooking are not somehow separate from other experiences, but are part of them and can enhance them and even give them meaning.  Here it is best to let Christia speak in her own words:

• “When taking cooking classes in Paris, I learned how to think wine when creating food. . .The two should always be intertwined in my opinion.  Creating a story (linking food with wine) from a story (the history of that wine) makes for good teaching.”
• “Every decision a person makes is based on how it will make them feel.  By tapping into feelings and elevating awareness in something as simple as enjoying wine, you can encourage that same awareness to other aspects of their lives.  Encouraging critical thinking encourages awareness.”
• “My name is Christia Sale, and I’m a romantic.  I want everyone to be happy.  Realistic or not, I want to teach people that happiness is a choice, not a result of circumstance.  And I can do that through the way I share my passions with others.”

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

Bill Gao, CSW, CSS, HBSC

Meet Bill Gao, CSW, CSS, HBSC.  Bill was born and grew up in Shanghai, China, and studied physics at Shanghai Normal University.  After completing his studies, he worked as an editor for the Shanghai Educational Publishing House for five years, then decided to move to the United States to continue his education.  A resident of Chicago since 1985, he has attained a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees with majors in physics and computer science from Northeastern Illinois University.  In 1991 he began working with Fisher Scientific Company, but ultimately started his own business in 1995 as a distributor of school laboratory equipment and supplies.  He retired from that endeavor a few years ago.

Bill has something of an omnivorous curiosity; among his interests was an attraction to wine and spirits that actually began with his father, who migrated to Shanghai and worked for a German company for some twenty years.  It was his father who used to drink brandy and whisky and taught him about western culture.  Only a few years ago, a friend gave him for his birthday a book on wine (Wine Appreciation, by David Williams), and he began to consciously learn to focus on and engage wine. He was set on the path to serious study by a wine show he attended in Beijing in 2015—he had a chance to taste wines from all over the world but realized he did not know how to fully appreciate them.  So the next step was to look for a way to more deeply study wine and spirits.  He went online and discovered the Society of Wine Educators.  He passed the exams for the CSW, the CSS, and the HBSC in the span of only ten months.

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Because Bill’s experience in Chinese and American cultures is both deep and wide, he is in a unique position to be an envoy between the two, and he is helping the SWE launch its programs in the Chinese market while navigating the complexities of doing business in China.  Plus, he is simply committed to sharing his passion for wine and wine education with people in China.  In his own words:  “I feel I can do a lot to help Chinese enthusiasts because I know both cultures and have connections in China.

Wine and spirits connoisseurship are still new in China, but the market is growing like crazy in recent years. . . .  However, due to the language barrier and other reasons, China’s wine education is way behind.  I feel strongly I have a mission to help them and help to achieve SWE’s goal in China.”

This past summer, Bill traveled to China for two months and attended wine shows in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing, doing some research for the SWE.  It is estimated that there are 100,000 to 150,000 wine students in China spread out among a number of wine schools large and small, and Bill believes there are tremendous opportunities for the SWE and the venture of wine education among Chinese enthusiasts.

Thank you, Bill, for your passion for wine and your work with the SWE in China!

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

Missi Holle, CSS, CWE

The Society of Wine Educators (SWE) would like to say congratulations and welcome to Missi Holle, the new President of the Society’s Board of Directors.

Ms. Holle holds several of SWE’s certifications, including the Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS), Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), and Certified Wine Educator (CWE) as well as Advanced Level certification through Wine & Spirits Education Trust. She is very passionate about teaching and strives to make wine and spirits education easy to understand and, most importantly, fun!

Missi graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Marketing.  She has worked in the various sectors of the hospitality industry since high school and started learning about wine and spirits while in a local distributor sales role just out of college.  Her passion for beverage, as well as food and travel (the perfect trifecta!), has continued to grow through her own personal experiences and her professional pursuit.  An experienced beverage professional with over 20 years of industry experience, Missi currently serves as a Senior National Account Manager and Educator for Kobrand Wine and Spirits—a family owned fine wine and spirits company founded in 1944.

Missi first became involved with SWE via Don Kinnan, CWE. In her own words, here is how she describes that auspicious beginning: “Don was the Education Director for Kobrand for 30 years and was one of my early mentors with regard to education.  Don was very involved in SWE and encouraged me to become a member and seek certification through SWE.   I attended my first SWE Conference in 2011 in Providence and was so impressed with the quality of speakers, the level of education and the overall value that I got out of my time spent there.  I returned to work the following week with increased passion and knowledge and even with new tools that we still use at Kobrand today. From there, I’ve never looked back!”

When asked about her journey to certification, Missi tells us, “I am very proud to have obtained my SWE Certifications, especially the CWE, which wasn’t easy!  It took me about 18 months of very dedicated self-study and tasting. It’s a very comprehensive exam!  Today, SWE offers even more tools to aid in the self-study process, like the CWE Book Club, SWE Summits (in depth SWEbinars on some of the more obscure topics), Workbooks (designed for the CSW or CSS course, but I personally used the CSW workbook as a base for my CWE study), flashcards, practice quizzes and much more!

Studying for the CSW and CSS Certifications is a great way to stay current on the ever changing/growing world of wine & spirit as the materials are updated more frequently than other general wine educational courses in the industry.  I buy the CSW and CSS digital study guides at each new release simply to have on my iPad as a current reference book.   Having any of the SWE credentials shows a commitment to our industry and demonstrates professionalism.”

Missi’s goals for her time as SWE President include working with the SWE office and the SWE Board of Directors to grow the overall membership as well as the number of SWE certified individuals. As a final note, she adds, “It’s a very exciting time to be involved with SWE!  If you’d like more information about any of the SWE products or services, visit our website at www.societyofwineeducators.org.”

Welcome, Missi Holle!

Charlotte Woolfolk, CSW

Could there be a more auspicious beginning:  Charlotte Woolfolk, CSW, grew up in Orange County, California, in a home that valued global cuisine made from the freshest ingredients from the large family garden.  Her father had grapevines growing near the garden, and he made wine from those vines nearly every year.  During the winemaking process, Charlotte and her siblings could taste the fresh juice and focus on different aspects of the juice and the way it changed from year to year.

When the time came, she moved to Texas to attend Texas Christian University and attained two degrees:  a BBA in Business Marketing, and a BA in Graphic Design.  During a study abroad semester in Europe, she attended a wine tasting in Paris and lost her heart to a Sancerre.  That was all it took.  Her love for wine grew as she spent time that summer in Tuscany.  Returning home, her hobby became wine, and she sensed that the more she learned, the more there would still be to learn.

After graduation, she returned to Orange County in the spring of 2018 and was hired as a graphic designer for a marketing agency called MarkeTeam Inc, which specializes in food and beverage clientele.  It did not take long for the company to recognize her interest in all things wine and they asked if she wanted to work toward a wine certification of her choosing.  After doing some research, she chose the Society of Wine Educators and began her studies in December of 2018, working towards the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) certification.  Her study process, which was intense and involved a “high amount of passion,”  involved taking Jane Nickles’ online class, utilizing the wine of the week sections, reading and taking notes on the CSW Study Guide, using the CSW Workbook, making flashcards, and utilizing the SWE Wine Quiz App.  She passed the CSW exam on the first try, on the morning of her 23^rd birthday.

The result of all that work?  From Charlotte:  “Due to my studies, my company has allotted me a wine budget to help educate other employees about wine, through offering a tasting each week.  Additionally, for my company I run a trend blog. . .with a yearly report on the food and beverage industry and the intersection with design and marketing that creates added value for our clients by giving them a quick update on what is going on in the industry and what trends might be upcoming in the industry.”

Charlotte hopes to work towards the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) certification, both for her own interest and also to help her company elevate its client offerings in the realm of wine.  She is an active part of an up-and-coming generation of wine professionals offering the wine industry fresh and creative ideas for the future.

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

Joanna Wyzgowska, CWE, CSE

Joanna Wyzgowska, WSET Dip, CWE, CSE, was born in Poland but grew up in the Los Angeles area.  In 2007, she completed two BFA’s from California State University in Long Beach, then moved to the east coast for graduate school, obtaining an MFA in Visual Arts from Rutgers University in 2009 in the midst of the recession, when jobs in her field were scarce. Initially Joanna began her career in the wine/spirits industry as a server just to get by, then shifted her focus, moved on to being a bartender, and has since progressed into the sommelier position.  In the course of that progression, she found that she wanted to know more about the products she was selling, so she became increasingly interested in learning about wine and spirits and found that “the more I learned and tasted, the more I wanted to learn more and taste more.”  Her interest continued to grow and steadily developed into a vocational passion which has spanned over a decade of working in the restaurant industry.  She currently lives in New York City and is the Senior Sommelier at Kappo Masa on the Upper East Side.

Joanna has an abiding interest in all things that have to do with beverages—whether wine, spirits, beer, sake, you name it.  She has found the study of them to be a consistent challenge and source of enjoyment, for there is always more to learn about a category of products, a producer, or a region.  Thirst for knowledge is what drives her, and she particularly loves to travel and learn about local beverages and production techniques first-hand.  Accordingly, as her career in the wine/spirits industry evolved, Joanna set for herself the goal of gaining a well-rounded beverage education.  In 2014 she became a Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, and in 2016 she completed the WSET Diploma and also became a Certified Sake Sommelier.  Recently she has embarked on a Cicerone Certification to explore all things beer.

She became acquainted with the Society of Wine Educators through a friend who mentioned to her the SWE quiz app, which she thought might be useful in studying for the WSET diploma.  She liked it, and searched out other educational opportunities offered by the SWE.  She gave the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) course a try and was impressed:  the information was always up to date, and the regions and wines were presented in a clear format, so among other things it became a way to just stay current with the changes in the wine world.  Next, she decided to take the Certified Wine Educator (CWE), and found the online flashcards, quizzes, and other study resources helpful to her progress.  She recently passed the Certified Spirits Educator (CSE) with a nearly perfect score; her preparation included studying the Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) Study Guide in depth, and supplementing theory studies with comparative tastings, which helped her bring the theoretical concepts to life and deepen her understanding.

For someone as manifestly talented and skilled as she is, what is next for Joanna?  Her principle goal at the moment is to get into the Master of Wine program.  She articulates her dream beautifully:  “I really want to take all that I’ve learned and take it to the next level and expand my horizons.  I’m also strongly interested in education.  I love sharing what I know with others and I hope I can find a way to be involved in beverage education in some way in the future.”

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

Pamela Wood teaching to the crowds

Pamela Wood, CWE, CSW, CS, did not initially intend to find a place in the world of wine.  She was introduced to wine in a Wine Appreciation class at the University of Santa Cruz in the 80s, but took a different career path in real estate finance; she spent a decade at this in the Silicon Valley–Bay area and became the youngest woman to become the regional President of the California Mortgage Brokers Association.

However, she had a passion beyond real estate:  skiing.  She had skied in many places in the United States and Europe, but knowing of its reputation for the best snow around, she moved to Utah in 1998 and pursued a career in the ski industry.  Travelling became a larger part of her life, and she often found herself near a wine region:  Hunter Valley, Champagne, Burgundy, Provence, Tuscany, Piedmont. She realized she had an interest and passion for wine—what goes in the bottle, where it comes from, how its made, the history and culture behind it.  And this was the passion she made her own.

Pamela Wood in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

She also found that her adopted state of Utah did not have the wine education resources that California has.  So she began to study on her own, reading, learning, tasting.  She organized friends and had monthly tastings on a specific topic.  She kept studying, and realized it was time to get serious.  The closest certifying body she could find that seemed to fit into her life was the International Wine Guild in Denver, Colorado; she registered for and passed her Level 1 Sommelier exam.  On the flight back from Denver, she had a voice message from the Park City’s Fox School of Wine asking if she was interested in teaching.

She accepted, and has been teaching there since 2011.  In 2012, she opened the Park City Wine Club, a thriving social members organization, through which she leads wine events, food and wine pairings, wine dinners and private events throughout the Park City area and indeed the state.  She expanded the Club in 2015 to include wine tours, and she has taken people to California, Oregon, Washington, and even to Hawaii for the Kapalua Wine Festival.  In 2019, she will offer a tour to Spain and Southwest France.

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Still, Pamela was eager to learn more, and that’s when she found the Society of Wine Educators.  She sat for and passed the CSW in 2015.   Still yearning for more, she decided to study for the CWE designation.  At the time, she was working for world class resorts, running her own business, and to add still more into the mix was asked to become the wine educator for the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control for the State of Utah, which involves teaching wine classes to employees of state liquor and wine stores.  So, study time was limited at best.   However, she utilized all the resources she could lay her hands on:  the new CSW workbook, flashcards, quizzes, and other tools offered by the SWE.

She made her way to her first SWE conference this past August in New York, attended the CWE Boot Camp, and took the exam.  She was hoping to pass maybe three areas, but she passed the exam in its entirety on her first attempt, did her presentation in October, and was awarded her CWE on 1 November 2018.

Pamela continues to run the Park City Wine Club.  She has also signed on as the Director of Education for the Culinary Wine Institute, and develops training for resorts and restaurants nationwide to educate servers, increase wine sales, and improve overall customer satisfaction.  And, she continues in her other venues to teach and travel.  She has ended up far from where she thought she would be back at the beginning.  But, as Pamela herself says:  “I am so lucky to have developed my passion into a career, its hard to call this work when you love what you do!”

Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey

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Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson once dubbed her “The Queen of Bourbon,” and in her stellar career Trudy Thomas has truly lived into that title, having recently become one of the few to achieve the Certified Spirits Educator designation from the SWE.

Trudy has a fascinating history.  She grew up in rural Kentucky, where she was introduced into the rich tradition of moonshine by her grandfather, who distilled his own spirits, flavored with fresh fruit and peppermint.  He even made copper coils for other distillers, one of which remains on display at the county courthouse.  She would watch him as he worked, sneaking tastes, learning from him—and become inspired by the passion and fire he had for what he did.

Despite this beginning, Trudy never intended to enter into the spirits industry.  She was a percussionist while at the University of Kentucky and dreamed of being a musician. Later, she graduated with a degree in speech therapy after an injury prompted a change in direction.

However, the past has a way of circling back around, though, and the fire and passion instilled by her grandfather found an outlet for Trudy first in bartending, then in the food and beverage industry as a whole.  Following this passion, she joined Spago Beverly Hills, where she was under the tutelage of Chef Wolfgang Puck for a period of four years.

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In 2008 she joined the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, to raise the bar on their beverage program.  In 2014 she joined the Gaylord Opryland property (managed by Marriott), where she is currently Director of Beverage, overseeing beverage for more than 20 outlets and banquets.

Trudy had been a judge of spirits and wine at BTI in Chicago, and also at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, and honed her skills in the evaluation of spirits.  While in Arizona, she decided to study for the CSW and the CSS, and was the first person to take and pass both examinations on the same day.  When the Society of Wine Educators introduced the CSE designation, she knew it was something that she wanted for herself both personally and professionally.  Preparing for the exam while working at Gaylord Opryland proved a challenge, with stops and starts along the way, requiring discipline to set aside the time to study.  With preparation help from fellow bartenders on evaluations and blind tastings, she passed the tasting portions of the exam; and returned later to take the multiple choice and essays.  Her presentation was on bourbon heritage in the America.

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To listen to Trudy reflect on her career, though, is to hear a story about the value of mentors and teachers, and of her appreciation for the many people along the way who mentored her in her own work, the likes of Lincoln Henderson, Parker Beam, Dave Pickerel, Bill Samuels, and Jimmy Russell, and other giants in the spirits industry.  She writes of the gentlemen who were so influential in her life:  “These legends are/were like fathers, kicking me in the behind when I needed it, most of the time they tried to restrain my fire and encourage my passion but they always believed in me and pushed me to the next level for success; they helped me to test my limits while remembering to never sacrifice loyalty; they gave me wings to fly while keeping my roots always planted in Kentucky soil. These mentors were both my heritage and my future.”

What’s next for Trudy?  First, she wants to continue to grow and improve the beverage programs for Marriott, and specifically at the Gaylord Opryland.  But most inspiring is her desire to instill in others the passion she feels for her craft, as those who came before had done for her.  “My biggest goal is to mentor others as I have been mentored, I truly want to give back to an industry which believed in me, a bartender with roots in rural Kentucky, and which has given me so many amazing opportunities and experiences, an industry with lifelong friends.  I had great mentors, I hope to be the same and pay it forward while making my mentors proud.”

Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey

Jason Wyatt, CS, CWE

Jason Wyatt, CWE, of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, is the company’s Director of Wine Education for the state of Kentucky.  Jason is a proud member of the Society of Wine Educators, and a newly-minted Certified Wine Educator (CWE).

In his new position as Director of Wine Education for Kentucky, Jason has retail and restaurant sales responsibilities throughout the state, and works with a number of sales teams on training, courses, and examinations.  He also runs the SGWS Wine Club, which is an informal monthly meeting between SGWS employees and their customers that provides the opportunity to focus on a particular region, wine style, or producer.

Jason was born in Kentucky, and graduated from (go Hilltoppers!) Western Kentucky University.  At the time, a career in wine and spirits was not on his radar. However, he soon moved to Louisville and made the acquaintance of someone who was in the trade.  He got his first job in the industry at the famous Brown Hotel in Louisville and received his first significant introduction into the world of fine dining and wine. From there, though he took some time away, his interests blossomed.

Jason joined Southern Glazer’s in 2009, first responsible for selling to restaurants and later as the Fine Wine Portfolio Manager.  Intentional about his studies, he received his Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) credential in 2011, and continued his studies non-stop. Jason passed the Certified Sommelier (CS) exam in 2015, earned his Italian Wine Professional (IWP) and WSET (level 3) in 2016, and he completed the WSET Nominated Educator Program in 2017. In 2017, he also received his CWE.

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The CWE was a significant milestone for Jason, the culmination of much study and preparation.  Has it changed him in any way?  In a word:  confidence.  It is an imprimatur, an acknowledgement of his skills, knowledge, and talents, the recognition of achievement, and he is able to carry that confidence daily into the work that he now does.  And, armed with that confidence, he continues to direct his attention to improvement and growth in his chosen profession.

What counsel might he give someone seeking a certification through the SWE?   Take time with preparation, but do set a date for the exam to give yourself a goal and be able to work toward it; know the ins and outs of each region and have a great understanding of viniculture and viticulture; nourish the fire and passion you have for wine and spirits.  Jason:  “With SWE, its more than just memorization of facts.  Its cause and effect, its historical and cultural, its ‘what’s new’ with innovation.  The SWE exams are no joke.  They are very difficult, and you need to be versed in all things wine.  Ask for help, there are numerous tools available to you.”

The suite of his talents and accomplishments points toward Jason making significant contributions in the world of wine.  He enjoys first of all options and varieties: there are so many wines from so many places, and the landscape of the wine industry is so continually changing and evolving, that there is always something new and wonderful to discover and enjoy.  He also likes the fact that wine is so helpful in bringing people together from all walks of life; as Jason puts it:  ‘When in a social situation and the ‘what do you do for a living’ conversation starts, I always enjoy telling people what I do.  People love sharing their wine experiences and everyone seems to want to know more about wine.  When you open a bottle, everyone gathers around.”  He gets a particular thrill out of working with others who are learning about wine, and he relishes seeing people challenge themselves and pass their exams.

Jason Wyatt–one of a new generation of talented wine professionals whose work is helping shape the future of the wine trade.

Guest post written by Reverend Paul Bailey