1. Can you tell us a little about how this passion led you to want to become a sommelier? 

“My inspiration to become a sommelier came from wanting to formalize what I already loved. I mostly held fast paced bartending jobs in NYC, and landed a job at a French wine bar, which required a slower, detailed pace and my entire world opened up. I was fascinated by the language of wine and where the grapes came from. Most importantly, it was the stories from the winemakers that drew me closer to viticulture; how they took care of the grapes, their decisions in the cellar, how they wanted to express their finished product to the world. Wine is a living thing and my job essentially became to provide patrons a vivid picture of the wines from our menu, and I loved that. I had always wanted to shift away from the clubbing culture, and found that through my love of wine, I could make a career from one of my favorite things in the world.”

2. Do you find there had been obstacles in becoming a womxn sommelier in such a prominent male dominated industry?

“Honestly, during my training at WSET and SSA, my mentors championed me and provided a lot of encouragement. I felt supported in that environment. Both were amazing learning experiences, and I’m forever grateful for that support and encouragement. 

While I feel we have a long way to go when it comes to equal pay for women in the restaurant workforce, women seem to be in every corner of the wine industry. I feel perspectives are shifting towards a more leveled playing field. I think the time has come to stop thinking of the sommelier as someone who wears blazers and pins and only studies at the Court of Sommeliers, quite the opposite, a sommelier, whether male or female, or however you identify, are stewards of wine culture, no pin necessary.”

3. What tools did you use to overcome this? 

“After realizing that blazers and pins weren’t for me, I sought jobs that thought outside the box and felt approachable. I also started to prioritize my mental and physical health during the pandemic. I take breaks from drinking and use herbs for sleep and mood regulation. It was very important for me to not feel constrained by my passion for wine. I needed to be in an environment where I felt supported by my own approach in sharing wine knowledge. Unpretentious! Before that, it was very easy to get sucked into a 50-60 hour work week in this industry, and the pandemic provided a reprieve from that. Now that I’m back to work, it’s especially important for me to balance work-life. I do feel sometimes women tend to experience the double standard of expecting to work harder in order to prove themselves, for whatever reason, and while I’m certainly not against hard work, I’ve tried to circumvent that through working smarter. I simply try to not overload myself, and work within my limits in order to not stretch myself thin. I try to look at what’s the most important thing that I need to get done right now and what can wait.” 

4. What do you think you want to share most with people with regard to your own deep connection with wine and Champagne that you feel you don't see often?

“Slowing down. I feel we live in a culture of eating and dining way too fast. I like to take my time sipping wine and eating my food. I like to savor every bite and every sip. I do this because I feel it transports me to another place, the smells, the texture, and any sensations that come up. I want to engage with what’s in front of me, the wine, the food and whomever I’m sharing that with. My favorite part of champagne is the bubbles, but as I have taken a deeper dive into learning about Champagne, there’s so much more to it. First, the way that it’s made, and how long it takes. Champagne can take many years, from 3 to 6 sometimes much more, to be made, and I think if people really grasped that, it would move away from just a celebratory party drink. Although, there’s nothing wrong with that either.”

5. Tell us more about the layers in terms of the sensory aspect with Champagne you want more people to know about on a deeper level? 

“I believe you can have a healthy relationship with alcohol if you’re curious about what you’re drinking. For me, that’s what it takes, asking questions. There are many ways to connect to your beverage, whether its philosophical—how the wine was made, or physical—sight, aromas, texture, even taking the time to hear the bubbles in your glass! The bubbles as they burst can be quite a symphony. Also historical—The Champagne region was at the epicenter of many wars in the past, and the Champenois are survivors. It can be an endless learning experience depending where you want it to guide you.”

6. We feel that there is so much poetry surrounding the experience of tasting a new wine or a glass of Champagne. What examples can you share with us?

“I have really been exploring a ton of natural wines with a low ABV, (Alcohol by volume) around 10%, max 12%. Piquettes are one of my favorites, it's made from leftover grape pomace that's re-fermented. The final product is a super light bodied wine with a slight fizz. I find them quite refreshing. When I first tried one, from Marigny up in Oregon, it tasted like a club soda with fresh strawberry slices in it. I have also started a path of tasting grower champagne. These wines are smaller in production and a bit more niche, and they tend to have zero dosage, meaning no addition of sugar called Brut Nature. I tend to gravitate towards Pinot Munier based champagnes because of their fruity profiles. If grapes are picked very ripe, there won’t be a need for the addition of dosage (sugar). The fruit flavors will be present in its purest form.”

7. Can you tell us a favorite meal pairing with wine or Champagne that you've been most recently excited about? 

“Fried mushrooms and Champagne! The mushrooms have an umami taste that complements the acidity from a glass of champagne. You can leave the bread coating out and go for sautéed mushrooms and still get the same experience, the coating just adds a layer of texture.” 

8. What does empowering womxn mean to you? 

“Celebrating our uniqueness and differences by validating self-expression. We aren’t monolithic. It’s easy to make assumptions about others when you don’t know their life story. Sharing our stories with each other and the world is important. I believe when you empower others around you, you receive a powerful energy in return. I have gained so much from other women who saw my light when I couldn’t. It starts with having open and honest conversations.”

9. What jewelry piece from the Dea collection did you gravitate to most and why? 

“The Baubo Gold necklace. It has an ancient vibe to it, something that predates christianity. There’s something really grounding about the oval, shell-like shape, like roots can grow out of it.”

Bio & Photo by, Nina Granados